Established in 1998, Mitchell Scholarships provide one year of postgraduate study at an Irish university in either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Named after Senator George Mitchell, the program seeks to support future leaders in any field who will benefit from study on the island of Ireland. This is the second year that the Scholars were selected virtually, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ravi, an Astrophysics major and a mathematics and biology concentrator, was admitted to Columbia as a Science Research Fellow (SRF), and has engaged in a wide range of experiments. As President of the Columbia Space Initiative, for example, Ravi led a team of students to create a proposal for studying bacterial growth in space that is set to run on the International Space Station next month. Ravi is interested in Dublin’s unique role as a hub in aerospace subsystems engineering: “I am most excited about how specialized and hands-on the education will be,” explains Ravi. “The curriculum includes a lab to design and launch miniature satellites, a spacecraft mission design course culminating in a final project conducted in Spain’s Canary Islands, and at least three months of full-time aerospace/astrophysics research or work.”
In reflecting on her fellowship journey, it is clear that Ravi tackled this project as diligently as she has others, and her advice to others reflects this fact. “Start drafting early,” she recommends; “seek feedback regularly; and use the personal statement to reflect on both extracurricular and intellectual interests.”