Hrushikesha Athreya

My name is Hrushi Athreya and I am a senior getting a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Physics with a minor in astronomy. On campus, I am the President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Consulting Engineer and Former President of Illinois Robotics in Space, Business Director for MechSE MakerWorks, a dome telescope operator for the University of Illinois Astronomical Society, and a varsity student-athlete on the Illinois Rowing Team. I am also an undergraduate researcher for the Observational Cosmology Laboratory working on the Terahertz Intensity Mapper. In the Fall, I will be continuing my education in graduate school and while I am currently in the process of deciding exactly where I want to go, I will be starting my Ph.D. in Physics with a focus on astronomical instrumentation, which is essentially doing engineering for astrophysical purposes such as detectors, telescopes, and balloons. My career goal is to become a physics faculty member. In my free time, I very much enjoy hiking and being outdoors. I have been to over 25 national parks and hope to visit all of them someday.