GITAM professors bag prestigious INSA fellowship

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) has awarded its Visiting Scientist Programme 2023 scholarships to two outstanding faculty members from GITAM (Deemed to be University), Dr. Krishna Kummari and Dr. Kumar Raju Mukhi, in a significant boost to scientific research in India.

The coveted INSA fellowship was awarded to conduct advanced research and receive specialist training in Indian research institutes/laboratories other than one's own.The fellowship was granted for a two-month period.

Dr. Kummari, from the Department of Mathematics at the varsity's Hyderabad campus, would conduct research on "AI-Inspired Optimisation for Swarm Robotics" at the Advanced Computing and Microelectronics Unit of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata as part of the fellowship.The research aims to investigate the effectiveness of AI-inspired optimization approaches in swarm robotics applications, which involve collaborative work among large groups of robots to achieve shared objectives.

Dr. Mukhi, from the Department of Physics at GITAM (Deemed to be University), would conduct research at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai. The focus of the research is to study nuclear shapes through low-energy Coulomb-excitation using advanced facilities like the Indian National Gamma Array (INGA) and the heavy-ion pelletron accelerator. The experiment aims to improve understanding of nuclear shapes and their implications for future research with stable ion beams.

The fellowship provides him with the opportunity to collaborate with TIFR and IUAC, India, and utilize state-of-the-art equipment, thereby expanding his research skills and contributing to the field of nuclear physics.

The scientists said, “We are grateful to our parent institution for its support in obtaining the INSA VSP fellowships. The fellowships will have a positive impact on our career trajectories and research directions, as it offers resources, networking opportunities, and access to advanced research facilities, allowing us to make significant contributions to our respective fields. The recipients of this fellowship generally go on to form a thriving academic or professional network.”

Dr. Kummari aims to contribute to optimisation theory and applications, as well as apply AI to real-world problem solving. Dr. Mukhi intends to form collaborations, conduct new nuclear physics experiments, and publish research findings to further our understanding of nuclear physics. The INSA Visiting Scientist Program offers them a platform to expand their knowledge, foster collaborations, and drive progress in their fields of study.