HUBC Beltsville is proud to recognize Ujjawal Shah as a meritorious recipient of the Frederick Douglass Doctoral Scholarship, a competitive, fully funded award that supports international Ph.D. applicants pursuing rigorous doctoral research at Howard University.

Ujjawal is originally from the holy city of Janakpur, Nepal. From a young age, he discovered an inherent talent for coding. It was then in his free time that he began teaching Python and data science to himself, while still completing his high school education in Kathmandu. His hard work has paid off. His aptitude for coding, along with the opportunity to study on a generous scholarship at Howard University, led him to the United States to pursue an undergraduate degree in Computer Science.

Now, four years later, he reflects on his accomplishments as a student at Howard, where he has collaborated and networked with numerous professors and research scientists, particularly at the atmospheric station at the Howard University Beltsville Campus (HUBC). There, he has contributed to various research projects over the past two years, deepening his understanding of boundary layer physics and low-level jets.

His biggest takeaway from his experience at Beltsville is the importance of visualization: “Plots allow you to see what is going on and to raise more questions about what the underlying data means; that is where the science lies.”

Ujjawal will graduate this May with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and will begin his Ph.D. studies in mathematics. Following his doctoral work, he hopes to pursue a career in the technology sector, using mathematics as a foundational tool. We wish him continued success in his future endeavors.

The team is also proud to recognize Gorakh Khatri for his upcoming graduation and for receiving a long-time dreamed job offer to join Google as a software engineer.

Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, Gorakh was awarded the Howard University Leadership Scholarship upon graduating high school. This merit-based award enabled him to pursue and successfully complete his Computer Science degree at Howard University over the past four years.

Gorakh’s journey to the United States was inspired by his interest in technology. He emphasizes that exposure to advanced technologies not only broadens one’s own opportunities but also creates pathways to give back. As he puts it, “there are so many talented kids that don’t have the means,” highlighting his aspiration to one day collaborate with and support students in Nepal who lack access to technological resources.

During his undergraduate career, Gorakh completed three internships with Google, an achievement he takes great pride in. In addition, he has contributed to several research projects at HUBC under the mentorship of Senior Research Scientist Dr. Ricardo Sakai. His work has focused on AERONET measurements of Atmospheric Optical Depth (AOD) and its application in understanding aerosol transport following Canadian wildfire events. One of the most important takeaways from his time at HUBC is his development of a deeper and more refined approach to analyzing and interpreting data.

We congratulate Gorakh on his remarkable accomplishments and wish him all the very best as he begins this exciting new chapter. May both Gorakh’s and Ujjawal’s journeys be filled with success, growth, and meaningful contributions.