Dr. Vasundara Varadan has taught at the University of Arkansas since 2005. She earned a B.S. and PhD in Physics. Prior to accepting this teaching position, Varadan was Director of the Electrical Engineering and Communications systems Division at the NSF and distinguished professor at the Pennsylvania State University, where she taught for 22 years.
Education
Varadan grew up in India, and earned her education during a time when engineering was a non-traditional path for women, but that didn’t make it a challenge for her. “My sisters had degrees in Physics and Business, so it was very much up to me what I wanted to do, we were not restricted in that way,” she said.
The Road to Engineering
Although Varadan may not have set out to become an engineer, she certainly seems very pleased with the outcome. “Engineers make the world a better place to live,” she said. “It’s a noble profession…a good group to belong to.”
Her first job was a Post-Doctoral position at Cornell University, where she transitioned from physics into working as a materials engineer. For a time, she was an assistant professor of engineering at Ohio State, before accepting her position at Penn State.
University of Arkansas Experience
Varadan came to the U of A because she wanted the chance to really build something. The condition of her labs at Penn State and U of A faculty persistency lead her to visit the Ozark campus. Once she met with John White, distinguished professor of industrial engineering and Chancellor Emeritus, she said, “He blew me away. His vision and great plan for a steep slope up is what brought me here.”
She has been proud to work with such bright students, and is grateful to the Chancellor’s and Governor’s scholarships that brought them here.
Research & Projects
Varadan was one of three Arkansas researchers who were awarded a joint funding of $25 million from NSF’s EPSCoR for projects from 2010-2015. Her project, named GREEN, aims to reduce the thickness of solar cells and reduce its cost, while incorporating a state-wide educational program that will involve several schools (K-12) and five different Arkansas universities: the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, UALR, UA Pine Bluff, UA Fort Smith, and Philander Smith College.
The Green Mobile is a large bus housing a solar energy lab that produces energy for experiments from solar panels on its roof, and will bring the GREEN program directly to students in grades K-12 and Arkansas communities. “It’s designed to introduce (young) students to solar energy by weaving this knowledge into the curriculum,” Vardan said.
Off the Clock
Varadan likes to travel, read, garden, and spend time with her two young grandchildren. She reads a little bit of fiction, but mostly non-fiction books on world affairs, history, economics, and medicine.
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