Taksha Kalpana Chawla Education Center (TKCEC)

Introduction

[Under development]

TKCEC Chair

Prof. Narayanan Komerath, GaTech, GA

TKCEC Council of Advisors (CoA)

Ms. Vatsala Khetawat, MTM, MSc, and MEng
Sr. Technical Program Manager (Chief of Staff), Walmart Labs (California)

TKCEC Events

October 2020:

Rushanka Pramod Amrutkar is Awarded Britain’s Asian Women of Achievement Science Award 2020

21-25 October, 2019:

The Taksha Kalpana Chawla Education Center (TKCEC) Hosted Rushanka Amrutkar at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC19), in Washington DC 

The Taksha Kalpana Chawla Education Center (TKCEC) was pleased to host Rushanka Pramod Amrutkar at IAC19. Rushanka, a satellite remote sensing expert working on natural resources management and space exploration using space technology, joined the IAC19 from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, where she is working on her PhD research. She was one of the recent Indian-American Astronaut Kalpana Chawla Scholars, pictured below with Nikhitha Chadde, Nitya Pandey, Sonal Baberwal, and Aditi Nilvarna.

Rushanka had two papers accepted for presentation at IAC19, in collaboration with SGAC and different international co-authors: “Current and Near-Future State of Space Technology for Disaster Situations” and “Roles of Space-Related Non-Governmental Organizations in Disaster Management.”

Rushanka’s IAC19 Experience in her Own Words

I am very honored to be hosted by TKCEC for IAC19 as an Indian-American Astronaut Kalpana Chawla Scholar of International Space University Space Studies Program 2019. IAC19 was a spectacular conference that kicked-0ff with the grand opening ceremony by Vice President of the United States of America Mike Pence. I was fortunate to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission graced by the presence of Buzz Aldrin on the IAC19 platform. The motto “Let’s go to Mars” thrilled the spectators. IAC19 was a gigantic union of high-quality technical presentations, exhibitions, meetings, and evening events with young professionals and experts all over the space sector. This event introduced me to the network of people who are doing outstanding work in space research and are committed to march towards ambitious and challenging space missions. IAC seems to give voice to the evolving audience by providing an extremely vibrant podium. Dynamism and zeal of the participants were beyond contagion, which left me with great enchantment. I was able to connect with the great space scientists, inventors, and experts through special dinner meetings arranged by Taksha Institute. This offered me with an emerging alliance for my future prospects.

TKCEC-Related Publications Portal

This interview introduces Rushanka as an academic powerhouse with a keen interest in the role of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). She is a PhD research scholar from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay with expertise in Satellite Remote Sensing applications for planetary science and exploration. She completed her Master’s in Technology degree from The Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia Pacific (CSSTEAP), affiliated to the United Nations, and was fully funded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Rushanka is now a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (United Kingdom). Read about her accomplishments here: https://rocket-women.com/2020/02/meet-a-rocket-woman-rushanka-amrutkar-pate-phd-candidate-iit-bombay/