Alumni Profiles

Harshil Kamdar

  • Program Years: 2016-2020
  • Academic Institution: Harvard University
  • Field of Study: Computational Astrophysics
  • Academic Advisor: Charlie Conroy
  • Practicum(s):
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2018)
  • Degree(s):
    BS Astronomy, and BS Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2016
    MA Computational Science And Engineering, 2021
    PhD Astronomy and Astrophysics, Harvard University, 2021

Current Status

Publications

1. Machine Learning and Comsological Simulations I: Semi-Analytical Models;
Kamdar, H.M., Turk, M.J., Brunner, R.J., MNRAS, 455, 642

2. Machine Learning and Comsological Simulations II: Hydrodynamical Simulations;
Kamdar, H.M., Turk, M.J., Brunner, R.J., MNRAS, 457, 1162

3. A Dynamical Model for Clustered Star Formation in the Disk; Kamdar, Conroy, Ting, Bonaca, Johnson, Cargile, ApJ, 884, 173.

4. Stars that Move Together are Born Together; Kamdar, Conroy, Ting, Bonaca, Smith, Brown, ApJL, 884, L42.

Awards

1. University Achievement Scholar (2012 - Present); merit scholarship of $12,000/yr for out-of-state students

2. Liberal Arts and Sciences Edmund James Scholar (2012 - Present); honors program

3. Dean's List (Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015); semester GPA in the top 15 percentile.

4. Harry E. Preble Award for Undergraduate Research (2014, 2015)

5. Finalist for best poster; University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium, Modeling Galaxy Formation and Evolution in Large Cosmological Simulations Using Machine Learning, April 2015, Urbana, IL

6. Blue Waters Fellowship (May 2015 - May 2016): National Center for Supercomputing Applications. One out of 22 students selected from across the nation to get 22,500 node hours on the Blue Waters supercomputer to pursue my research project.

7. Stanley Wyatt Memorial Award -- outstanding undergraduate in Astronomy at University of Illinois.

8. Robert E. Hetrick Senior Thesis Prize -- outstanding undergraduate senior thesis in Physics at University of Illinois.

9. Star Family Prize Finalist for excellence in undergraduate advising and mentoring.