CEE student Shoaib Goraya has been selected to represent the University of Illinois in the 2025 Schmidt Science Fellows national competition. PhD students nominated to apply for Schmidt Science Fellowships represent the brightest emerging minds in natural sciences, engineering, mathematics and computing.
The Schmidt Science Fellows Program is an initiative of Schmidt Science and the Rhodes Trust that believes interdisciplinary science is the key to accelerating discoveries and driving innovation that improves quality of life for all. The program seeks to provide emerging scientists with the new skills and perspectives necessary to accomplish these goals.
Invited universities nominate students to apply for Schmidt Science Fellowships after their own rigorous internal review processes. As one of the students selected by U of I’s campus review committee, Goraya will now work to refine his application in preparation for the national stage.
If selected, Goraya will participate in a 12–24-month post-doctoral placement intended to mark a distinct disciplinary pivot from the field of study in which he will complete his PhD. This pivot, encouraging an interdisciplinary approach to research, is a hallmark of the Schmidt Science Fellows Program. Goraya's pivot will shift the focus of his research from computational mechanics to neuroscience.
Goraya’s PhD research is advised by CEE professor Arif Masud.