AUSTIN, Texas – Maanas Gupta, a rising senior at The University of Texas at Austin has been named to the 2023 Astronaut Scholar Class by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF).
The Astronaut Scholarship is a national award given to a select group of outstanding undergraduate students studying in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). Astronaut Scholars are among the best and brightest minds in STEM who show initiative, creativity, and excellence in their chosen field.
As an Astronaut Scholar, Maanas will receive:
- A scholarship up to $15,000
- The opportunity to represent UT at ASF’s Scholar Technical Conference
- Mentoring by a scholar alumni, C-suite executive, or astronaut
- Membership in the Astronaut Scholar Honor Society
Astronaut Scholarships are awarded to students in their junior or senior year of college who intend to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their final degree.
Upon graduation, Maanas Gupta will pursue an MD/PhD in biomedical engineering specializing in cardiac tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
“Inspired by my interactions with cancer patients, I knew I wanted to pursue research that would directly translate to patients and overcome the current barriers limiting regenerative medicine from the clinic. Having already been in Dr. Janet Zoldan’s lab, I requested to pivot my project to tackle this translational gap. ”
He added, “The Astronaut Scholarship will guide me closer to becoming the physician-scientist I aspire to be, harnessing cardiovascular research and providing treatments for cardiac patients.”
This year ASF awarded 68 scholarships to students from 46 different universities across the nation.
To learn more about the scholarship and how to apply, visit provost.utexas.edu/awards/astronaut.