Portraits of Impact

Sreoshi Sen Chowdhury BS’21, MS’24 always knew The University of Texas at Dallas was one of her top choices. She initially favored UTD for the quality of the University’s academic offerings in the STEM fields and for its abundance of networking opportunities. As she delved deeper, she realized that UTD provided an unparalleled environment to nurture and fulfill her passion for pioneering scientific research.

“I knew from the start that UTD was where I wanted to be as a pre-healthcare student, but it was the research opportunities that really interested me,” Chowdhury said. “What solidified my choice was finding out I had been accepted into the Clark Research program.”

The Anson L. Clark Summer Research Program allows for first-year students to join active research groups during the summer before their first fall semester. The program provides those students free housing and a meal plan during the summer semester.

Chowdhury worked in the Habit Learning Lab under the guidance of  Dr. Catherine Thorn, assistant professor of neuroscience. During her time there, she assisted in the behavioral training of rats to study their motor habits, conducted vagus nerve stimulation and contributed to intracranial electrical stimulation surgeries (motor mapping) and facilitated in the micro-fabricating specialized tools for the study. This experience offered her more than just data collection; it provided invaluable preparation for the research world.

“The program taught me what it means to conduct research at an R1 research institution,” Chowdhury said. “There are not many hands-on experience opportunities in labs for undergraduate students at a lot of other universities. UTD is really good about doing this, and it certainly helps students get better integrated into their fields.”

As a senior, Chowdhury participated in the Texas Instruments Founders Leadership Fellowship program. The fellowship allows seniors, graduate students or recent alumni the opportunity to get hands-on experience in nonprofit work through the University’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations.

“I came across the program in my junior year, and it was something I was really interested in at the time because it was so different than other opportunities I had found,” Chowdhury said. “I was involved with nonprofit organizations in my undergraduate extracurriculars and I knew I wanted to explore that side further. It allowed me to look at philanthropy from an institutional lens.”

The fellowship is open to all majors, meaning anyone at UT Dallas who is passionate about philanthropy can apply.

“The Texas Instruments Fellowship was one of the biggest highlights of my undergraduate experience,” Chowdhury said. “I don’t think I would have realized the true impact of philanthropy or its potential role in my future endeavors. I really hope that within my field of psychology, I can integrate mental health and nonprofit work together, creating a meaningful and lasting contribution.”

Chowdhury graduated from UT Dallas in May. She says her experiences here have made her better understand the importance of giving to the next generation of minds.

“It’s important to support students because they hold the key to driving innovation and progress,” Chowdhury said. “Motivated students are more likely to come up with something creative and groundbreaking that can really change the trajectory of the future, whether in technology or any other field.”

---