Arkita Chakrabarti knows the importance of mentors. After developing an
interest and skill in chemistry in high school, she earned a bachelor’s
degree in chemical engineering at her home in India. She then came to the
United States for a master’s program at the University of Buffalo. The
experience increased her interest in interdisciplinary research, and she
started her PhD research at Drexel in 2018. This June she is thrilled to
round off her time at Drexel as the 2023 Graduate Commencement Speaker.
Pursuing a PhD can be a daunting experience, but her passion for chemistry,
coupled with chemical engineering principles, were crucial to her PhD
research. Her dissertation, titled “Strain-induced crystal phase selectivity
in nano-scaffolded cesium lead iodide”, involves halide perovskites, a
cheaper alternative to silicon in solar cells
Also instrumental to her time at Drexel was the advice and encouragement
from her advisor, Professor Aaron Fafarman, who made sure to teach
Chakrabarti celebrate all of her small wins. “I could not have asked for a
better mentor for my grad school experience,” she said. “I have never felt
like it was my journey alone as I navigated through the many hurdles and
failures in research because he was always around to help me figure out what
to do next.”
Apart from research, Chakrabarti enjoys teaching and has mentored
undergraduate students in their research and classes. She has also been an
active student leader and served as the treasurer and then vice president of
the
Chemical and Biological Engineering Graduate Students’ Association
(GSA).
During her tenure as vice president, helped create community among Drexel
graduate students through organizing social and academic events. Though
there was a lot of work to do and logistics to figure out, seeing everyone
enjoy them made them her favorite memory at Drexel. She also has received
three awards and two fellowships – the George Hill Jr. Endowed Fellowship in
2018 and the R Gautam ‘76 PhD Fellowship this past February. After
graduation, she intends to continue research into semiconductor materials
for solar panels, and eventually plans to join academia.
As she prepares to continue her research after graduation, she will carry
fond memories of the program that guided her through the final part of her
higher education. “The chemical engineering department fosters a very
supportive and nurturing culture towards its students," she said. “Such an
environment helped me learn a lot in terms of research without feeling
pressurized or overtly competitive.”