Archana Sathaye M.S. ‘86 and Shirish Sathaye M.S. ‘86

Funding the freedom for graduate students to think outside the box

From their time as master’s students at Virginia Tech, Archana Sathaye M.S. ‘86 and Shirish Sathaye M.S. ‘86 understand the importance of being able to concentrate on research. The Sathayes experienced firsthand the impact that additional funding could have on a graduate student. Although Archana was in the College of Science and Shirish in the College of Engineering, they both had similar experiences with receiving research assistantships through their advisors, allowing them more time to invest in their respective research.

“The main thing about the Moraco Challenge is it allows the faculty and graduate students to be more innovative and pursue new ideas,” Shirish said. “Unlike some types of research funding, these fellowships are not penned down for a certain type of research. Suppose the student or the faculty want to go and pursue something out-of-the-box, they can do this with funds that are available immediately.”

When considering innovation, time is of the essence. Because the fellowships through the Moraco Challenge are funded instantly, faculty and graduate students don’t have to wait the usual 12 months to receive support. The Sathayes hope that their fellowships, one in the Department of Mathematics and one in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will provide the financial support that high-quality researchers require while advancing their careers.