Statement of Purpose

As a young schoolgirl, I remember how I used to dream of myself as a well-known Astronomer, after whom a star or a galaxy would be named! My fascination for the stellar bodies fuelled an irrepressible urge to learn and know more about them. I read books and watched various programs to quench this thirst for knowledge. As I entered college, horizons of my knowledge expanded. I was amazed and thrilled by the “omnipresence” of various branches of science in our lives. Of all the branches, Chemistry always fascinated me the most as I realized how every process in human life was based on it.

In the first year of my graduation, a completely new topic of Nuclear Chemistry was introduced to us and it strongly attracted my attention. With time I found myself drawn more and more towards it. My fascination for the subject spurred me to make my Foundation course project on ‘Nuclear explosions and their impact on environment’. I further presented a seminar on Synthetic Elements and wrote an essay on Nuclear power and non-power programs in India in the final year of my graduation. All these activities helped me increase my knowledge and understanding of Nuclear Chemistry, under the able guidance of my professors. My confidence was boosted by my appreciable performance on the ‘Chemistry Aptitude Test’ conducted by ‘The Indian Chemical Society’. This encouragement, along with the immense interest in the field of Nuclear Chemistry, led me to the decision of pursuing a research career in it.

Today, Nuclear Technology is a major contributor to the vitality and health of the society with its widespread use for electricity generation and industrial and medical diagnostics, and as an indispensable tool for scientific research in fields ranging from pharmaceuticals to environmental studies. The most unusual quality of the Nuclear sciences is that a certain experiment or discovery can be used both constructively as well destructively. I was, however, surprised and somewhat disappointed to know how the common man always equates the word “Nuclear” to “destruction”. If this notion is to be changed, what is needed is an application of nuclear technology that would help improve the daily life of the common man. Having reasonable confidence in my ability of logical thinking, I realized that I could make such a contribution through my research and what I needed was an able guidance. When I studied the website of Oregon State University in detail, I was thrilled to know about the research that was taking place and facilities that were available at the Chemistry department of the OSU as well as the history of the OSU. Any budding chemist would feel proud to work at the university and department which produced the great Nobel laureate Linus Pauling. The Nuclear and Radiation chemistry division, housed in the Radiation Center, is well equipped with facilities like the 1MW Triga reactor. The interesting research here includes the study of nucleus-nucleus collisions under various conditions. The skills that students acquire here lead to jobs in nuclear engineering, nuclear energy, archaeology ect. The Valley Library, containing over 1.5million volumes, maps and government documents, is the source of vast information for the students at the OSU. The Graduate Student Multimedia Resource Center as well as the Chemistry department provides access to various CD’s, software etc., useful to the students for study and research. I am therefore applying to the Oregon State University for the PhD degree.

I am confident that the professors and the university won’t be disappointed with me. I have the patience to pursue a particular task till I succeed in it. I also have passion to learn new things and explore new avenues in life. In fact this was one of the many reasons why I choose a research career. Also required qualities for a research scientist now a days are the ability to work in a team as well as to lead a team. Fortunately, I have a bit of experience in both. During the final year of my bachelor’s I was a member of the ‘Student Council’ of our college, which enriched me with the experience of teamwork in organizing many educational and social events. In the final year of my Master’s, I was elected the Joint Secretary of the ‘Inorganic Chemistry Colloquium’, where I learned how to lead my classmates and juniors in organizing various seminars year-round. I am currently working in the Nuclear Chemistry laboratory of my college to get acquainted with various nuclear techniques and instruments. I also plan to work on a small research project in next few months. Knowing the importance of computers in every field of science now a days, I have done a few courses from well-reputed institutes like NIIT, which I feel, would be of advantage to me in my research work.

In addition to my interest in research, I am also interested in reading , knitting listening to music, and seeing new places, chatting with friends and my family and especially my mother, about various issues and subjects. I particularly like to read autobiographies or biographies of outstanding people. I think they give us an insight into the brilliant minds of these extraordinary people. One such biography that inspired me a lot was that of Albert Einstein.

Hence, being the person I am, I wish to make a valuable contribution to the scientific community, and more so, to humanity. I would therefore like to receive my doctorate in Nuclear Chemistry from your reputed university. I am very sure that the Chemistry department at the Oregon State University will help me increase my knowledge and skills in this field as well as, towards making me a better human being. With my sincere efforts, I would try to elevate the status of your already well-reputed department and university. Hence, I hope to be soon working with the dignified faculty and highly qualified students at the Chemistry Department of the Oregon State University. Thanking you.