Sudarshan Ghonge

"I remember being curious from very early on. I used to wonder why things are the way they are: why do the train engines leave smoke, why do boats float, why are there no more kings in India? My mom still reminds me how much of a struggle it was to deal with my questions. Once, during a family vacation to our folks in Mumbai, I woke her up at 3am to ask if Ghatkopar (a suburban area in Mumbai) was in Gujarat (a neighboring state, but nowhere close to Mumbai)! Every now and then, I still have moments where I think about the immensity and uniqueness of our universe, and wonder whether the laws of physics are different elsewhere."

Sudarshan Ghonge is a graduate student at Georgia Tech. He analyzes data from the LIGO detectors, performing the waveform reconstructions that lead to the widely shared images of the underlying gravitational wave signals. Sudarshan likes cooking and visiting breweries, and swears by the therapeutic power of preparing a nice meal for oneself. At one time he aspired to be a professional badminton player, but now enjoys playing it during the evenings. You can follow Sudarshan on Facebook and on Twitter at @sudughonge1.