Shomik Verma Awarded Udall Scholarship

Duke Engineering student Shomik Verma is the recipient of a 2018 Udall Scholarship, which recognizes students who have demonstrated a commitment to careers in the environment or Native American tribal public policy or health care.

Verma is also the recent recipient of a 2018 Goldwater Scholarship for his engineering research, which focuses on the design and implementation of sustainable technologies. He is president of the Duke Energy club, has worked with Duke’s Energy Initiative to create three new assistantships for students to do energy research with faculty, and is vice president of the Duke SMART home, where residents live in a LEED Platinum building and work on sustainability issues. 

Shomik has a strong passion for research and the topic of renewable and sustainable energy and his motivation is combined with exceptional fundamental skills and analytical abilities,” said Nico Hotz, Verma’s research adviser in Duke’s Thermodynamics and Sustainable Energy Lab. “During my years of mentoring students and supervising their research, I have hardly ever seen a student as talented and hard-working as Shomik.”

The Udall Scholarship gives recipients access to an alumni network of influencers in their field of interest, and comes with a monetary prize of up to $7000 that may be applied toward their academic expenses.

Verma is one of three Duke University students to receive the nationally competitive scholarship this year. Read more on Duke Today.