Liver Cells Take First Place in 7th Annual Mahato Memorial Image Contest

The 7th Annual "Envisioning the Invisible" Mahato Memorial Photo Contest took place on the evening of Thursday, April 20, 2017. Taking first place this year was Asli Unal, a biomedical engineering doctoral student, with a colorful image of liver cells growing in a petri dish.

Coordinated by our Engineering Graduate Student Council, the contest is designed to help explore and explain the world around us. Each year, Duke faculty, staff and students are invited to submit their best images for consideration. Besides awarding four cash prizes, the Mahato committee chooses a number of photos to be displayed in an art installation in FCIEMAS.

The competitive fellowship is a merit-based award consisting of a one-year, $5,000 salary supplement, and is open to all Pratt PhD students regardless of year of matriculation or citizenship. The criteria are intentionally broad to emphasize and celebrate Pratt's diverse student community.

The Mahato Memorial event honors Abhijit Mahato, a former engineering graduate student who was murdered on Friday, January 18, 2008. He valued activities that bridged the gaps between the science/engineering and social sciences/humanities disciplines, including sports, chess and photography. By holding this multi-disciplinary image contest, Pratt hopes to celebrate Abhijit's life by bringing together the graduate and professional community at Duke in a wonderful display of their talents and some friendly competition.