Indian American student at UPenn Sona Dadhania wins 2016 Science Ambassador Scholarship

Dadhania was selected by Cards Against Humanity from over 1,000 applicants

AB Wire

Sona Dadhania

Sona Dadhania, a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, was awarded the 2016 Science Ambassador Scholarship from over 1,000 applicants. She has won a full-ride scholarship to study Materials Science and Engineering funded by Cards Against Humanity.

"I was so shocked and unprepared to hear that I won," said Dadhania, who is also a member of Penn Raas, a South Asian cultural dance team, according to a press release. "When I first heard, I was walking back into my TA's office hours with a super big grin, and a couple of my friends noticed how excited I seemed, so I ended up blurting out what happened to everyone in the room."

The scholarship was created by Cards Against Humanity after the success of their "Science Pack," an $10 expansion pack available for purchase on CardsAgainstHumanity.com. All proceeds fund the scholarship trust, which has raised over $850,000 so far.

"We created this scholarship to raise visibility of women in science," said Jenn Bane, the Cards Against Humanity community director. "Several of us at Cards Against Humanity have backgrounds in science and technology, and underrepresentation of women in STEM fields is a glaring problem we've seen ourselves. That's why we decided to both fund a woman's undergraduate education and carve out a public space for women in science to discuss what they're passionate about."

Applications opened last fall. Students were asked to submit personal videos explaining a topic in science.

"We decided to accept video applications to give women a platform and an audience, so to speak. Production value wasn't a factor. Sona submitted a creative, interesting video explaining nanotechnology," Jenn said. "She drew really funny illustrations to convey her points. Her video immediately stood out to the board of judges as one of the best."

An advisory board of over sixty women who hold higher degrees and work professionally in science ultimately selected Dadhania as the winner.

"Sona was a great candidate from the very first round of judging," said board member Dr. Veronica Berns. "Her video explained difficult concepts in nanotechnology in a creative, visual way that made them simple to understand without feeling condescending. That's a very hard thing to do, and Sona made it look easy. I can tell she is a very talented young scientist and I'm so happy that we will get to throw a spotlight on the work she is doing in the coming years."

As the winner, Dadhania will continue to create videos about STEM, which will be hosted on Cards Against Humanity's YouTube Channel.

"I can't wait to share my love for science with others.  I'm fortunate enough to know many people who have inspired me with their passion for science, and I hope that as Science Ambassador, I can inspire a passion and love for science in someone else," said Dadhania, who plans to one day work for a chemical, manufacturing, or aerospace company.

"We're so proud of Sona and all the women who applied, and I can't wait to offer this opportunity again next year," said Jenn. "With our scholarship fund, we're going to continue making public spaces for women to share their love for science."

Watch her winning video below:

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Source: Indian American student at UPenn Sona Dadhania wins 2016 Science Ambassador Scholarship