Gayathri Vinil: studying astronomy and astrophysics at the Florida Institute of Technology | Aga Khan Academies

Gayathri Vinil: studying astronomy and astrophysics at the Florida Institute of Technology

04 August 2023

Gayathri Vinil will be attending the Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech) to pursue a major in astronomy and astrophysics. Florida Tech is the first university to introduce the astronomy and astrophysics programme. Known for its location in the heart of the world's gateway to space exploration and ties with the global space community, it has the largest astronomy program in the United States. Florida Tech’s faculty includes former NASA astronauts, who are among the top 2% of scientists worldwide.

Gayathri received a merit-based scholarship (the Panther Fund Merit International Scholarship) of USD 80,000 over 4 years, covering tuition fees.

In addition to the USD 80,000 scholarship from Florida Tech, Gayathri was offered USD 160,000 from the University of Colorado, Queens University and more. 

“Two years at the Academy have been nothing short of an enriching and invaluable journey,” Gayathri said of her time at the Academy. “I have learned more in these two years than in any before. Living on the beautiful campus with a diverse, yet closely-knit community are some of the things I will cherish for years to come.”