Niharika Sravan

Dr. Niharika Sravan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Drexel University, joining in Spring 2023. She holds a PhD in Physics and Astronomy from Northwestern University (2018) and a B.Arch. with a Physics minor from IIT Kharagpur (2011). Her research focuses on applying machine learning to time-domain astronomy and optimizing observational strategies for astronomical transients. She previously held postdoctoral positions at Caltech and Purdue University.

Education:

• PhD, Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2018
• MS, Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2013
• B.Arch. with Minor in Physics, IIT Kharagpur, 2011

Research Interests: Dr. Sravan develops AI systems for real-time observation strategies of supernovae and gravitational-wave counterparts, leveraging reinforcement learning and hardware like TPUs/FPGAs. She collaborates with the Zwicky Transient Facility and uses data from the Rubin Observatory. Her work aims to enhance efficiency in data-driven astronomy and multimessenger studies.

Scientific Awards: None explicitly listed in the provided texts.

Advising & Grants: No advisee names or grant details provided. She leads research in autonomous observation systems and dynamic resource allocation.

Labs/Teams: Member of the Zwicky Transient Facility collaboration and affiliated with Drexel's Department of Physics.