Indian-origin MIT graduate Avani Ahuja receives prestigious Henry Ford II Scholar Award

Avani Ahuja (right) receives the Henry Ford II Scholar Award.

Indian-origin MIT graduate Avani Ahuja has received the prestigious Henry Ford II Scholar Award. The honour is among the institute's top recognitions for undergraduate engineering students and celebrates academic excellence, leadership and future promise. During her time at MIT Ahuja conducted research in power electronics, robotics and women's health technologies. She also earned the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship in 2025. This autumn she will begin a PhD in power electronics at MIT with plans to explore applications in healthcare and women's health research.

Avani Ahuja receives one of MIT's top engineering honours

The Henry Ford II Scholar Award is presented to a senior undergraduate student who demonstrates exceptional academic achievement and strong leadership potential in engineering and society. The award places Ahuja among a select group of MIT students recognised not only for their academic performance but also for their potential to make significant contributions to the engineering profession. Reflecting on the honour Ahuja said: "I am honored and overjoyed to receive this award. It was an honor to meet Dean Hammond especially."

Research that helped earn the award

Ahuja's undergraduate career was marked by research across several engineering disciplines. Her most recent work in the Coday Research Group focused on capacitive wireless power transfer. The technology could eventually be used to wirelessly charge electric vehicles and power implantable medical devices. She also conducted robotics research under Professor Sangbae Kim whose lab is known for advanced legged and bio-inspired robots. Ahuja described research as one of the defining aspects of her MIT experience. "My most significant experiences at MIT have included engaging in research whether it was women's health research under Professor Canan Dagdeviren in the MIT Media Lab robotics research under Professor Sangbae Kim or power electronics research under Professor Samantha Coday." Her ability to work across healthcare technologies robotics and electrical engineering helped establish her as one of MIT's most accomplished undergraduate researchers.

Her work in women's health technology

One of Ahuja's strongest interests is women's health research. She worked with Professor Canan Dagdeviren at the MIT Media Lab where she contributed to projects focused on medical technologies for women. According to MIT her research included work related to a wearable breast ultrasound patch designed to make breast cancer screening more accessible. The experience inspired her long-term goal of applying engineering innovations to healthcare challenges. "I hope to apply power electronics to the women's health research space one day after completing a PhD," she said.

Goldwater Scholarship added to her growing list of achievements

Before receiving the Henry Ford II Scholar Award Ahuja was selected as a 2025 Barry Goldwater Scholar. The scholarship is considered one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards in science engineering and mathematics in the United States. Each year only a few hundred students nationwide are chosen. The recognition highlighted both her research accomplishments and her potential as a future engineer and researcher.

What's next for Avani Ahuja

Ahuja will continue at MIT this autumn as a PhD student in power electronics within the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Her future work will focus on power electronics while exploring opportunities to apply those technologies to healthcare and medical devices. She has also expressed an interest in pursuing a long-term career in research and academia.

Life beyond the laboratory

Alongside her engineering studies Ahuja remained active in campus life through programmes such as MIT Ohms MIT LIVE and even line dancing classes. "I've also really enjoyed engaging in the extracurricular opportunities on campus whether it was through participating in the MIT Ohms through MIT LIVE or the line dancing lessons in the student center," she said. Ahuja also completed a minor in gender studies and credited professors Hafsa Arain and Marah Gubar for broadening her perspective. "As a gender studies minor I have to thank Professor Hafsa Arain and Professor Marah Gubar for offering amazing WGS and CMS classes that really changed the way that I thought about the world around me."

The mentors who shaped her journey

Ahuja credited several mentors and faculty members for supporting her throughout her time at MIT. She thanked Professor Samantha Coday Professor Maria Yang and Professor Canan Dagdeviren along with graduate students Colin Marcus and Sara Fernandez and Associate Dean Kimberly Benard. "I also want to thank the entire Coday Research Group for being an awesome support system," she said. As she prepares to begin her PhD Ahuja's achievements already place her among MIT's rising young engineers with research interests that span power electronics robotics and women's healthcare innovation.