Prestigious international fellowship recognizes emerging interdisciplinary science leaders
March 25, 2026
UC Berkeley postdoctoral researcher Sathvik Iyengar has been named a 2026 Schmidt Science Fellow, joining an international cohort of 32 early-career scientists chosen for their potential to advance interdisciplinary research and tackle complex global challenges.
The Schmidt Science Fellows program supports exceptional researchers as they pivot from their doctoral discipline to pursue innovative postdoctoral research in a different field. This interdisciplinary pivot allows them to enhance their skills while applying their existing knowledge in novel ways, an approach that breaks down traditional disciplinary boundaries and accelerates discovery.
Former Google chairman and chief executive officer Eric Schmidt (M.S.’79, Ph.D.’82 EECS) and his wife, Wendy Schmidt, fund the fellowship award, which has been awarded annually since 2018 by Schmidt Sciences, in partnership with the Rhodes Trust.
At Berkeley, Iyengar will continue his research in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences under the supervision of assistant professor Asir Intisar Khan, focusing on devices for energy-efficient computing, with support from professors Sayeef Salahuddin and Ana Claudia Arias to extend these solid-state platforms into flexible, stretchable and wearable electronic systems.
Iyengar previously completed his Ph.D. in materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University. His doctoral research led to the discovery of glaphene, a hybrid of graphene and silica glass, and to the first experimental demonstration of quantum flexoelectricity in graphene.
For more details on this year’s Schmidt Science Fellows, view the official announcement.