Democrat & Chronicle: Essays 1 of 2 http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200... Place an Ad Customer Service Subscribe Our Mission Local News Home Sports Weather Opinion Jobs Search Rochester: Cars All Business Obituaries Real Estate Living Apartments 6 Entertainment Shopping Nation/World Classifieds Travel 64º | Hi 76º / Lo 47º Dating Forecast » Mostly Sunny Search sponsor Go Advertisement ESSENTIALS Santosh Kumari brings to RIT from India passion for physics Sports Opinion Blogs Forums Thumbs: up / down Health Entertainment Living Business Columnists Multimedia / Photos Video Last seven days of news Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu News 1999-Present Archive Post Comment (May 6, 2007) — Born on the Fourth of July in New Delhi, India, Santosh Kumari Kurinec perhaps was destined to come to the United States — which she did, in 1985, as a permanent resident (later becoming a U.S. citize n). Back in New Delhi more than a decade earlier, Santosh felt such excitement, which she still distinctly remembers today, at hearing the words of astronaut Neil Armstrong coming from an old tube radio, one that could barely receive the Voice of America: "The Eagle has landed." Apollo 11 had touched down on the moon in 1969. It was that short and crackling, but voluminous sentence, along with the space and nuclear programs of the 1970s, that sparked Santosh's interest in physics and ultimately led her to earn a doctoral degree at the University of Delhi. Article tools Print this email Reprint info article Article tools sponsored by Advertisement Early on, her parents had stressed the importance of math and science, often praising American scientific and technological advancements. Weather Obituaries Nation / World Classifieds Mobile Site E-Newsletters The energy crisis of the late '70s steered Santosh toward work on solar cell development in India; and, a few years later with the semiconductor industry growing, she was drawn to microchip development. "I had the best possible education and doctoral experience in India," Santosh says. "During and after my Ph.D., I was publishing and in touch with researchers in the United Kingdom and United States." NEIGHBORS Brighton Chili Fairport / Perinton Gates Greece Henrietta Irondequoit Penfield Pittsford Rochester Santosh's parents had migrated to Delhi before the partition of India and started life from scratch. They had vivid memories of West Punjab (which became part of Pakistan in 1947) and of British rule, memories that they shared often with their daughter. "Their strength helped me start my life in the U.S.A. also from scratch," she says. She moved to the United States in 1985. More than 7,000 searchable listings available Raised during the Cold War, Santosh credits life in democratic and secular India for providing her an obj ective view of the world that she cherishes tremendously. Santosh's only child, Jivan, was born in Tallahassee, Fla., in 1987. Moving to Henrietta in 1988 brought her closer to relatives residing in western New York and Toronto. And as a faculty member at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Santosh received support in raising her son, who is now a sophomore at Columbia University. Victor Webster AROUND TOWN ROCMoms Rochester Magazine Events Calendar Wine Country Insider ConXion However, growing up here wasn't just Cub Scouts and theme-park visits for Jivan; when he was little, he accompanied his mother to technical conferences and on frequent trips to India. Her 18 years at RIT — the past six as department head of microelectronic engineering in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering — have given Santosh opportunities to make educational contributions integrating research with teaching. She finds it very fulfilling to see students graduate and become successful. "This May," Santosh notes, "we're celebrating the 25th anniversary of RIT's microelectronic engineering program, which was started by professor Lynn Fuller. ALSO ONLINE Help Center "I owe a great deal of gratitude to him, to my colleagues in Florida and RIT, and to my families on both sides for my professional success." Coupons Dining / Nightlife NIE Program Personals Shopping Weddings She adds: "My son and I are grateful for our western New York, Eastern European and North Indian heritage. "But two months shy of my next July 4th birthday, and 22 years after permanently arriving in the United States, I'm proud to call myself an American—and a Rochesterian." Rommel, of Fairport, is an assistant professor of microelectronic engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology. Crossword Sudoku Post a Comment TV Listings 5/11/2007 9:46 AM Democrat & Chronicle: Essays 2 of 2 http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200... Horoscopes RSS Feeds This article does not have any comments associated with it - be the first to post a comment. Podcasts Forums Archives Last seven days of news Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu 1999-Present Archive Democrat and Chronicle Interactive E-Newsletters Sign up for E-Newsletters. Samples: Latest News FingerLakeWine.com Business News RSS feeds are also available. 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