Ashraf is a planetary scientist from Tunisia. Amideast supported his undergraduate education at Williams College through the MENA Scholarship Support Fund. He’s currently a PhD Student at the University of Chicago.
“After graduating from Williams College in 2023, I joined the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics as an Origins of Life Initiative Fellow, where I continued my research on protoplanetary disks, the birthplaces of planets. The following year, I worked as a Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant at NASA Goddard, diving into exoplanet habitability research, as well as a community project titled Exoplanet Modeling and Analysis Center (EMAC). Later in 2024, I started at the University of Chicago as a Geophysics PhD student and McCormick Fellow.
Right now, my goal is to continue working on protoplanetary disks and advance our understanding of how planets come to be. I also always search for ways to give back, be it by taking part in outreach activities in Tunisia through the Tunisian Space Association, or by holding astronomy talks and workshops geared towards Tunisian youth.
By easing financial pressures, Amideast’s support gave me the flexibility to fully explore my interest and potential in the field of astronomy during my college career. It also allowed me to pursue positions at the Williams Observatory and Planetarium, as well as engage in campus life, from playing on the club basketball and volleyball teams to discovering a new passion for dance and later co-leading a dance club. I believe it is vital that students from the MENA region continue to receive the support that allows them to experience college on a more equal footing. I am also encouraged by Amideast’s recent efforts to develop a peer network, which will provide even stronger support for both current scholars and alumni.”
Ashraf regularly finds ways to give back to Amideast scholarships, most recently as a panelist in Amideast’s first Scholars in Conversation Panel, where he shared insights and advice with current Amideast scholars.