Class of 2021 Students

Introducing the Sixth VIPER Class

Bhaskar Abhiraman is from New Canaan, Connecticut, where he graduated from New Canaan High School. He developed a love for scientific research when he studied select genes in the parasite Toxoplasma gondii at Einstein College of Medicine. Later, Bhaskar researched in a neuroscience laboratory at Yale University. His interests in research and the challenge of sustainability led him towards the VIPER program, in which he intends to pursue Physics and Electrical Engineering. Outside of academics, Bhaskar plays piano and sings with the Penn Glee Club.

William Deo is from Toronto, Canada and graduated from St. Andrew’s College in 2017. Presently, he plans to major in Mechanical Engineering and Physics. William conducted and published research on the feasibility of electric vehicles in developed countries throughout his senior year – a work that sparked his interest in energy. In high school, he took part in research experiences at the University of Toronto in environmental research and urban engineering. He is interested in the implementation of renewables in varied geographic landscapes as well as battery cell technology for solar energy storage. He hopes to explore these fields through his VIPER research. William is also passionate about science education, music, global affairs and swimming. In his free time, you can find him supporting his hometown Toronto Raptors.

Ben Hammel is from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and graduated from Albuquerque High School. Ben plans to study Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering. He became fascinated with chemistry after working at Sandia National Laboratories, where he synthesized a series of novel indium alkoxides for the production of indium tin oxide nanomaterials. At Sandia, Ben learned to appreciate how chemistry can be applied to solve real-world problems. Leveraging VIPER’s broad academic and research components, Ben hopes to develop materials for energy applications. Outside of science, Ben enjoys video games, graphic design, and hot dogs.

George Popov (not pictured) is from Aston, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Sun Valley High School. He has done research at the University of Pennsylvania during the past two summers under the High Energy Physics Group, helping to bring online the QuarkNet cosmic radiation detector and test a cold Application Specific Integrated Circuit. His work there has inspired him to pursue a degree in Physics as well as Mechanical Engineering and Applied Science. With these two passions and the trends of today, VIPER is something he sees as perfect for himself. Outside of the realms of academics, George is very much intrigued by the world around him and loves to be active with activities such as swimming.

Abhinav Ramkumar is from Carmel, Indiana, and graduated from Carmel High School in 2017. He has always been interested in sustainability and renewable energy, and kindled this interest through participation in research at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in the Physics Department since his sophomore year. Through the course of his research, he has explored the applications of molecular dynamics simulations in the field of biophysics to uncover properties of ATP and membranes. Abhinav plans to major in Physics and Materials Science and Engineering. During his time at Penn, Abhinav is interested in exploring the applications of molecular dynamics and its extraordinary potential to uncover properties otherwise impossible and expensive to compute in experimental procedures. In conjunction, he hopes to use novel computational techniques to develop new materials to design devices that can better store and harness energy. In his free time, he can be found singing Indian music, practicing the Violin, or exploring the greater Philadelphia area.

Adam Richter is from Dyer, Indiana, and graduated from Munster High School. He plans to major in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Molecular and Cell Biology. At his high school, Adam pioneered an energy saving initiative with his school’s computers. He has also conducted research at Stony Brook University on a novel, more efficient method to sequence DNA. Adam joined VIPER because it blends his strong inclination for energy conservation with his interests in the sciences, engineering, and research. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis or Ultimate Frisbee.