Dr. Meera Chandrasekhar obtained a B.Sc. degree from M.G.M. College, Udupi, an M.Sc. from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India, and a Ph. D. from Brown University, Providence R.I.(1976). After a post doctoral fellowship at Max-Planck-Institut in Stuttgart, W. Germany, she came to the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1978, where she is currently a Professor of Physics.

Dr. Chandrasekhar's research interests are in the area of optical spectroscopy of semiconductors, superconductors, and conjugated polymers, with an emphasis on high pressure studies. She has a strong interest in the education of young students, and has developed hands-on physics programs for students in grades 5-12, and summer institutes for K-12 teachers. She has received several awards for these activities.