NOVEMBER 30, 2020 — Sandeep Vellanki came to UTSA from India with no idea he would be attracted to study rare and lethal varieties of mold and yeast. He graduates from UTSA this month with his Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology and is now one of the emerging experts in infectious diseases caused by human pathogenic fungi.
“After I went through UTSA’s master’s program in biotechnology I knew research was the thing for me,” said Vellanki. “Coming to UTSA was a unique opportunity to focus on something very understudied in the fungal kingdom but also quite deadly to immunocompromised humans infected by it.”
Vellanki took full advantage of the resources available to him at the university. He received numerous awards from the scientific community and was invited to attend conferences in the United States and Europe specializing in fungal research. As a doctoral student, he published seven papers and served as the first author on four of them.
“Any papers published or awards received was due to a team effort,” Vellanki said. “The faculty here genuinely care about the students. They are very approachable whether its stopping by their office or seeing them in the hallway. They’re always open to talk and help.”
Making the transition as an international student to a new country and culture is a huge adjustment for most, but Vellanki said UTSA does an excellent job helping international students acclimate academically and socially. Instead, it was the isolation of the pandemic during the final phase of his doctoral dissertation that he considers his biggest challenge.
“I had to transition to do most work from home while trying to get into to the lab to complete my experiments; it was stressful,” said Vellanki. “I read an article that Shakespeare was able to finish a play while he was in a quarantine situation, so I thought, I’m not Shakespeare, but I can at least get started with writing my dissertation.”
From UTSA, Vellanki will continue his infectious fungi research as a postdoctoral fellow at the prestigious Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.
“Many people are focused on success, but that’s not what I chase,” Vellanki said. “I try to pursue something that’s meaningful, dedicate myself to it and then whatever I deserve will find its way.”
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Want to add Adobe programs to your course but you aren’t sure how? Stop by Adobe Office Hours for a casual conversation on how you can implement Adobe in your classroom.
Virtual EventJoin us for a night with award-winning magician Daniel Martin to bring you his amazing Magic Night IN, streaming LIVE to you and your family on January 28, 2021. Daniel is going to pull back the curtain and perform some of his most incredible pieces of magic, magic that created for TV and us! Plus, he is going to teach us how to do some amazing miracles using items most of us have lying around! The items you will need a deck of cards, mental spoon, salt or pepper shaker, two paper napkins, two coins, and a bag of M &M’s. Join us for a night of fun on YouTube to learn some new magic skills.
Virtual EventWe are actively looking for leaders to help grow the Roadrunner network in Austin. Join Arturo Carrasquillo ’11, UTSA Alumni Austin Chapter President, to learn how to get involved with the UTSA Alumni Chapter.
Virtual EventThis session will begin with a brief introduction and overview of the NSF CAREER program followed by audience Q&A with past NSF CAREER awardees.
Virtual EventThe UTSA Alumni Association has partnered with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program to help members of the UTSA community meet the looming tax filing deadline.
TBDThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
