Dr. Chakdar Awarded 2026 Godfrey Bequest

Dr. Shreyashi Chakdar, Associate Professor of Physics at Holy Cross, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Gordon Godfrey Bequest Award at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia. This distinguished award is conferred upon a theoretical physicist in recognition of efforts that promote theoretical physics at UNSW and contribute to enhancing the international profile of the School of Physics.

Established in 1979 and named in honor of Professor Gordon Hay Godfrey, the Gordon Godfrey Bequest supports the advancement of theoretical physics at UNSW by providing financial assistance for travel and accommodation for visiting scholars from around the world. Upon receiving the award, Professor Chakdar stated, “Receiving the 2026 Gordon Godfrey Bequest Award is a deeply meaningful honor for me. This recognition not only affirms the value of my work in theoretical physics but also provides an exciting opportunity to strengthen international research ties. I am particularly looking forward to collaborating with Dr. Michael Schmidt and his group at UNSW, whose expertise and vision align closely with my research goals in Beyond the Standard Model model building and phenomenology.”

As part of this prestigious award, Professor Chakdar will spend extensive time during her upcoming sabbatical research leave (AY 2026–2027) at the School of Physics at UNSW to collaborate with members of the theoretical physics group. She will also offer a course on model building for neutrino masses and dark matter; attend and present at the XIX International Conference on Interconnections between Particle Physics and Cosmology 2026; and present her research in particle physics and cosmology through seminars/public lectures/colloquia at UNSW.