For Roshini Ramachandran, good things come in small packages – really, really small packages. 

Ramachandran, who joined the CSU Monterey Bay faculty as an assistant professor of chemistry this fall, is engaged in studying nanomaterials for applications in defense, medicine and energy storage. 

Her move to CSUMB illustrates the changing role of some CSU schools. Traditionally, professors interested in research might be more inclined to seek out a position at a University of California campus, or another R1 school. Ramachandran did the opposite, leaving UCLA after being there for six years, to come to Monterey. 

“At UCLA, I was mainly doing teaching,” she said. “I wanted to be able to run a research lab. I wanted to work closely with undergraduates, so this was a better fit for me. I love interweaving my research with my teaching and mentoring students.”

A graduate of India’s Madras University, she came to the University of Georgia, Athens, in 2012 to work on her Ph.D in chemistry. Although she planned to return to Madras, her hometown, after graduating, opportunities in the United States continued to come her way. 

Ramachadran served as assistant director of Curricular Initiatives at UCLA and led efforts in curriculum development and assessment, inclusive course design, and STEM pedagogical research.