Aman Priyadarshi Kumar, a second-year astronomy Ph.D. student at New Mexico State University, has received a NASA Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science (FINESST) Award. This prestigious grant funds graduate student-designed and performed research projects that contribute to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
Kumar’s project focuses on solar tornadoes. These massive, swirling pillars of plasma in the sun’s atmosphere can rotate at 186,000 miles per hour, whereas the most intense tornadoes on Earth hit their maximum rotational speed at about 300 miles per hour. His project, titled “Solar Tornadoes Unleashed: The Twisting Forces Behind Plasma Transport” aims to understand how these tornadoes form, evolve and transport mass and magnetic energy throughout the solar atmosphere, and what that movement means for other systems and features on the sun.
“The sun is not some distant object that only astronomers care about,” Kumar said. “Everything on Earth is tied to it – the Earth formed alongside it, our climate and environment are shaped by it and modern technology can be affected by its activity. We literally live under the influence of a star that we still do not fully understand. That combination of familiarity and mystery is hard to resist.”
The NASA FINESST Award is highly competitive – out of 1,485 proposals submitted to NASA in 2025, Kumar’s was one of only 108 to be selected. He will receive $100,000 over two years to fund his study of the solar atmosphere.
“I knew FINESST had a reputation for being one of the hardest student awards in space science to get, so even being competitive would have meant a lot,” he said. “Winning it in my first year and on my first attempt was honestly surreal.”
“Winning this award is a major milestone for Aman’s career,” said Juie Shetye, astronomy assistant professor and Kumar’s advisor. “Receiving it is a strong recognition of both his scientific ability and the quality of his research vision. It gives him national visibility, strengthens his confidence as an early-career researcher, and will help position him well for future fellowships, collaborations and research opportunities.”
Kumar’s project is designed to target three specific questions relating to solar tornadoes: are they truly rotating like a tornado? What’s happening inside these massive structures? How do they connect to even larger features on the sun? His study will help build our understanding of how small-scale dynamics are linked to larger systems like the movement of energy throughout the solar atmosphere and the evolution of larger eruptive events.
“As a researcher, Aman has been thoughtful, hardworking, and persistent,” Shetye said. “He approaches problems seriously, is willing to learn new techniques, and has steadily grown in confidence and maturity as a scientist. I am very proud of him for earning this award. It is exciting to see his hard work recognized at this level, and I think this is only the beginning of a very promising research career.”
“Awards like this offer a rare kind of intellectual and financial independence, and they signal that you can compete nationally for major federal research support,” Kumar said. “I feel happy, relieved and deeply thankful. This is great for me, for my career, for NMSU and for the solar physics community I hope to contribute to for a long time.”
-30-
CUTLINE: Aman Priyadarshi Kumar, a second-year astronomy Ph.D. student at New Mexico State University, has won a competitive NASA Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science (FINESST) Award. This grant will fund his research on solar tornadoes. (NMSU photo by Sarah Kimmerly)
