The Chateaubriand Fellowship is a prestigious grant offered by the Embassy of France in the United States. This fellowship supports outstanding doctoral students to conduct research in France.
Dharun Anandayuvaraj at the Colosseum in Rome. (photo provided by Dharun Anandayuvaraj)
Dharun Anandayuvaraj, a PhD student in Purdue University's Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was awarded the Chateaubriand Fellowship, a prestigious grant offered by the Embassy of France in the United States. This fellowship supports outstanding doctoral students to conduct research in France.
Anandayuvaraj was in France from January through June, collaborating with researchers at the National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA). He conducted research on his dissertation, “Towards a Failure-Aware Software Development Lifecycle.” His thesis investigates: “How information from past failures could be leveraged to design better software systems?” Specifically, Anandayuvaraj’s thesis will empirically identify current practices and challenges in learning from failures, create automated tools for compiling and applying failure knowledge, and validate the influence of failure knowledge on improving software design.
"Purdue has opened doors for me that I never imagined when I began my PhD," Anandayuvaraj says. “In my very first year I had the chance to propose and conduct research with Cummins Inc. Since then, I’ve been awarded the DAAD-Pro Fellowship to research at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Germany, collaborated with leading researchers at Microsoft Research, and collaborated with my lab mate, Paschal Amusuo, to win the Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship and the OpenAI Cybersecurity Grant. And the Chateaubriand Fellowship took me to France! These opportunities have shaped not only my research but also prepared me to engage in and lead research in a global context.”
Collectively, these experiences have equipped Anandayuvaraj with the perspective and skills to lead research internationally.
Dharun Anandayuvaraj paragliding in the Swiss Alps. (photo provided by Dharun Anandayuvaraj)
Outside of research, Anandayuvaraj has embraced the chance to explore the world during his graduate studies, backpacking through 25 countries. His adventures have included paragliding in the Swiss Alps, scuba diving to explore underwater Roman ruins in Italy, white-water rafting through the “Tear of Europe” at Europe’s deepest canyon in Montenegro and hiking the highest peak in the Balkans in Bulgaria.
“I’ve learned as much from my adventures as I have from my research — both have taught me resilience, curiosity, and the joy of discovery,” he adds.
Anandayuvaraj credits his advisor Dr. James Davis for encouraging him to pursue his curiosities.
“None of this would have been possible without my advisor, Jamie, whose encouragement and support, both in my PhD and in my personal life, gave me the confidence to chase every curiosity and opportunity that excited me, no matter how unconventional or whimsical.”
He also expressed gratitude to Dr. Claudia-Lavinia Ignat and the COAST team (Victor, Quentin, Lisa, and Habibatou), and Dr. Christophe Cerisara and the SYNALP team, for their support and for hosting him during his fellowship at INRIA.
The Chateaubriand Fellowship aims to initiate or reinforce collaborations, partnerships, or joint projects between French and American research teams. Fellows receive a monthly stipend, round-trip airfare to France, and support for health insurance abroad.
Anandayuvaraj's selection for this fellowship reflects both his academic achievements and the global perspective he has developed at Purdue. His experience in France not only enhances his doctoral studies but also strengthens the collaborative ties between Purdue University and French research institutions.
For more information about the Chateaubriand Fellowship, visit https://chateaubriand-fellowship.org/.
