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Avani Ahuja ‘26, a recent graduate of the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering, received the 2026 Henry Ford II Scholar Award. The award honors a senior undergraduate student who is in high academic standing and shows exceptional potential for leadership in the profession of engineering and in society.

During her time at MIT, Ahuja has conducted research in the Coday Research group, where she focused on investigating capacitive wireless power transfer, which could have potential applications in charging electric vehicles and implantable medical devices.

“My most significant experiences at MIT have included engaging in research, whether it was women’s health research under Professor Canan Dagdeviren in the MIT Media Lab, robotics research under Professor Sangbae Kim, or power electronics research under Professor Samantha Coday,” Ahuja said. “I’ve also really enjoyed engaging in the extracurricular opportunities on campus, whether it was through participating in the MIT Ohms, through MIT LIVE, or the line dancing lessons in the student center.”

This fall, Ahuja will be pursuing a PhD in power electronics in the Coday Research Group at MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

“I hope to apply power electronics to the women’s health research space one day after completing a PhD,” she said.

Ahuja credits many people she has interacted with during her time at MIT for impacting her journey. In particular, she has gratitude for her mentor Samantha Coday, Emanuel E. Landsman (1958), Career Development Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science;  Maria Yang, Vice Provost for Faculty and William E. Leonhard (1940) Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, for her support throughout her undergraduate career; Canan Dagdeviren, associate professor of media arts and sciences in the MIT Media Lab who inspired her love for women’s health research; and graduate students Colin Marcus and Sara Fernandez, and Associate Dean Kimberly Benard for her support of her career journey.

“I also want to thank the entire Coday Research Group for being an awesome support system. As a gender studies minor, I have to thank Professor Hafsa Arain and Professor Marah Gubar for offering amazing WGS and CMS classes that really changed the way that I thought about the world around me!” Ahuja said.

When asked what receiving the Henry Ford II Scholar Award means to her, Ahuja said, “I am honored and overjoyed to receive this award. It was an honor to meet Dean Hammond especially.”