Grafov
Anya grew up in Maryland, and graduated from the University of Maryland with High Honors in Physics in 2020. As an undergraduate, she conducted research on the optical properties of noble-metal nanostructures, and also contributed to projects in plasma physics. Anya began her PhD studies in Physics at CU Boulder as an NSF graduate research fellow and joined the KM group in 2020. She was also awarded a Fulbright fellowship to conduct optics research at KU Leuven in Belgium, though she was not able to participate due to the pandemic. In her free time, Anya enjoys hiking, backpacking, skiing, and working as a judge for acrobatic gymnastics.
Honors & Awards:
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship 2020
The Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) program supports university-based centers and institutes where the collective efforts of a larger group of individuals can enable transformational advances in the most promising research areas. The program is designed to foster major breakthroughs at the intellectual frontiers of physics by providing needed resources such as combinations of talents, skills, disciplines, and/or specialized infrastructure, not usually available to individual investigators or small groups, in an environment in which the collective efforts of the larger group can be shown to be seminal to promoting significant progress in the science and the education of students. PFCs also include creative, substantive activities aimed at enhancing education, broadening participation of traditionally underrepresented groups, and outreach to the scientific community and general public.