Eric Kiekeben

Prasad Calyam, an electrical engineering and computer science professor at the University of Missouri who was recognized as a Curators’ Distinguished Professor last fall, is known for more than just his work in academia. Once a week, Calyam tunes into his musical side and works with kids of various ages to teach them traditional Indian music. Calyam, whose mother has a PhD in Music, has been passionate about playing instruments since an early age. The following pictures are snapshots from an at-home performance on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 at Calyam’s house in Columbia, Missouri. View the full story here: https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/meet-the-mu-researcher-bridging-divides-between-music-and-engineering/article_b86d0ebe-f3af-11ef-8286-9f6b15cd4ae0.html

---

Calyam multitasks by playing the harmonium while providing rhythmic guidance to his music students. Calyam, dressed in a qurta, is joined by others also dressed in traditional Indian wear.

Amulya Panchangam, 6 months old, attempts to play the harmonium at Calyam’s house. Amulya, who can’t quite stand on her own yet, is being supported by Srividhya Deshpande as she tries to get a few notes out before the home performance begins.

Calyam gives pointers to the young musicians during one of the songs being performed. In the foreground is Sudha Calyam — Prasad’s wife — playing the tanpura, a long-necked Indian instrument that resembles a sitar in some ways.

Bihan Sengupta beats on the mridangam, an ancient South Indian percussion instrument. Mridangams are played by hitting them on either end, and they have flexible straps running the sides which can be adjusted with tuning blocks to manipulate the pitch released when struck.

Advaith Manchikanti, 2 years old, holds a thumbs-up toward his fellow performers in what seems like a gesture of approval. Trupti Joshi, one of the parents in attendance, was appreciative of the kids’ involvement. “It’s an avenue for them to stay close to their culture,” Joshi said.

Calyam, after concluding a song, applauds while the children fight over possession of one of the instruments. On top of playing the harmonium during this recital, Calyam also plays the bamboo flute, the mridangam and was even a keyboard player and vocalist in his college band, “Param.”

At the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri, the Rocket Design Team works to build and test various models of rockets. Other similar university teams and clubs across the nation typically test their rockets in open fields or parking lots - Missouri S&T's team, however, has the unique opportunity of testing in their Experimental Mine. This allows for an added layer of safety while simultaneously being able to be physically closer to the test site. Following are some snapshots from a day of testing at the mine in Rolla on April 18, 2025. View the full article here: https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/a-glimpse-into-a-missouri-s-t-rocketry-teams-aim-for-space/article_acc63e80-0065-4ffc-8392-1bbaef73d20f.html

---

Missouri S&T’s Rocket Design Team configures electrical wiring before their first test launch at Missouri S&T’s Experimental Mine in Rolla. Eric Miranda held an umbrella to protect the wires from dripping water.

Logan Beadle works on attaching a liquid rocket tank to a test stand at Missouri S&T’s Experimental Mine in Rolla. The Rocket Design Team’s goal with this type of rocket is to get it into the atmosphere.

Noah Damery, a sophomore, works alongside teammates to set up a rocket in the Experimental Mine in Rolla.

Rocket Design Team members carry parts to attach to the test stand in the Experimental Mine.

Landon Sparrow analyzes live data and provides updates through a walkie-talkie to other members of the Rocket Design Team at Missouri S&T’s Experimental Mine in Rolla. Multiple different sensors collect data when the team tests rockets, and everything can be monitored through their data acquisition system.

Natalie Ridenhour, left, and Nathan Roy look through a grate and wave at their team members in the underground mine at Missouri S&T’s Experimental Mine in Rolla. Some perks of being able to test rockets underground, Ridenhour said, include greater safety and an added sense of preparedness.

Members of Missouri S&T’s Rocket Design Team prepare a rocket in the mine, directly beneath the grate opening to the ground at Missouri S&T’s Experimental Mine in Rolla.

Alexander Gore, a senior at Missouri S&T, wears a hard hat with some custom-made wombat patches and stickers. The inspiration, according to Gore, comes from the name of the mine they're testing in - W.O.M.B.A.T. - and the subsequent, unofficial adopting of wombats as the team's "mascot."

Natalie Ridenhour, left, and Landon Sparrow, right, come out of the shipping container they use to store some of their tools and equipment on April 18, 2025 in Rolla.

An abandoned bomb lies on the grounds of Missouri S&T's Experimental Mine in Rolla. According to Ridenhour, a senior and the Rocket Design Team's current CEO, the origins of this are unknown.

Rocket Design Team members monitor, from above ground, a webcam attached to the rocket's test stand in the underground mine in Rolla on April 18, 2025. Team members are not permitted in the mine when a rocket is to be activated; everyone must evacuate for safety measures.

Following a failed test launch, members of Missouri S&T's Rocket Design Team discuss what went wrong. With this specific test, the igniter did not light on fire, causing the process to come to a halt.

From left: Landon Sparrow, Natalie Ridenhour and Noah Damery pass the time they must wait to reenter the Experimental Mine after the failed test launch. Failing is a huge part of their process and is what allows them to grow as rising engineers. “While the test had failed, it’s definitely not a failure in our eyes," Ridenhour said.