Hello there! I am Aritra Konar. I recently joined the Department of Chemistry in Virginia Tech as a PhD student on this Fall (Fall '24 batch). Prior to joining VT, I completed my bachelor's (BS) and master's (MS) degree in Chemical Sciences from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (graduated on June, 2024).My research interest broadly lies in the field of Polymer Chemistry. Since last two years I've heavily involved myself in several research projects aiming the synthesis of bio-medically relevant polymers of different kinds. Besides gaining valuable insights about the field of bio-medically relevant polymers as well as polymers in general, these experiences have equipped me with broad ranges of skills and techniques useful in this field (eg. Diverse Chemical Synthesis, RAFT Polymerization, Step-Growth Polymerization, NCA Ring Opening Polymerization, Different kinds of Spectroscopy (UV-Vis, FTIR, PL), Different types of Microscopy (TEM, AFM) etc.). Besides my research, I'm a theatre enthusiast and have taken part in numerous dramas during my college life. I spend my free time outside my research mostly either doing drama or socializing with people.If you want to know more about me, please go through the my profile. In case you want to connect with me, drop in a message or send an email.