The stars are the limit for Rohan Jadhav

It was during family dinners that Rohan Jadhav’s fascination with nuclear science sparked.

The fourth-year Chemical Biology student was inspired by his father after listening to him speak about his work. As a Nuclear Operator at Ontario Power Generation, his father received extensive education on reactors and radiation, which he passed on to Rohan. This passion led Rohan to apply for jobs at Ontario Power Generation and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, landing him a co-op position at CNL.

Rohan’s interest in science has reached new heights since he began working at a Licensed Nuclear Facility. He was hired by the Radiobiology and Health department, particularly within the Preclinical and Toxicological Studies group. “Having access to resources I once dreamed of is incredibly fulfilling,” said Rohan. “And I’m lucky to work alongside such supportive colleagues who encourage my growth each day.”

Rohan’s experiences at McMaster have led him to what he’s most proud of: his resume. He points to his resume, not because of its professional significance, but because it serves as a summary of all his accomplishments and experiences. When Rohan first arrived at Mac, he said his biggest trouble was finding enough material to fill up two pages of a resume. Now, he has the exact opposite problem. Every section and jot note comes with a story that he wants to tell. “Every line holds meaning, that’s why it’s so close to my heart.”

Outside of his studies and work, Rohan spends his time volunteering. He is a member of the Outreach team on McMaster’s NAGYN, and he’s also the Co-President and Co-Founder alongside Erlin Espina for the McMaster Formula 1 Club. For the past two years, Rohan has been one of McMaster Science Society’s Webmasters, and he’s also spent time volunteering with Reading Rocks, a literacy tutoring program for children with learning disabilities.

As Rohan enters his fourth year of studies this year, he reflects on his journey at Mac and the special moments that have transformed his experience. One of his favourite days was in second year when he applied for the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) with the hopes of getting into Dr. Goward’s research group that specializes in NMR and electrochemistry. Weeks later, Rohan was enjoying his breakfast when he saw an exciting notification pop up, informing him that he won an NSERC scholarship on top of being accepted to his first-choice research group.

But Rohan says that the best day ever has yet to come. During the final days of his summer 2023 research placement, he was informed that he would be the co-author on a future paper due to his contributions in writing, data, and analysis. “I remember walking through the halls and being incredibly proud of myself. I had entered a science program for a reason, and this was one of the first times I truly felt like a “scientist”, with soon-to-be-tangible evidence to support that,” shared Rohan.

After graduation, Rohan has a few different ideas of where he wants to go. While his initial aspirations were to attend medical school to become a Psychiatrist, Rohan shares that the nuclear industry is looking more and more fascinating with every day that passes. “Maybe one day, I’ll be studying the effects of space radiation on the human body while in space. I always tell myself that anything is possible. The stars are the limit.”