In this episode of Indian Diaspora Podcast, we interview Ananyo Bhattacharya who recently defended his Ph.D. in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. Ananyo Bhattacharya is a climate and planetary scientist who recently completed his Ph.D. in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. Born in Sonarpur, Kolkata and raised across India, Ananyo’s multicultural upbringing instilled in him a passion for collaboration and interdisciplinary learning. His academic path began with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, and evolved through international recognition, including winning the International Astronomical Union’s Name the ExoWorlds competition. He gained early research experience studying Venus’s atmosphere and later earned prestigious research fellowships at Los Alamos National Laboratory and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Ananyo’s most notable scientific contributions have been through his role as a scientific collaborator on NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter. As part of his doctoral work, he led investigations using microwave radiometry to explore Jupiter’s deep atmosphere and polar auroras, focusing on two key research areas: the origin and evolution of the planet via atmospheric composition, and the complex coupling between its magnetosphere and ionosphere. His work contributes to understanding the fundamental processes shaping giant planets. In addition to his research, Ananyo is active in science communication and leadership, representing the University of Michigan at COP28, mentoring peers through professional development seminars, and advancing community science as a Thriving Earth Exchange Fellow at the American Geophysical Union.