Charles Anderson, a rising senior in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been named a 2025 Astronaut Scholar by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). He is one of two Georgia Tech students to receive the prestigious honor this year, alongside Matthew Fernandez from the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. 

The Astronaut Scholarship is awarded to outstanding students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) who demonstrate initiative, creativity, and excellence in their fields. This year, ASF awarded 74 scholarships to students from 51 universities across the country. 

Anderson conducts research in the Bhamla Lab, led by Associate Professor Saad Bhamla in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.  

His current project, the Evapinator, is a low-cost, portable device that preserves biological samples without the need for lyophilization or ultra-cold freezers. 

The Evapinator enables rapid sample preservation (within 1 to 2 hours) while maintaining recovery rates comparable to traditional methods such as lyophilization. Feel free to reach out to Anderson at canderson386@gatech.edu if you would be interested in using this technology.  

The Astronaut Scholarship recognizes Anderson’s commitment to innovation and his potential to make a lasting impact in biomedical engineering and global health.