Anand Chandrasekhar, professor of biological sciences, was honored with the Woodie Flowers Finalist Award at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics regional competition in St. Louis. The award recognizes a mentor who demonstrates excellence in communication, leadership, and student empowerment. Chandrasekhar was the only mentor recognized from several nominees at the regional competition that included 41 teams and more than 200 mentors.

Chandrasekhar has served as a chief mentor of Army Ants for seven years. Supported by Mizzou’s College of Arts and Science and the College of Engineering, the robotics team includes nearly 30 student members from Columbia area high schools and the homeschool community.

During the regional competition, Army Ants received the Impact Award, which honors the team that best serves as a model for others and embodies the mission of FIRST.

Army Ants advanced to the FIRST Championship in Houston, the culminating world event, competing alongside 600 top robotics teams from around the globe. 

FIRST is a global nonprofit organization that hosts competitive robotics programs for students in grades pre-K–12, fostering STEM skills, teamwork, and innovation. Through hands-on engineering challenges, the program helps prepare students for future careers.