My Journey to UW: Pursuing Excellence in Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever” – Mahatma Gandhi

Growing up in a neighborhood filled with Computer Engineers, the seeds of my passion towards technology sprouted at a pretty early stage: my frequent dabbling with the Robotic Kit that my neighbors gifted, experiments I carried out by dismantling appliances and occasional trips to their electronics start-up where I spent hours watching the engineer in them develop products made me develop a penchant for science and technology. With a strong grasp on scientific fundamentals, I decided to pursue Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India.

In the diverse curriculum of ECE courses on Wireless Networks and Embedded Systems captured my interest. Projects on “Smart City Waste Management” and “Wireless Communications” gave me hands-on experience, complementing my theoretical knowledge. I also collaborated with professors and carried out research work under their guidance which were accepted in prestigious IEEE conferences. The research experience helped me understand the importance of perseverance, dedication and motivation that makes a good researcher. My passion for technology was the impetus behind my academic performance and I graduated with a CGPA of 9.22 and was among the top 5 percent in the graduating ECE batch of around eight-hundred students.

To complement my academic knowledge, I interned at BSNL in my freshmen year. The training experience imparted an in-depth knowledge on network deployments and propelled me to delve deeper into the field of wireless networks. To enhance my learning further, I did a fully funded research internship at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur, in Smart Wireless Application & Networking (SWAN) labs headed by Professor Sudip Mishra in May 2016. I worked on developing scheduling algorithms for cloud based wireless sensor networks which culminated in a publication in the “IEEE Internet of Things Journal” in Feb 2019 and indulged in technical discussions with experts in this field, through which I saw the incredible research potential that lies ahead in the domain of Mobile Computing and Wireless Communications.

During campus placements, I received an offer to work as a software intern at Osmosys Software Solutions, Hyderabad, India. My role was to develop backend software for mobile applications using technologies like PHP, Maria DB, SQL. It was a great learning experience as I got the opportunity to build a Mobile App from scratch. I have always envisioned myself working in the IoT - Wireless domain and hence, following my heart and intuition, I rescinded the full time offer. In October 2017, I joined Qualcomm, Hyderabad in GERAN (GSM+EDGE) Modem team as a software developer, a role that perfectly aligns with my interests. I develop algorithms for 2G Technology and implement them on various Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. My professional experiences and research exposures have equipped me with the relevant skills and made my conviction to pursue graduate studies in Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing stronger.

My short-term goal is to specialize in the field of network systems – wireless networks, mobile and edge computing and my long-term goal is to pursue a PhD to further enhance my learning and thereby contribute to both academia and the industry by building applications and products that enrich people’s lives. The “Fundamentals of Networking Laboratory (FUNLAB)” and “Network Security Lab (NSL)” at University of Washington is at the forefront of research in the area that I seek specialization in. The research being carried out by Prof. Sumit Roy in FUNLAB perfectly aligns with my interests. Prof. Radha Poovendran’s work in the NSL Lab is very impressive and I would like to be a part of this team and contribute.

A Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Washington with a focus on Wireless Communications and Networking will help expand both breadth and depth of my knowledge and will provide me with an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with faculty working in this  domain and contribute to ongoing research and be a part of upcoming research projects. I believe that my experience, the skills that I have developed over the past 5-6 years as a student and a working professional coupled with my innate inquisitiveness and sincerity will help me succeed in your program. I really look forward to being a part of the University of Washington diverse community. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.