Studying at Stanford as the Best Option for My Career Growth

The dizzying skyline of New York, convoluted road intersections of Shanghai and extensive underground subway metro system of Tokyo amazed me from a very tender age. This fascination for infrastructure was propelled by the site visits I made with my father - also a Civil Engineer – which exposed me to the challenging world of construction. With an apt quotient in physical sciences, I decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. In this essay I write about my academic background and further desire to study at Stanford University - this is a supplemental part where I explain why I chose this university and what I can give to its community. 

Personal Academic Background

The second semester of my undergraduate studies introduced me to Dr. Manu Santhanam’s courses on Building Materials and Construction Technology. A group project as a part of course work was my first foray in research. As a team of four, we made an exhaustive study on predominant architectural styles in South India. The team made a chronological analysis on shift in architectural style from ancient Dravidian temples to community centers of the British colonial era. Having done a course project and worked on theoretical aspects, I decided to get some practical experience. During the winter break of my sophomore year, I interned with Tvasta Group, under Dr. Manu, as a material research analyst. I played an active role in the development of concrete mixtures for 3D printing and testing the parameters for identifying rheological characteristics. Literature surveys and comparative studies of 3D printers around the world were also made.

During my sophomore year, I took my first courses in Structural Engineering. The field was quite fascinating given the challenges it faces in bringing an architectural marvel into existence. My subsequent interactions with Prof. Devdas Menon inspired me to explore this field. So, out of curiosity during the following summer, I worked with Dr. Arun Menon on the development of a finite element model of a portion of the Government Law College Building, which is a Grade 1 heritage site. During the course of my research project, I got proficient with various analysis software’s that helped me perform a non-linear FE analysis of the iconic college entrance, a rib vault made out of six arch-supporting systems. During the second half of my junior year, I was introduced to a course on Construction Project Management and a lab on Construction Software’s and BIM. This was my first encounter with courses outside structural and geotechnical engineering which I had been taking out of my curiosity in structures. To my surprise, I found this new domain of Infrastructure Management quite intriguing and pragmatically relatable.

During the summer of my junior year, I was awarded the prestigious ESEP-INDIA scholarship under the India-Japan Education Program to pursue a ten-week long research internship at The University of Tokyo, Tokyo under Prof. Kohei Nagai. During the course of the internship, I worked on two aspects of reinforcement corrosion. Firstly, on the estimation of non-uniform corrosion of rebar in RC structures of Tokyo Metro using Rigid Body Spring Model (RBSM) from observed surface cracks. The RBSM was verified using the actual field corrosion levels which were simulated using a 3D scanner. This helped me obtain knowledge on RBSM and existing literature on corrosion estimation. Secondly, I worked on the visualization of local bond behavior of corroded reinforcement using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique.

After a wonderful experience in Tokyo, I had couple of weeks before I started my college. I decided to visit a construction site of my father to gain an experience of site management from close quarters. I spent the whole week with the contractor and sub-contractors to learn about labor and resource management, and the integration of MEP during construction. To my surprise, these two weeks were very challenging given the plethora of problems I had to face. From labor inefficiency to resource mismanagement to inefficient departmental communication, I saw it all. Engineers were still struggling with pen and paper when so much digitization is at disposal. This current industrial scenario in developing countries is what motivated me to pursue a career in Construction Management.

Future Academic Plans

Having done a basic course on Construction Project Management and a lab on Construction Software’s and BIM during my junior year, I also plan to take on more courses on Infrastructure Project Management and Legal Contracts during my final year to make myself better aware. My past experiences in structural engineering and my interest in management have inspired me to work in the area of Sustainable Design and Construction. I see that a Master's degree would further deepen my knowledge in this field and provide exposure to current on-going industry practices.

Given the Indian infrastructure market growing rapidly towards $1 trillion and activities in emerging market going to accounting for 55% of global output, one of the most pertinent questions in my mind is whether the industry is ready to stand on these expectations. Low productivity, a highly competitive market with small profit margins and unavoidable sustainability concerns are some of the challenges we face today. As these challenges are accelerating the pace of digitization in industry, I am eager to learn how on-ground work and management of resources could be made more efficient through technological advances and rigorous data analysis. Precise stakeholder management and common data environment have become cardinal as the industry shifts towards an EPC model of project delivery. Therefore I wish to focus on how CDE in collaboration with BIM can reduce the cost of rework and poor design implementation. The recent ASCE Infra Report Card emphasises on the use of more sustainable and resilient methods to ensure an improving “Triple Bottom Line” framework. Through my master’s program, I look forward to gain an understanding of energy efficient building designs and its implications in reducing the use of non-renewable resources.

In the years to come, I see myself as an industrial consultant, working on challenging projects around the world. Eventually, I wish to foray into my entrepreneurial ambitions to create a niche for myself and be a part of the digital boom that is likely to drive the Indian market at an astonishing pace. Infrastructural prosperity goes in hand with the economic prosperity of a country. With the Indian sub-continent projecting itself as a land of opportunities in its journey of development, I look forward to be a part of its journey and start a culture of digital, sustainable, and safe construction practices at the grass root level. I have always tried to strike a balance between my academics and extra-curricular activities. Sports has always been a constant in my life when everything and nothing has gone my way. I have represented IIT Madras in Table Tennis at Inter-college Sports Fest during 2017&2018. In parallel, I was also a part of the Sponsorship and Public Relations team of Saarang – South India’s biggest Inter-College Cultural fiesta – and helped the team raise a fund of $250 thousand. I have also been a part of the Harvard Project for Asian International Relations, 2018 held at Kuala Lumpur, as a delegate on Sustainable Disruption of Global Markets and Economy.

One thing that interests me about Stanford, a mini-world in itself, is the diversity in its student pool. Peers from different nationalities and varied educational backgrounds come together to exchange ideas and bring in new individual outlook. I look forward to those dinner table conversations with my peers which might change the way I look at this world and broaden my intellectual horizon. With Stanford alumni spread across the world, holding some of the most prestigious positions in the industry and creating an impact in lives of millions, this great resource of networking can play a big role in both my personal and professional life. If given an opportunity to study at Stanford, I will keenly look forward to the Watson Seminar and Global Teamwork course at PBL Lab to network with the best in the business and work with students across disciplines towards a common goal.

Stanford has a legacy of creating great individuals with academic excellence and intellectual vitality. Through the courses and research work I have been a part of, I have built a strong foundation for myself. One of the only 3 amongst 90 in the department to be pursuing Honours Degree in Bachelors, I am confident about the challenging curriculum Stanford has to offer and in my abilities to excel in it. If accepted at Stanford, I would definitely maintain the high standards of academics and research associated with the university. I strongly believe that an opportunity like graduate studies at Stanford would give me a chance to contribute to the rich community of the SDC and take the legacy of Stanford to greater heights.