Nickname: Venkat
Hometown: Chennai, India
IIT Education:
Master of Science in Computer Science, 2006
Q: What is it like to be a student at IIT? Q: What activities were you involved in on campus? Q: What were your favorite courses? Q: What have you done since graduation?
IIT student life is great. There is always a lot to look forward to in a semester. Course work curriculum is great and you can really have a life along with your education. I have known many universities which just drain all of your time in education and not having a life whatsoever. This is a wonderful place to get an education and a career.
IIT offers a wide range of activities on campus. I was an active member of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and played a key role in organizing a big event in a park surrounded by the graduate building during spring 2005.
CS 429, CS 529, CS 422, CS 522 are still my favorite courses. They provide an excellent foundation to the courses on Information Retrieval and Data Mining. Prof. Nazli Goharian and Prof. Ophir Frieder handled the class brilliantly and the subject matter this course taught me will stay with me forever.
I have become a consultant in the IT industry since graduation. I continued my full-time work that I picked during my CPT days and the company offered me a full-time position. The CPT laid a solid background and experience for me to continue with my job after graduation.
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Prior Education: Bachelor of Science(Computer Engineering) Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune, India
Q&A (Question and Answer) with Rohan:
Q: What is it like to be a student in the College of Science and Letters?
A: The College of Science and Letters has very good professors and some really good courses like Data Mining, Information Retrieval, [and] Operating Systems Design and Implementation... If you have difficulties, go and talk to the professors directly. They are always there to help you out. Keep your goals clear and figure out in which field you [would] like to move on in your future.
Q: What is it like to live in Chicago?
A: Chicago is one of the best places where I have lived so far. [There are] many things to explore out here: the tallest building in [the] U.S. - Sears Tower, Navy Pier, boat cruises, Shedd aquarium [and] the beaches. The weather is awesome in summer but in winter it may go as low as 5-10 degrees F. So... be ready with your snow shoes and coats. There is a street called Devon where you get all [your] grocer[ies], especially Indian stuff. In summer, there are a lot of free events and concerts happening all over the city, so lots to do in summer. In winter, you can enjoy the snow!!
Q: What activities are you involved in on campus?
A: On campus I am on the board of [the] Graduate Students Association (the website... still [needs] to be updated). I attended the English Partner Program, which helps individuals to exchange information about their own culture and get to know about other cultures too.
Q: What are your current career plans?
A: To become a Business Consultant, where I get to interact with different clients and act as a link between them and the employees of [the] organization. It's a very challenging job but I love challenges!
Education:
Illinois Institute of Technology
Master of Business Administration, 2003
Master of Science in Computer Science and Software Engineering, 1991
Northeastern Illinois University
Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Business and Management, 1982
Q: How has your IIT education helped you throughout your career?
I learned about a wide variety of topics, and gained access to the latest thinking in software engineering and business while completing my MSCS and MBA coursework. I learned about topics that I might not have discovered simply through my work experience. Earning degrees at IIT also broadened my personal perspective both in terms of meeting people from many different countries, and meeting people from different companies, both Chicago-based and international. Finally, my courses at IIT were intellectually demanding. This carried over to my standards at work.
Q: What other training/education have you found necessary to your career?
Since project management is such an important skill in IT, I have found training and reading in project management very helpful.
Q: If you have had any career mentoring relationships, were they valuable to you, and how?
While I had many good professors at IIT, I am particularly grateful to Dr. Ilene Burnstein, my advisor for my Master of Science in Computer Science degree; and Dr. George Kalidonis, my advisor for my MBA degree. Both were incredibly generous with their time and offered great insights. I have also benefited from working for talented managers who have helped me move from a technical role to primarily management role.
This article originally published in the Fall 2007 Opportuniities, an IIT Career Management Center newsletter.
