Sejal Pradhan didn't grow up planning to be an engineer. The idea took hold
in high school, at a seminar led by alumni working in the technology
industry. It was the first time she heard the terms cognitive science and
human behavior used in the context of technology, and it was the first time
she saw computers as something more than tools for basic tasks.
"They seemed so confident, as if they had technology in their hands to shape
the world," she recalled. "That left a lasting impression on me."
On Friday, June 12, Pradhan hopes to return the favor. The graduate
commencement speaker for the College of Engineering, she will address her
classmates at Commencement as the first person in her family to earn a
master's degree from the United States.
That seminar set her on a path from Kalimpong, India, through a BTech in
computer science at GITAM University and into work teaching computer skills
to children in villages in West Bengal before she arrived at Drexel to
pursue a master's in computer engineering. The co-op program was a draw from
the start.
Through Drexel’s careers portal, she secured a co-op at MicroSociety, an
organization that turns schools into functioning miniature societies where
students run businesses, open bank accounts and make real decisions about
pricing and profit. As a lead game developer and web product assistant, she
helped build a financial literacy chatbot that could walk a student through
questions like "What business should I start?" or "If I sell a handmade
product, how much should I charge?"
The work she is most proud of, though, was the safety layer underneath.
Because the chatbot's users were children, Pradhan built a word-filtering
and emotional detection system to protect them. If a student typed something
like "I feel like hitting someone" or "I am very sad," the chatbot would
respond with care, steer the conversation to safer ground and flag the
exchange for a school administrator.
"My biggest takeaway was the sense of satisfaction in seeing my work
implemented in real life and being used by students across the country," she
said. "It made my work feel meaningful and impactful."
Her graduate projects reflect the same curiosity. She analyzed global tech
layoff data and found that 2022 and 2023 accounted for nearly 73% of total
layoffs in her dataset, a spike that traced back to pandemic-era overhiring,
with North America and large post-IPO companies absorbing the largest share.
She also built the "What If Chronicles," a generative AI chatbot that
rewrites history, books and film based on user prompts. Ask it "What if
Harry Potter was sorted into Slytherin?" and it produces a coherent
alternate arc. The project, she says, was a way to test how AI models
understand prompts and maintain narrative logic across a conversation.
The classroom shaped her too. She still remembers her first course at
Drexel, a Machine Learning class where she was one of only two women,
including the professor. The professor remarked that she was glad to see two
women students, noting that she had once been the only woman in the room
herself.
"She made a lasting impact on me and gave me a boost of confidence,
reminding me that what matters most is love for the subject," Pradhan said.
"Today, even in a field traditionally dominated by men, I truly enjoy what I
do and feel proud to be a part of it."
That experience pushed her toward community. She became an active member of
Drexel Graduate Women in Science and Engineering, serving as a panelist
advocating for women in engineering, and took on a role as a Graduate
Student Ambassador. She had arrived at Drexel searching for guidance; she
became that resource for others.
Looking ahead, she wants to bring her skills in machine learning and data
analysis to work that has the same quality she found at MicroSociety:
problems where the people on the other end are visible.