When Vigneswar Sundaramurthy graduated with his bachelor's degree in India
in 2019, he quickly realized that the systems engineering job he had taken
was not satisfying his intellectual curiosity or career ambitions. He
craved the chance to pursue his growing passion for machine learning and
artificial intelligence. After testing the waters with an online program at
the University of Texas, he came to Drexel to pursue his passion.
“Drexel’s co-op program was a highlight for me when I was looking for
full-time programs in the United States,” Vigneswar recalled. “Being able
to take a job while I was working on my degree meant I could maintain a
level of financial stability and learn while I worked.”
Now a second-year master's student in Drexel's master’s in computer
engineering program, Vigneswar has found his niche. Under the mentorship of
John Walsh, PhD, professor of electrical and computer engineering, he is
conducting research on natural language processing as it applies to the
patent review process.
His specific project focuses on developing algorithms to analyze the
language in patent claims in order to automatically determine similarities.
This has the potential to greatly accelerate patent searching, a process
that presently requires extensive manual review by experts.
Vigneswar also recently completed a six-month co-op at Zoetis, a producer
of medicine and vaccines for pets and livestock, where he worked as a data
science intern. His task there was to develop a "virtual sensor" to monitor
cell health in the company's bioreactors, which are used to manufacture
pharmaceuticals. The virtual sensor simulated physical sensors at a
fraction of the cost, providing the company critical data to optimize
production.
Experiences like these have not only prepared Vigneswar for a career at the
intersection of computer science and engineering, but also honed his
ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
"One aspect is that I came to know how to work independently and to
understand a problem thoroughly on my own," he said. "But I also learned
how critical it is to collaborate with a team, pooling different skillsets
and perspectives. An industry solution requires applying diverse knowledge
across domains, and different teams can have backup plans in case what one
team is working on fails. Working solo you can go deep but collaborate you
can go far."
After earning his master's degree next year, Vigneswar hopes to find a job
in industry where he can apply his expertise in machine learning to develop
solutions that benefit society. Further advanced degrees are not out of the
question, but for now he is focused on gaining more hands-on experience and
seeing firsthand how artificial intelligence and data science can create
positive change.
Learn more about a master's degree in computer engineering.