Submitted to Dr. Margaret Cowell on 09/27/2021 and last updated on 09/27/2021.

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Uttar Pradesh Technical University in 2017. I did some sensor-based projects during my undergraduate degree joined a research institute to work on a similar project. After working some time with air pollution sensors and instruments I realized the gap in public policy and engineering solutions which often went overlooked, especially in the urban pollution mitigation. It motivated me to enroll in Virginia Tech’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program.

Presently, I am working with Dr. Steve Hankey as graduate research assistant in collecting urban air pollution data and developing statistical and machine learning models using the same data, for the particle count number (PCN) and the suspended fine particulate matter (pm2.5).

I enrolled in the MURP program with the intention of learning about central planners and the challenges they face in executing a plan on the ground. I have worked with the Central Pollution Control Board of India and have seen the gap between policy implementation and policy effectiveness. Complex problems like pollution mitigation demand targeted response from policymakers and the deliberate persuasion of citizens to comply with the policy. This is where the MURP degree will help me and give me a wider perspective of what a policy must encompass to be successful.

I am exploring a diverse set of research tools for understanding the impact of urban air pollution on public health and the application of newly evolved technologies like satellite measurements and low-cost sensors for estimating the concentration of different criteria pollutants.

The work environment in NGOs and universities appeals to me as I like to work independently and come up with new ideas by employing multidisciplinary knowledge in my work. Also, working with different people specialized in diverse disciplines excites me. In both research-based NGOs and universities research is promoted a lot and the work-life balance is pretty good :)

I am working on increasing the number of research articles and the quality of research by employing innovative and noble methods in my research. I have been working on getting cerified in data analytics from the Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics and I will reach halfway by the end of this semester. I am also learning GPU-based data processing for big data like satellite datasets. That being the case, I already have certification in spatial data analytics and remote sensing which have made it easier for me to complete these new courses.

I am working with a couple of researchers from different domains and have benefited quite a lot from interacting and networking with them. I am also taking relevant courses with the ECE and the CS department to cover for the lack of tools I have for research. Although right now they seem hard to cover with the research work, I am sure they will come in handy in the future.