Soumya Chilakamarri, M’21 earned her Master of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Hartford and has reflected on how her experience has prepared her for the next step in her career.
After earning her degree, Chilakamarri was determined to begin her career in the field of circuit and PCB designing. She says she used the skills she obtained here at UHart to work on mini-projects and expand her portfolio. This work would ultimately lead her to land her dream job as an electrical engineer at Thorlabs, Inc., and feel the most prepared for the industry.
Chilakamarri first discovered the potential to work in this field because of her father. “I grew up watching my father working in the field of electronics as a scientist and I was fascinated by the idea of becoming a circuit designer,” Chilakamarri says. “My parents and my brother encouraged my interest, guided, and inspired me to choose electrical engineering as my area of study.”
Being an international student, she said the journey of exploring education in a new country did not come easy. However, with the support of her husband, Chilakamarri found her potential when she chose to pursue her degree here at UHart.
Soumya Chilakamarri, M’21, electrical and computer engineeringThere has not been a day when I did not relate the work I am doing right now to the projects and assignments given at UHart. Choosing to attend this University to pursue my graduate degree is the best choice I ever made!
Chilakamarri says it was the collaboration with her faculty and the level of challenge and interest in her various coursework that made her graduate program impactful. “I appreciated the guidance from my faculty, such as Patricia Mellodge, Saeid Moslehpour, and Akram Abu-aisheh in particular, who supported me in many ways,” Chilakamarri says. “Also, during my graduate assistantship, I worked with various professors in the electrical and computer engineering department which helped me improve my knowledge and do well in my interviews.”
In fact, it was department chair Ying Yu who encouraged Chilakamarri to serve as a graduate assistant. “Dr. Yu even recommended I tutor basic electronics courses for undergraduates here at UHart, which helped me brush up my basics knowledge at the same time and prepare for my future interviews.”
Chilakamarri reflects on how UHart offered the exact type of courses she was looking for, which still help her to this day during her day-to-day tasks. “My team wanted a person having a good understanding of fiber optics, digital control systems, and PCB designing,” Chilakamarri says. “Since I took courses that specialized in these areas, I was confident going into my interviews. My faculty’s amazing lectures and feedback inspired and encouraged me to learn the concepts more deeply and I was able to exemplify this in conversations with my current employer.” To add to her relevant coursework, Chilakamarri worked on various projects where she says she gained a thorough and deep understanding of the requirements phase to the assembling phase in circuit designing.
Through her role, Chilakamarri participates in research and engineering development for the Thorlabs Measurement Systems group. “I use my knowledge of electronics and electrical systems obtained so far to perform CAD design work and analyze product performance,” Chilakamarri says. “In addition, some time will be spent in laboratory setting building, debugging, and testing various electronic circuits and electromechanical systems. Overall, I am having a great time working on what I love the most!"
Along with her supportive faculty, Chilakamarri says she was also grateful for UHart’s International Student Services Center for making it a seamless process to become a student here. “The staff in this office were always there whenever I had questions, and I am especially thankful to Kaitlyn Marusa for explaining every procedure related to the visa requirements so clearly and helping me with my queries till date.”
When asked what advice she would pass along to current and future graduate students, Chilakamarri says to be attentive in class, take time to solve all questions on assignments, and reach out to professors when you are stuck. “Your faculty’s guidance is what helps us cross the barrier,” Chilakamarri says. “Continue to believe in yourself and work hard towards achieving your goals.”