When Ishika Kanakath started her collegiate journey at 杏吧视频, she had her fair share of doubts, after initially struggling in subjects such as math, physics, and programming. But through those challenges, she was always certain of one thing: She wanted to be just like her late mother, Radha Vinod, a former technology leader at Experian.
鈥淕rowing up, I always admired her work ethic and dedication to technology. Her colleagues would say they could go to her for anything and she solved a problem with a smile,鈥 Kanakath said.
Today, she continues to follow in her mother鈥檚 footsteps as a fourth-year BS/MS student at Case School of Engineering and the first female president to host , Cleveland鈥檚 premier annual student-run hackathon held on campus.
Kanakath and her peers are holding this year鈥檚 hackathon in honor of Vinod, who passed away in August. The event will take place Jan. 24-26 and feature memorial scholarships totaling $4,000 to award winners, which reflect Vinod鈥檚 values of leadership and creativity.
鈥淪he was very influential in mentoring and judging projects as well as helping organize the event last year,鈥 said Kanakath. 鈥淪he always wanted students to have access to an education and resources to help with that. This is what inspired me to offer scholarships on her behalf as this was something she was very passionate about. I think it would motivate them to pursue technology further.鈥
Read on for a deeper dive into Kanakath鈥檚 academic journey and this year鈥檚 hackathon.
Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
1. How has your CWRU experience shaped your academic and career aspirations?
My ups, downs and struggles have inspired me to go into a career in academia. My tutoring and research lab experience certainly geared me more toward this field. I have been involved in the laboratories of [engineering faculty members] Emily Graczyk, and John Lewandowski, which exposed me to an interdisciplinary approach of electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, and materials science engineering.
2. Can you describe any challenges you faced in your journey as an engineering student, and how did you overcome them?
Sometimes I felt insecure in my abilities and being part of an engineering program until I had professors that encouraged me such as Alexis E. Block and Elizabeth Sell. I wanted to give students that safe space to gain more confidence and work on something they are passionate about.
3. What are you most excited about for this year鈥檚 hackathon? What do you hope participants take away from this year's event?
This year, our hackathon will be related to [artificial intelligence]. Workshops will provide some instruction and hands-on activities in these areas. Additionally, hardware company will hold a competition on using Arduino [an open-source electronics platform] and construct algorithms in their workshop.
I hope they learn a lot from our hands-on workshops, make new connections, produce something they are passionate about, and most importantly have fun.
4. What advice would you give to individuals interested in engineering and technology?
I would tell them to not get discouraged by teachers that don't believe in them and to view failures as a learning opportunity. There will be ups and downs. If this is something you really want to pursue, don't listen to what other people tell you and focus on improvement.
5. How else are you involved on campus?
In Dr. Lewandowski's lab, I'm working on a NASA-funded project integrating laser and temperature sensors for wire additive manufacturing machines for my master's project. We're developing a process for continuous layer scanning and data processing to ensure uniformity in 3D printing, which has taught me a lot about real-time control systems and sensor integration.
Additionally, I am part of a group called Early Music Singers, where we perform baroque and medieval music, and I volunteer as a music therapy volunteer at . I also recently joined a rock band on campus called Lady Anarchy.
