SPOTLIGHT
eNews edition
shines
SPOTLIGHT
on an individual (or a team) who has (have) founded and/or running an organization that impacts positively and significantly on the lives of New England residents.
This month we are shining the
SPOTLIGHT
on Anantha P. Chandrakasan - the Dean of MIT's School of Engineering,
and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
.
I
AGB:
Could you speak about significant (life) factors that led you to be the Dean of Engineering at MIT?
Anantha Chandrakasan:
My mother, Dr. Gowri Chandrakasan, really inspired my academic career. She was a biochemist and Fulbright scholar. I loved spending time in her lab and learning about her experiments. She taught me about problem solving in a more open-ended fashion, and also about leadership. When I entered graduate school, I knew I wanted to be a professor.
My early career was driven by a passion for research. I did research as an undergraduate student in the lab of Professor Robert Brodersen at U.C. Berkeley, and was lucky to be in the right place at the time when energy-efficiency of electronic circuits was just becoming a critical issue. This undergraduate research experience played an important role in getting me excited about electronic circuits – and about academia.
Today energy-efficiency of electronics continues be a major challenge in areas such as implantable medical systems. I remain excited about the opportunities posed by low-power design for biomedical applications. If cost-effective, such devices can have major impact in saving and enhancing the quality of life world-wide, and particularly in India.
However, my mother inspired more than a passion for research. Along with groundbreaking research contributions, she also impacted society with her social service work. She believed in making a difference. As dean of engineering, I’m empowered to help our talented community make a better world. It is satisfying to facilitate research and entrepreneurial opportunities for some of the brightest faculty, students, and postdocs in the world. Every day I see evidence that these efforts are accelerating scientific growth and the application of knowledge for the betterment of humankind and of the world we live in.
I
AGB:
Can you comment on the collaboration efforts and successes of MIT Engineering with individuals and institutions in India?
Anantha Chandrakasan:
India is home to world-class talent and activity in engineering schools, research centers, international companies, and startups. The country is also at the front line in having to tackle challenges in economic development, public health, environment, education, and much more. These are all excellent reasons for MIT, and the School of Engineering in particular, to continue and grow the engagement with India.
India has a century-old association with MIT, as fascinatingly recounted in Ross Bassett’s
The Technological Indian.
Currently, a significant part of the MIT–India engagement at the student level occurs through the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) program. MISTI-India enables our students to intern and conduct research in India, and inspires them and their faculty mentors to form and sustain innovative collaborations. MISTI–India also develops seminars, workshops, conferences, and other events in India and at MIT in order to build bridges in education, entrepreneurship, and technology. In addition, the MIT Tata Center has presented our students with unique opportunities to make an impact in India. Faculty from the School of Engineering are very involved in and supportive of these activities. I will continue to encourage our students to pursue sought-after internships in India, in order to develop long-term connections in a country that is capable of providing a wealth of extraordinary experiences. I also look forward to new strategic collaborations on education and research.
I
AGB:
What specific programs and efforts is MIT contributing towards increasing representation from women and minorities across the board in the field of Engineering?
Anantha Chandrakasan:
The advancement of diversity and inclusion is among my priorities as dean.
Women constitute 46 percent of the undergraduate class at MIT
. Gender diversity, however, does not extend across the board. The percentage of women declines significantly at the graduate level and within tenure-track faculty in some engineering departments.
The MIT School of Engineering is committed to proactively expanding the pipeline of women interested in becoming faculty or in pursuing research careers in industry. Quite often we have to compete with industry positions for the top graduating students, and that is a challenge because we’re starting from a smaller pool of potential candidates.
I intend to develop and build on existing strategic programs. Let me give you an example. Five years ago, I co-founded
a program in our electrical engineering and computer science department called Rising Stars in EECS.
It helps women at the doctoral and postdoctoral level build lasting connections that could open doors for collaborations, and in many cases gives them the impetus and confidence to seriously consider careers in academia. The associated two-day workshop addresses subjects like landing a faculty job, gaining tenure, and building a career network.
Today Rising Stars is offered by MIT’s departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nuclear Science and Engineering, and Physics, as well as its Institute for Medical Engineering and Science. This year, the Rising Stars in Biomedical workshop brought together top female and under-represented minority postdocs and senior graduate students. I would like every single engineering department to be involved in the program, and to possibly create a Rising Stars for undergraduate students.
I
AGB:
Is there a situation or experience you have had which was tough and painful at that moment in time but because of that moment you have reached your current destination?
Anantha Chandrakasan:
One experience that comes to mind is MIT’s rejection of my graduate school application. I returned to U.C. Berkeley for my master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. By so doing, I earned an incredible opportunity to do work through to my PhD with Professor Brodersen, an exceptional and invaluable mentor. Right after graduating with my PhD, I was hired by MIT as a faculty member. I often mention this when encouraging students who may not have made it in to graduate studies at MIT, pointing out that there are many routes to accomplishment and success, and some may lead them back to MIT later.
I
AGB:
Engineers as innovators vs. Engineers as worker bees. What are your thoughts on this issue in regards to Engineering graduates from India?
Anantha Chandrakasan:
I believe more universities in India should give students the opportunity to translate their ideas to implementation through entrepreneurship and startups. One model that comes to mind is The Engine, a new accelerator launched by MIT last fall to support startup companies working on scientific and technological innovation with the potential for transformative societal impact. It was designed to enhance the local tech ecosystem while serving the needs of faculty, student, and alumni entrepreneurs. I also think it’s essential to expose students to open-ended problems early on by giving them more opportunities to deeply engage in research during their undergraduate experience. Students will jump at such chances. For instance, as a department head, I created a year-long independent research program for students. They loved really diving into lab work. Within a few years, the program expanded across the engineering school.
I
AGB:
What advice do you have for middle and high school children who have plans to pursue studies in engineering?
Anantha Chandrakasan:
When I spent time hanging out in my mother’s lab, I developed a passion for open-ended problem solving. Develop the capacity to think in new ways by pursuing difficult problems that intrigue you. Look for societal issues that need addressing, and then ask tough questions and engineer solutions. Draw on innovative resources and be persistent. Think big. I particularly think that computing is going to be important in virtually every discipline. It is important to get exposed to computational thinking from an early stage.
I
AGB:
What are your hobbies and interests? What’s your favorite pastime? What’s your guilty pleasure?
Anantha Chandrakasan:
I am a huge fan of the San Francisco 49ers and still passionately follow them. Although they have not won a Super Bowl recently, I have followed and watched almost all of the games since I moved to Boston in 1994. And of course, I always enjoy a good Bollywood movie!
IAGB interviewing team:
Sanjay Kudrimoti
