College is a unique experience. It is a place that you take pride in now and forever. A place where you get your first taste of freedom without the complete responsibility of being on your own. A place where you live amongst your peers and form wonderful friendships…. oh, and you also get an education.
Ever since my school days, I was very moved and allured by the fascinating world of electronics. My undergraduate courses gave me the taste of this enchanting subject, but never the satisfaction of savoring it. With the rapid technological growth, it is imperative to increase one's own technical expertise and gain in-depth knowledge of the subject to contribute towards innovative research. Hence came my decision to proceed towards Graduate Studies, with its research orientation and advance training, which focuses on in-depth study of a specific field facilitating fruitful research. I opine that it is the most logical step towards my career goals.
I received my Bachelor's degree (1998) in Electronics Engineering from Pune University, India, but four years of college just weren't enough. So I decided to go to graduate school at South Dakota State University (SDSU) and pursue my Masters degree (2001) in Electrical Engineering with specialization in Image Processing and Remote Sensing. The goal of engineering research is the betterment of human life by the dissemination of technology. Having considered research to be an integral part and culmination of education, someday (if opportunity comes along), I would like to go back to school and pursue a Doctoral degree (Ph.D). But being a person with a desire to share knowledge with others, I would also enjoy a career in teaching. Thus, I would like to embark on a career that would be a successful blend of research and teaching.
During my masters program at SDSU, I worked as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Image Processing (IP) Lab for Dr. Dennis Helder in the EE Department. He was also my advisor. My primary research area was work in the field of satellite radiometry. This is the study and correction of degradations in imagery caused by instrumentation and atmospheric effects. My dissertation topic was "Landsat 4/5 Band 6 Characterization." This research was funded through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) grant NAG5-3540. In trying to gather data and information for the research, I was met over and over, not by obstacles, but by generous individuals who went the extra mile to help out. In the lab, we had excellent facilities for research in the field of image processing and opportunities leading to interdisciplinary research. To find out what neat stuff we do in the lab, check out the IP Lab web page. I also worked as the system administrator for the IP lab. I spent my days hard at work fixing all of the computer problems that plagued the lab. My tasks as an administrator included making regular tape backups, installing, upgrading new software and hardware, and performing system recoveries. I placed all of the proper software and plug-ins on the hard drive and made sure that it worked at the fastest speed possible. I also got rid of extra garbage.
Besides being a research assistant at SDSU, I also worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Dr. Browning in the Physics Department. I have always believed that teaching is an excellent way to consolidate my knowledge and learn new ideas as well, so I have utilized every available opportunity, whether it was formal or informal. I taught four classes a week and consistently received positive feedback on course evaluations. I am a member of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Society of Physics Student (SPS).
In 2001, after graduating from SDSU, I started working at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center (EDC). The EDC is a data management, systems development, and research field center for the USGS National Mapping Division. USGS was established in 1879, and the headquarters is in Reston, VA. EDC is located in Sioux Falls, SD. I am sure you must be wondering of all the 50 states in the US, why are we located in South Dakota? The EDC's location is the result of a belief in the early 1960s that having the EDC in a big city would interfere with the facility's receipt of satellite data transmissions. Since the EDC's primary mission at the time was going to be direct receipt of these transmissions from Earth orbiting satellites (using a large satellite dish), a country location was an important factor in placing the EDC here in SD.
My job at EDC is more research-oriented. I work in the science department and my primary job is to work on characterization and calibration of Landsat satellites. The Landsat Project is a joint initiative of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the USGS to gather Earth resource data using a series of satellites. NASA is responsible for developing and launching the spacecrafts, while the USGS is responsible for flight operations, maintenance, and management of all ground data reception, processing, archiving, calibration, product generation, and distribution. I conduct research on cross-calibration between sensors to provide consistent measurements of Earth's surface features. I am really passionate about my job; the best thing I like about my job is that I get to work on a daily basis with some of the finest people living on the face of the Earth.
Here is my Resume