Grace joined KIAC as Program Manager in December 2023. Prior to this, she was working at Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) as Program Manager, where she was responsible for planning, overseeing, and implementing projects of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) for start-up companies. She also worked at Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) as a Program Coordinator and was responsible for organizing National and International workshops, conferences, and training programs for the faculties of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and for researchers across the country. She was instrumental in setting up a biology lab and confocal microscopy set-up at CeNSE. She has authored papers in Elsevier, Nature’s Scientific reports and delivered presentations at various conferences. She holds an MPhil in Biotechnology and a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Mahatma Gandhi University. She also holds a P G Diploma in Bioinformatics.
Senior Editorial Assistant, Geethanjali Monto
Geethanjali is Senior Editorial Assistant at the Kotak IISc AI-ML Centre (KIAC) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). She takes care of communication and publicity for the Centre, which includes content generation for the KIAC website, social media, and reports and communication with delegates. She also helps in organisation of the Centre’s activities.
Before joining KIAC, she worked in the same position at the Division of Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Sciences at IISc. Prior to that, she worked as Consultant Editor with IndiaBioscience (Bengaluru); Freelance Editor for the Office of Communications (IISc); Department of Mathematics (Delhi University); Central Food Technological Research Institute (Mysuru). She has also written for Traffic InfraTech, Saevus, and The Green Ogre. Before that, Geethanjali was S. Ramaseshan Science Writing Fellow at the Current Science Association (Bengaluru), Project Associate at the Centre for Environment Education (CEE; Bengaluru), and Project Associate at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM, Chennai).
She completed her BTech in Civil Engineering from IITM, PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Harilal Bhagawati College of Communication & Management (Bengaluru), and Distance learning programme in ‘Environment and Development Communication’ from CEE.
Systems Administrator, Neetha Ashtakar
Neetha has completed her graduation in BTech (CSA) and MTech (IT). She started working at the Centre for infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CiSTUP) at IISc as system administrator. She has also worked as Associate Manager (IT) at Bangalore Stock Exchange (BgSE). From the past one year, she is working as Senior Project Associate in the MTech (AI) Lab at IISc.
In her current role, she is responsible for the overall infrastructure setup and maintenance of the Lab, including the GPU servers. Neetha also ensures maximum utilisation of the servers by adapting new technologies and innovations.
She also provides decision support to stakeholders while taking key decisions for the continuous improvement of the Lab.
Secretary, Sudha Aithal
Sudha is a skilled professional with expertise in using Office 365 tools and possesses strong administrative skills. She has a proven track record of organizing successful conferences and has extensive experience in dealing with government machinery.
Sudha’s strategic planning abilities are complemented by her excellent communication skills, enabling her to develop and execute effective plans. Sudha’s additional skills include a senior-grade qualification in typewriting and proficiency in using various technical tools such as Mathtype, X circuit diagrams, Tina-TI9, Calibre tool, and Moodle.
She holds a BSc degree in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics and an MA degree in Sanskrit, demonstrating her diverse educational background and intellectual capacity.
Office Assistant, Manoj Srinivas
Manoj joined KIAC in March 2023.
He helps in arranging examinations, lectures, and events and organising the office.
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I joined the BTech program in Mathematics and Computing at the Indian Institute of Science in 2022. My faculty advisor, Professor Viraj Kumar, has guided my academic journey, and I had the opportunity to work under his mentorship during the summer of 2024.
My academic interests focus on artificial intelligence and data science, and I am passionate about applying these technologies to solve real-world challenges and drive innovation in computing.
Looking ahead, I am eager to apply my skills in practical environments, contributing to impactful artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions across industries.
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I joined BTech at IISc in 2024.
My faculty advisor is Dr Shashi Jain.
I am interested particularly in artificial intelligence and data structures. I would like to explore the above fields and potentially make a career there.
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I am currently pursuing a BTech, having joined in 2024. With a keen interest in programming, I strive to enhance my skills in this dynamic field. My goal is to secure a rewarding job with a competitive salary in the future.
I am guided by my faculty mentor, Professor Prateek Sharma who supports my academic and professional aspirations."
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I joined the Bachelor of Technology in Mathematics and Computing program at the Indian Institute of Science in 2023. I am interested in quantitative finance and the dynamics of stock markets, especially in understanding the complex math and computational models that drive them. I am fascinated by how data-driven strategies influence investment choices and manage risk in real time.
Looking ahead, I aim to build a career in investment strategy and risk analysis, where I can apply my skills to drive informed, impactful financial decisions.
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I am thrilled to be at IISc, the beating heart of excellence in science and engineering in India, and an ecosystem where great challenges meet enterprising minds. IISc is also a wonderful platform that facilitates personal learning and growth in myriad ways.
While my love for science and the zest for academic excellence brought me to IISc, I have also been an elite athlete and a mountaineer. I also enjoy literature and classical music.
I am excited to be a part of a generation of young researchers on whose shoulders rests the responsibility of innovating at the emerging frontiers of computing, artificial intelligence and data science. Through my undergraduate years in the BTech Maths & Computing programme, I hope to dive deep into these disciplines, as well as boldly traverse their intersections with evolutionary theory, computational biology, and the way the human mind works. I hope to explore novel paths that open up opportunities for creating deep tech solutions that serve the emerging needs of society and our planet.
I am delighted to have been selected for the KIAC Kotak scholarship programme and the mentorship of Professor Pandu Rangan, my faculty guide.
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I joined The BTech programme in the academic year 2024-25. I am excited to explore various fields of technology in my time at the Institute and continue my pursuit beyond .
Though I have not narrowed down any field of research yet, I aim to make full use of my time at IISc to explore various areas and find out where I wish to establish my niche.
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Surbhi Shaw joined the postdoctoral programme at the Kotak IISc AI-ML Centre in July 2024, working under the mentorship of Professor C Pandu Rangan. Her research focuses on post-quantum cryptography and zero-knowledge proofs, exploring advanced cryptographic protocols that can secure digital systems against quantum computing threats.
She obtained her BSc in Mathematics from Scottish Church College, Kolkata (2016), an MSc in Pure Mathematics from the University of Calcutta (2018), and recently earned her PhD from IIT Kharagpur in 2024. She is passionate about advancing cryptographic techniques and aims to continue her career in academia, aspiring to join an institute as an assistant professor.
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Akash Pareek joined as a KIAC postdoctoral researcher hosted by Professor Arindam Khan in August 2024. Before this, he did his PhD at IIT Gandhinagar under the mentorship of Professor Manoj Gupta, following a Bachelor's degree from Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur.
His research mainly focusses on online algorithms, data structures, combinatorics, and learning augmented algorithms. His current and future work primarily focusses on designing beyond worst-case algorithms using predictions.