Interview with a Young Inventor and Founder of VAXXWAGON

Interesting interview with a young inventor. Learn how young mind thinks and know how this young inventor worked towards a goal after learning his story from Grand Parents. World needs more problem solvers like Anurudh Ganesan.

Interview with an Visual Effects Artist

Satish Babu Ratakonda is a famous Visual Effects Artist based in San Mateo, California. Born in Khammam, Andhra Pradesh, Satish’s career grew organically in Television, Gaming and Feature Film Visual Effects. Today he works at Sony Interactive working on Product design as well as cutting edge imaging technologies like Virtual Reality and HDR.

What are Visual effects? Where do we use Visual effects?

Visual effects are the cool tricks and processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of live action. Visual effects are mostly used in film making and it is these visual effects that help make imaginations come live.

Some of the works I did were used in the films Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Avengers: Age of Ultron etc

Can you tell me little bit about childhood or may be your school life?

I was an above average student, if not the best in school. I have always been interested in science and especially physics. As a child I was very observant (I was told) and as I came to realize that I was more interested in observing visually than doing anything else. For example, I was more interested in how the Fire looked and how it moved visually then the technical science and reasoning behind that. My parents or teachers never gave it enough importance to my thinking, in fact I did not know at that time that it was my way of interpreting things and that there could be any meaningful outcome to that. The only known outlet for me was to express it in Drawings, but I was not interested in traditional art, so I would draw more than detailed and shaded illustrations in science records than a required simple outline illustration, which was again mostly overlooked. I now realize that at that point of time, there was lack of emphasis on visual science or 'art of science'.

When and how did you get into Visual Effects Artist?

After my Bachelors in Arts & Science, I have thought about going for higher education in Genetics and one day I met my uncle working in CCMB (Center for Cellular and Micro Biology) to get some guidance. He was in the middle of preparing a presentation and he asked me to help him with few designs and pictures for the presentation. To my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed drawing designs, and pictures I did a good job on the work.

Then I choose to join a Multimedia Institute (Training or technical/vocational center) and enrolled myself in Photoshop course. During this training and with the tool - Adobe Photo Shop, my interest and attention to details were put to use and was able to bring my art projects to life. I worked on few assignments, made a profile with few random designs and ideas and went on looking for a job carrying my profile and I found my first job in Ramoji Film City as Digital Compositor.

Was it easy finding a job after taking a course in Multimedia Institute?

No. It was not an easy task. I didn’t have any mentor/ guide throughout any phase of my life and I had to go find information and get updates in my career and path. It was not simple like I learn a technology/software and do the same task every time in each project. I learned about what’s trending, what companies do Visual Effects, what skills are required at every stage of my life and I assigned a goal for myself.

Can you please explain your work and what it’s like?

My projects/tasks start with visionary/ my directors explaining how they want the picture. I am responsible for bringing some one’s imagination to life and this process can be some visionary just using words and explaining it or it could be some pictures on paper/story boards.

I work with multiple technologies and techniques every day to bring imagination to life. I don’t get to use same technology/technique on every project and it all comes down to how well I brought an imagination to life on screen. Some of the Software / programming languages I use are Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Flame, Foundry Nuke, Adobe after Effects, Adobe Photoshop, Houdini, Cinema4D, and Python.

Learning the fundamentals of commercial art (television/films) , learning the craft of motion picture visual effects, which involves color theory, cameras, lenses, film, film procession adding computer graphics, all the way to the process of delivering to the big screen or a television broadcast, needed a lot patience, foresight and hard work. While the above mentioned were fundamentals which would never change and are key to one's survival, the software and other tools are just mere tools which you would keep up with as the technology evolves.

What advice can you give to our readers?

To build a career in Visual Effects, you don’t need to have high level degrees. However, formal education is strongly recommended because course work is designed to gradually develop your skills and give time to develop your own vision, style and approach towards the career and industry.

Top Vfx artists are generally very observant, have a keen ear, respectful of others and their ideas, work well in team environment and ok to work long hours. Ask yourself what your dream as a Vfx Artist/Animator, try to find out what’s the most inspiring to you and if you think you have it in you to emulate / chase or even do better. Have a plan with open mind. Keep smiling :-)

To learn more about Satish Ratakonda, visit http://www.animationmagazine.net/vfx/the-artists-toolbox-tools-of-top-animators/

Interview with an Electronics Engineer (Micro Electronics)

Karan Deep is and Electronics Engineer and is currently working as Product Quality and Reliability Engineer at Micron Technology, Centreville, Virginia, USA.  Born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, Karan found interest in Electronics at a very early stage of his life. Karan builds and flies Drones and small planes in his leisure time and took his passion in Electronics directed him into semiconductor industry. This is his career journey.

- Can you please explain your work for us.

Micron Technology is a company that provides memory and storage solutions. We all store photos, music, videos on our phones and computers on a day-to-day basis. Memory cards/storage devices inside these devices store our cherished memories, music and videos. Micron is a global leader in designing, manufacture/fabricate and packaging memory devices.

Different types and sizes of memory/storage chips go inside our beloved electronics like phones, tablets, computers, laptops etc. As a Product Quality and Reliability Engineer, I am responsible for making sure that memory/storage solutions are up to the standards or not. For example, I make sure that memory card that goes in a phone is designed and manufactured as per the specifications or customer requirements and I test it properly and hard to withstand device falls, or water damage etc

- What is your day-to-day work like?

Most of my work involves analyzing data generated by testing memory products. But sometimes I make trips to fabrication plants and check the products in person.

- What is most enjoyable being an Electronics Engineer?

I am very proud to say that my everyday work is on the crucial components of our favorite electronics like Mobile phones, Tablets, Computers, Flash drives etc and I personally enjoy building these cool electronics.

- When and how did you become so much interested in Electronics?

I became very interested in Electronics at very early age. Working on school science projects, attending science and technology shows and exhibitions, I became curious about Electronic devices. One day I received a Electronics Hobby Kit as a gift from one of my relatives and I started building a Fire Alarm . When any Electronic device like radio or TV is broken, I used to pay attention and ask lot of questions when the Technician is fixing the equipment. As I grew up, I started fixing any broken household equipment like radio, TV, Mixer etc

- How did you pursue your passion in Electronics after your school years?

I went to study B. Tech in Electronics and Communication in University of Pune, India. After my undergraduate program, I flew to US to bag MS degree from University of Texas.  With help from seniors, I selected right courses during graduation and made sure to gain some real-time industry experience through internship.

Based on my skill set, and passion, I was offered a job right after graduation and continued in this industry ever since.

- Have you faced any challenges in this journey?

I feel blessed for not having any challenges and I stepped in the right direction to become what I am today. But I am facing a challenge right now. Ideally, I would love to move back to India but there is only one company manufacturing memory products in India and my career options are very limited. US and Singapore are the best places for starting a career in Micro Electronics. Sandisk, Western Digital, Qualcomm, Micron, Global Foundries, SK Hynix are few companies in this semiconductor industry with great career choices.

- How do you see the future of Micro Electronics? 

Demand and growth for Micro Electronics is increasing exponentially. Need for very small or nano chips and devices in our favorite devices is growing rapidly. For students interested in semi-conductor field, I suggest reading electronics magazines like Electronics For U, joining clubs like flying clubs, technology clubs, working on science projects or Electronics Hobby Kits.

Interview with a Mechanical Engineer(Computational Fluid Dynamics)

Sai Doddi is a Mechanical Engineer with Professional Engineering License. He is currently working as a Project Engineer at Hatch Mott MacDonald based in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Born in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, Sai grew up with Mechanical Engineers around him and became naturally inclined to the profession – Mechanical Engineering.

- What is Mechanical Engineering? Can you explain your specialty for us.

Mechanical Engineering is a subject that was derived from the need to design and manufacture everything from small things to large systems.

I specialize in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). CFD is a branch of Fluid Dynamics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to analyze and solve problems that involve with fluid flows (liquids and gases).

- Can you explain your work for us?

I work at Hatch Mott MacDonald, Full service consulting Engineering firm. We build tunnels, train stations, infrastructure etc. And within Hatch MacDonald, I work in the Fire & Life safety department.

Right now, I am currently working on a $1.3 Billion Transit project and my role is to assist Design team design ventilation systems such that life can be brought to safety through ventilation system in the shortest amount of time incase of a fire or emergency situation.

Using CFD software, I design ventilation system models as per the client requirements and also make sure that they are compliant with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes for a Train station based in Los Angeles, CA  

- When and how did you first realize your interest in Mechanical Engineering?

Growing up with three brothers in Mechanical Engineering field, I was easily influenced by my brothers and became naturally inclined to Mechanical Engineering profession.

During my undergraduate degree (B.Tech), I spent all my summers at IIT assisting a CFD professor with his research and just became passionate about this specialty – Computational Fluid Dynamics. I was challenged to determine the shape of a droplet on a surface by my professor and it just heightened my interest in Mechanical Engineering.

- How did you continue to pursue your passion for Mechanical Engineering?

I was lucky to get good training in EAMCET & IIT-JEE prep during +1 and +2 and was able to join prestigious IIT – Madras for undergraduate education in Mechanical Engineering. I was surrounded by passionate people and was thrilled to get quality education from top educational institution. I never took time to go home and kept assisting professors in their research. I became very interested in Mechanical Engineering and just couldn’t quench my thirst for knowledge in Mechanical Engineering. So I enrolled in Masters degree at University of Kentucky and then immediately went for Ph.D at Rutgers University. I specialized in Computational Fluid Dynamics in my Ph.D and researched on Biological Cells and Capsules.

- Would you please explain your Ph.D thesis?

During my Ph.D, I was able to model Red Blood Cells (RBC) using CFD software and understand the properties and deformability of RBC. My thesis provides valuable information for the diagnosis and understanding of various pathologies including diabetes, cardiovascular disease etc.

- What challenges did you face in this career journey?

My biggest challenge was getting an undergraduate degree in Engineering. The amount of hard work that went into getting admission was the highest so far. The transition from +2 to Engineering College was very difficult.

Next biggest challenge was deciding specialty in Masters program and getting into Masters program with financial assistance.I was determined to get Masters degree from US but I didn’t have enough funds to get into a school abroad.

- How did you overcome these challenges?

I worked very hard and studied well to get an Engineering degree. After getting an admitted into IIT, I had wealth of information about getting offers from US universities for MS programs with financial assistance. I took the information and advice I received and ended up receiving offers for Masters degree with full financial funding from multiple US universities.

- What advice and suggestion do you have for young people interested in pursuing a career in Mechanical Engineering?

I suggest aspiring Engineers to network and gather information on interesting topics. I advice students to keep their passion lit.

Interview with a Biologist (BioProduction)

Arti Manohar is a Biologist and is currently working as Production Biologist at American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), Manassas, Virginia. Born in Delhi, India, Arti received early education in Biotechnology from US schools and ended up becoming a successful Biologist in a Biological Resource Center and research organization based in United States. This is her career story.

- What is Biology? What does it mean being a Biologist?

Arti - Biology is concerned with study of life and living organisms. Biologist is a scientist who studies living organisms in its environment.

 - Can you please tell us about your workplace?

Arti - ATCC is a biological resource center and research organization. We acquire, authenticate, produce, preserve, develop and distribute microorganisms and cell lines for research. My workplace is like a retail store for raw materials used in life science research.

ATCC tends to the needs of Life Sciences R & D. For example, Pharmaceutical companies perform numerous experiments on microorganisms and agents before bringing out a drug to the market. This is where ATCC comes in and supplies authentic and standardized microorganisms and reagents like bacteria, viruses, antibodies, DNA, RNA etc.  for companies to perform tests.

- What do you do at ATCC?

Arti - I work as a Biologist in the Immunology Core of ATCC. When Customer Service receives a request for a vial of a hybridoma cell line or antibody from a customer (research institution), a work order is generated. After receiving the work order, I work in a team to grow, propagate and bank the hybridoma cell line, and/or extract and purify antibody from it. Hybridoma cell lines are immortal cell lines capable of producing antibodies specific to a particular target. The antibodies we produce are mostly used in infectious disease research, but in general can be used in any disease research to identify and locate cellular proteins.     

- When and how did you first realize your interest in Biotechnology?

Arti - I liked Biology and Mathematics concepts in my +1 and +2 and wanted to pursue a career that involved laboratories and experimentation. After research and guidance, I came to know that I get to do everything I liked in Biotechnology. And here I am taking part in Biomedical research.

- How did you pursue your passion in Biotechnology?

After my +2 in Maths, Biology, Physics and Chemistry, I enrolled in a Twinning program in an Indian University and got my Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from North Dakota State University. Biotechnology is a vast field, and I wanted to specialize in biomedical research, and therefore I signed up for a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering immediately after. I then worked as a Lab Technician in a research laboratory for 2 years before landing my current position. Education and work experience helped me get to where I am today.

- What right steps do you think you made in this career path?

Arti - I was lucky to get +1 and +2 education in Mathematics and Biology, in addition to Physics and Chemistry. This preliminary education made it easier to get into Biotechnology programs. One needs to obtain both Mathematics and Science knowledge to pursue a career in Biotechnology.

Getting work experience during and after school helped me gain skills that are necessary in entering this field.

- What advice and suggestions do you have for young students planning to pursue a career in Biotechnology?

Arti - I would encourage students to get a lot of experience and pick up a variety of lab skills through internships/externships along with the education in Biotechnology. The infrastructure and facilities available for biotechnology research are great in the US, but companies in this field don’t easily sponsor visas, so it is very essential to have a broad skill set and experience to get a good job.