Student Introductions: Arghajeet Saha, PhD, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Hello everyone, I'm Argha. 

If three years back, I was inquired about doing a PhD, I probably would’ve said ‘No'. But life doesn’t go as planned, does it? During the final year of my bachelor’s degree, as luck would have it, I got deeply involved in my final term project and that in a way paved way for me to consider research as a viable career option.  Then came masters and within a semester, I decided that a doctoral degree was the way to go forward. All my life, every career decision of mine, be in high school or college, has been influenced by my teachers and peers. And more often than not, it has been people who have eloquently expressed their beliefs, whether it be a subject or concept. 

So, the idea of being in that position to share my views effectively is something I envisage and would want to do for the rest of my life. Personally, for me, teaching is not just substantiating what is written in textbooks but building up a foundation for minds to think, discuss and seek. I wouldn’t be in my present position if it weren't for my teachers and their instilled sense of confidence. Have I ever been depressed, frustrated or confused? Yes, and it has always been those teachers (including my adviser here at Penn State), willing to lend their ears to my problems, who've snapped me out of it. AEE 530 will pave the way for me to take baby steps in that direction i.e., of becoming not just a teacher but a mentor and a friend to my future students. With Dr. Foster at the helm, aided by Dr. Curry, and observing their in-class approach for this course, I believe that this might just be the best decision I have taken this spring, even though it’s still January.

Talking a bit more about myself, I am currently pursuing my PhD in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. I work under the supervision of Dr. Cibin Raj and the majority of my work focusses on computational water resources management (model development and water quality). I am from India, residing in the northeastern state of Assam (which is the largest producer of tea in the world). I have an MS degree in Water Engineering and Management from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.  I also have a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering. I am a film buff and have made short films, documentaries on wide-ranging issues, from child labour to LGBTQ rights. I also write poems and am a bibliophile with ‘The Emperor of all Maladies: The Biography of Cancer’ by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, Columbia University, being my favourite book.

I hope this stint turns out to be wonderful and joyous for all involved.

Cheers !

May the Force be with you.
                                      - Kylo Ren.