The Road to Engineering

In 2014, Maharshi B.Shah (M.S. ’15) traveled from his home country of India to attend New York Tech and pursue his master’s in electrical and computer engineering. He recalls how impressed he was with the faculty in his program and with the research taking place in the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences. Apparently, Shah made an impression as well and was selected to be part of the first cohort of students in New York Tech’s Ph.D. in engineering program, which was launched in 2021 in part to address, sustain, and supply a dynamic workforce of technology leaders.

“In the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, we are so excited to start working with Ph.D. students like Maharshi, who have high levels of motivation and enthusiasm to learn and conduct research on advanced topics,” says Assistant Professor Reza Amineh, Ph.D. “We are so grateful for the support received from New York Tech and the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences to initiate this program.”

One of two Ph.D. programs in the college, it trains students in fundamental theories, advanced topics, and transformative research that bridge the gap between research and commercialization. Graduates of the program are prepared to pursue research and development careers in industry and academia, as well as to perform independent research in specialized areas.

Shah spoke with The Box about his research projects and his advice to incoming students.

What research have you worked on as a student at New York Tech?
I’ve been working at the Applied Electromagnetics Research Lab, with Assistant Professor Reza Amineh for the past eight months. The goal of the research we are doing is to devise a microwave frequency-based technique to create high-resolution images of objects made from non-metallic materials, such as composites, human tissues, cells, etc. We are working to develop more efficient and cost-effective ways by incorporating various machine learning algorithms and advanced signal processing methods.

I’ve also been working on research related to home automation and security using RF (radio frequency) and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications).

And after you graduate, what are your plans?
As one of the first engineering Ph.D. students at New York Tech, I would like to give back to the community and stay in academia.

What do you do outside of the classroom?
I work as a graduate advisement specialist for the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences. I act as a liaison between the college and graduate students who might be looking for more information about our programs. I help them with questions about admissions, financial aid, scholarships, and other issues specific to international students.

What advice do you give to new students?
Join different clubs and attend events. It’s a great way to network. Also, take full advantage of our faculty’s experience and knowledge and be proactive. Grab onto any opportunity.

This interview has been edited and condensed.