This fall, Varsha Simpadipura Prasanna began her journey in Purdue University’s Master of Engineering Management program — but her academic pursuit comes with a historic distinction. Varsha is the inaugural recipient of the DETermined Scholarship, a $30,000 award launched by the Duolingo English Test (DET) in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. The scholarship aims to empower young Indian women in STEM and support their ambitions to drive real-world change. 

Hailing from a farming village in Karnataka, Varsha brings a deeply personal understanding of the everyday struggles faced by rural agricultural communities in India. Her lived experiences have not only shaped her perspective but have fueled a passion to create sustainable, tech-enabled solutions tailored to the unique challenges of rural India. 

At the heart of her vision isRuralConnect, a voice-first, multilingual digital platform designed to equip farmers with vital tools: real-time market prices, weather forecasts, a farm equipment rental marketplace, localized skill-building content, access to veterinarians and AI support and vibrant peer-to-peer forums. Critically, the platform is built to work even in areas with limited internet connectivity — a game-changing feature for millions of underserved farmers. 

With RuralConnect, Varsha aims to reach500,000 farmers in the next three years, helping them boost incomes, improve resilience and foster a new era of rural empowerment. 

In this Q&A, Varsha reflects on what it means to win the DETermined Scholarship, what inspired her ambitious project and why she chose Purdue as the next step in her journey to transform rural India. 

What does winning this inaugural scholarship mean to you personally and professionally?

Winning this inaugural scholarship means a lot to me. Personally, it feels like validation that my story, my idea and the work I’ve been doing for farmers truly matter. It gave me the confidence to believe that even coming from a small town, I can build something meaningful. Professionally, it opened doors I never imagined I’d have. It connects me to people and opportunities that will help me take RuralConnect forward and build real solutions for communities like the one I grew up in. It feels like the start of something bigger. 

Tell us about the focus of your research — what inspired it and what impact do you hope it will have?

My proposal was called RuralConnect. It started from what I saw back home; farmers around me had the right people and resources nearby but didn’t know how to reach them. I wanted to change that. Rural India isn’t lacking resources — it’s rich in them. People just don’t realize what’s around them, so I wanted to build something that connects farmer to farmer and community to community. RuralConnect does that through a simple voice-based app that helps people find help, share knowledge and stay connected. 

Why did you choose Purdue's Master of Engineering Management program? What drew you to MEM over other options?

I chose Purdue’s MEM program because every interaction I had made me feel this was the right place for me. During my interview, Eric VandeVoorde was incredibly patient and genuine. He took the time to understand my background and goals and made sure I knew how the program could help me grow. That conversation gave me a lot of confidence in my decision. Talking to current students reinforced it. Everyone spoke about how collaborative the environment is and how much you learn through real, project-based experiences like The Data Mine and Social Impact Startup Academy (SISTAC). It felt like a place that truly values curiosity, learning, and impact — which is exactly what I was looking for. 

What skills or perspectives do you hope to learn from the MEM program to further your research?

I want to learn how to take ideas like RuralConnect and turn them into real solutions that people can use. I hope to understand how to make decisions using data, manage projects end to end, and build products that truly serve users. The program is helping me see how technology, business and community impact can come together. Learning from professors and peers with different experiences is also giving me new ways to think about problems and make my work more practical and scalable. 

Looking ahead, how do you plan to use your MEM degree in your career?

I’m learning a mix of skills across product, supply chain, leadership and data, and I’m not restricting myself to just one field. Working on industry projects through The Data Mine and consulting programs like SISTAC is also teaching me how to build with empathy and design for real users. These experiences are helping me grow into a well-rounded professional who can think strategically, lead diverse teams and solve problems that combine technology and business. In the long run, I want to use this foundation to build products that not only support rural communities but also create impact at scale across industries. 

What advice would you give to future students considering the MEM program at Purdue?

Purdue MEM is one of those programs that really helps you find where you fit between engineering and management. You get to work on real projects, meet people from so many different backgrounds, and learn by actually doing things. 

And I’d say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Take part in all the project-based events, group activities and even the fun ones outside class. You learn a lot by being involved and meeting people from different backgrounds. The more you explore, the more you’ll understand what you enjoy and what direction you want to grow in. 

Might you share with us a little window into your personality: some distinctive trait, habit of mind, hobby/pursuit outside studies?

My mom loves gardening, and I never liked it when I was younger, but now it’s one of my favorite things to do. I also love writing and taking photos of nature and anything that catches my eye. I really enjoy learning new languages too (through Duolingo of course).