Athul Chakkithara Dharmarajan — Kerala, India
Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.
Graduation: August 2026
My area of research is engineering design, and I work on computational modeling of designers' performance. Predicting the performance of designers can help organizations understand how to leverage their unique strengths!
Q
What do you hope to do after graduation?
A
I want to continue my research in an academic setting or an industrial research lab.
Q
What was the most valuable advice you received before or during graduate school?
A
You must take accountability for your decisions and actions and do your best in every situation. Things may not always work out due to things you cannot control, but you can be happy you did everything you could.
Q
Why did you choose Purdue Engineering for your graduate studies?
A
I was fascinated by the opportunity to be at a school with a strong mechanical engineering program.
Q
If you could describe Purdue Engineering Graduate Programs in 3 words, which would you choose?
A
Enormous, fun, challenging.
Q
What is the coolest thing you have encountered at Purdue?
A
Watching Purdue win the final four match in the NCAA Men's basketball.
Q
What do you do for fun at Purdue or nearby?
A
I run on nearby trails, hang out with friends, and swim at Corec.
Q
What's something unique about you, or something most people don't know?
A
I have trained in classical music vocals for two years!
Q
Favorite food and why?
A
My favorite food is yellow dal cooked with coconut oil!
