Ria Ghosh

“I open at the close!” I do not know how many of you here are Harry Potter fans; but, being a millennial, I surely am one. And this quote from the last book of the series has always helped me push my boundaries whenever I find a dead end. Once again, here we are at the close of one of our amazing educational journeys, awaiting new opportunities to open for our future careers.

President Benson, Dean Adams, distinguished faculty, and the Class of 2021. After fighting a very unpredictable battle, we are present here, facing issues and setbacks we would have never imagined. And yet we are stronger and more resilient than ever, with newly developed skills we never knew we were capable of learning. From understanding critical concepts through online courses, trying to live the college social life through virtual meets, and even standing out to your teams during remote internships, we all have come a long way in the past two years since the pandemic! Not to mention the smooth transition that had to be made toward online learning and remote campus interactions. Each and every faculty and University staff had to go that extra mile to make sure our graduating timeline did not change. Also, a huge shoutout to all the parents, including mine, who trusted in the power of science and stood by us in these challenging times allowing us to get closer to our dream futures.

It feels so good to finally see life getting back to normal after this fall semester. Due to the pandemic restrictions, quite a few of you who are graduating here might not have gotten the opportunity to exploit all that this wonderful campus has to offer. And as I have been on this campus since 2016, I might be among the few who has had a firsthand experience of the rate at which UTD has developed in the past five years, both in terms of new infrastructure and providing quality resources to support us students. Every semester, UTD has presented us with multiple elements of surprise, making sure that our young, energetic minds never get bored. My all-time favorite is going to be the on-campus Starbucks with its fancy interiors. Also, I think am still jealous that I did not get to take any classes in the new ECSW building.

This further reminds me of another Harry Potter quote, stated by Professor Dumbledore: “Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.” UTD has been my Hogwarts, the magical school, ever since I landed in the States. Like some of you graduates, I was a naïve, pretty clueless person, trying to figure out how to utilize my love for hardware and robotic design. And UTD just seemed to have all the stepping stones that I needed to become the fully capable, confident individual I am today. Starting from my first job as an on-campus dining hall server to being a teaching assistant and gaining student management skills, to finally contributing toward hearing-impaired-type medical device research, UTD and especially my research lab under Dr. Hansen have taught me the best possible ways of giving back to the community.

In a nutshell, I believe that with UTD growing at such a wonderful rate, being such a young school, and battling against all the competition, we as its current graduates should also pledge to keep that kind of fire burning within us just like a Comet would and never settle for less than what we deserve, even if the odds are against us. We have defeated something as huge as the pandemic; I am sure nothing can stop us now! And as Professor Dumbledore yet again said: “We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.” And I bet during the length of our degrees we have realized how much more rewarding hard work is over shortcuts. So, let’s all be grateful, appreciate our post-pandemic lives, and work toward making the best out of our future careers. Class of 2021, once again, congratulations on this life-changing achievement! I can’t wait to show the world what we as Comets are capable of. WHOOSH!

Ria Ghosh of India is graduating with a PhD in computer engineering. In 2018, she completed her master’s in computer engineering from the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at UT Dallas, and since then has been a research assistant with the Center for Robust Speech Systems. The main focus of her PhD work was supporting advancements in assisted hearing medical devices like cochlear implants and hearing aids. Over the past three years, she has presented her research at international IEEE conferences and in publications. Apart from her research, she has been involved in several organizations on campus including the IEEE student chapter, Women Who Compute Club and has been twice nominated as the president for the Friday Toastmasters Club. She also served as a volunteer and presented her research at STEM conferences for girls through the Society of Women Engineers and Grace Hopper Celebration. After graduation, she plans to join 3M as a senior research engineer to further support the medical device manufacturing industry.