Tell us about yourself

Manoj Kumar Sivaraj, who did his Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) (Mechanical Engineering) from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, graduated with his M.S. in Data Science from CDS (NYU Center for Data Science) in May 2017. Why did he choose to study with us — and where did he go afterwards? Let’s find out!

Original Link:https://medium.com/center-for-data-science/alumni-spotlight-manoj-kumar-sivaraj-6df5e6d5b0a

View at Medium.com

1. Why did you choose to complete your degree at NYU CDS?

The program provides a strong foundation of the mathematical concepts of machine learning combined with its practical applications. Additionally, I got the opportunity to continue my work on developing scikit-learn and the related ecosystem as I completed the program. This was a huge plus for me.

2. Where are you off to now?

I’m joining the one year residency program at Google Brain.

Launched in 2016, the program invites around 20 to 30 people from varying backgrounds in machine learning to develop state-of-the-art deep learning techniques at Google.

3. What about your new role are you most looking forward to? Will your tasks be similar to the projects you created while completing the degree?

Most of my previous work involved developing and contributing to open-source machine-learning toolkits, so I’m looking forward to this program as a great way to start producing more original research.

The topics that I’m most excited about are hyperparameter optimisation and music modelling, and some of my work will be similar to the projects that I completed at CDS, such as the reading comprehension system that we tried to build in the Natural Language Understanding class, or the rap generating model for Inference and Representation.

4. What is your favorite memory of your time in New York or at CDS?

I like the multicultural atmosphere of New York. Similarly, I like that CDS brings together people from different backgrounds both academically and otherwise.