The journey of Shreya Raghavana to solve some of the most difficult challenges in the world began with a simple love of puzzles. In high school, her talent for solving problems naturally attracted her to computer science. Thanks to her participation in the entrepreneurship and leadership program, she built applications and twice reached the semi -finals of the program's global competition.
Her early successes meant that the IT career seemed to be an obvious choice, but Raghavan claims that significant competitive interest made her tear.
“Computer science causes puzzles, solving problems in my brain,” says Raghavan '24, a colleague from accent and PhD student at the MIT Institute for Data, Systems and Society. “But although I always felt that building mobile applications was a funny small hobby, I didn't feel like I was directly solving social challenges.”
Her perspective shifted when, as a bachelor student, Raghavan participated in the possibilities of bachelor's research in Photovoltaic Research laboratory, currently known as the Accelerated material laboratory for sustainable development. There, she discovered how computing techniques, such as machine learning, can optimize materials for solar panels – the direct application of its skills to relieve climate change.
“This laboratory had a very diverse group of people, some from the IT background, some of the chemistry, some who were hardcore engineers. Everyone communicated effectively and worked on one united goal – building better renewable energy systems,” says Raghavan. “It opened my eyes to the fact that I could use very technical tools that I like to build and find in this fulfillment, helping to solve serious climate challenges.”
When its monuments are used by machine learning and optimization for energy and climate, Raghavan joined the Cathy Wu laboratory when she started her doctorate in 2023.
“If we were throwing out all the intelligent systems that we study in the transport network, if we can reduce emissions?” He asks, summarizing the basic question of his research.
Wu, an associate professor at the Department of Citizenship and the Environment, emphasizes the value of Raghavan's work.
“Transport is a key element of both the economy and climate change, so you should carefully examine potential changes in transport,” says Wu. “Shreyaa research on intelligent embroidery management is important because it requires a data -based approach to add a rigor to wider research supporting sustainable development.”
Raghavan's contribution was recognized as Accenture Fellowship, the cornerstone of the MIT-ACCENT convergence initiative for industry and technologies.
As an accentura, he examines the potential impact of technology on the avoidance of stopping traffic and its emissions, using systems such as autonomous vehicles in the network and digital speed limits, which differ depending on the conditions of traffic-the development, which can accelerate decarbonization in the transport section at a relatively low cost and in the near future.
Raghavan says that he appreciates the accent scholarship not only for the support he provides, but also because he shows the industry's involvement in sustainable transport solutions.
“This is important for the field of transport, as well as energy and climate as a whole to synergize with all interested parties,” he says. “I think that it is important that the industry is involved in this number of inclusion of smarter transport systems to decarbonize transport.”
Raghavan also received a scholarship supporting his research in the US transport department.
“I think it is really exciting that the policy side is interested in the transport department and from the industry side with an accent,” he says.
Raghavan believes that taking care of climate change requires cooperation between disciplines. “I think that with climate change, no one will solve it on their own. It really must be every field that accelerates and tries to change something,” he says. “I don't think there is a solution for this problem. It will take many different solutions from different people, different angles, different disciplines.”
With this in mind, Raghavan was very active in the myth of Energy and Climate Club since joining about three years ago, which, he says, “was a really nice way to meet many people who worked on the same goal, the same climate goals, the same passions, but from completely different points.”
This year, Raghavan is in a community and education team that is working on building a community in a myth that is working on climate and energy problems. As part of this work, Raghavan launches a mentor program for students, combining them with doctoral students who help students develop ideas on how they can work on the climate, using their unique knowledge.
“I did not foresee that I used my IT skills in the field of energy and climate,” says Raghavan, “So I really want to give other students a bright path or a clear feeling of how they can get involved.”
Raghavan has adopted her study area even in terms of where he likes to think.
“I love working on trains, buses, on planes,” he says. “It's really great to be in transport and work on transport problems.”
He expects travel to New York to visit my cousin, there is no fear of a long train journey.
“I know that in these hours I intend to do some of the best works,” he says. “Four hours. Four hours ago.”
