The QMSS program was excited to welcome back Manikandan (Mani) Pandiyan to the GSI team this semester. Manikandan is a returning GSI for QMSS 301: Quantitative Social Science Analysis and Big Data. Manikandan completed his undergraduate education in India before coming to Michigan for graduate school. He is currently finishing up his master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and has ample professional and academic experience working with data. Manikandan is well-versed in machine learning, robotics, automotive engineering, and data engineering. Before coming to Michigan, he worked as an engineer for Mercedes Benz for many years. He will start his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan this fall in his continued goal to become a Professor.
Manikandan got into many other graduate programs but chose Michigan because of the name and the large alumni network. While his studies focus mostly on engineering, he specifically decided to become a QMSS GSI because he wants to use his data science expertise to solve social science problems rather than to simply create products. Manikandan is currently involved in research regarding forecasting air pollution. Previously, he has used machine learning to understand both education data and covid-19 data. Overall, he hopes he can use his knowledge and skills in computing to give back to the community. Manikandan’s many experiences working with data and his fluency in multiple programming languages make him a very valuable QMSS GSI.
Manikandan believes that the QMSS 301 class is very useful for students. Students in the class are introduced to both R and Python and proficiency in these coding languages is very useful when joining the workforce. He also thinks that the projects students complete in 301 can be used to create a work portfolio which will come in handy when applying for jobs. The inclusion of frequent guest lecturers in the course schedule stands out to him as well. The guest lectures will provide students with important insight into QMSS-related careers and present great networking opportunities.
If Manikandan could give any piece of advice to QMSS students, he would tell them to explore many areas of study in undergrad to keep their options open. Students with a diverse educational background are more likely to discover their true educational interests and will have more opportunities after graduation. He believes that QMSS is a great minor for this.
Manikandan notes that the QMSS 301 team is very collaborative and that everyone works together to plan and improve the 301 course. The GSIs and professors come from diverse educational backgrounds and are very supportive. He has really enjoyed being part of the QMSS team so far and is excited to see the 301 course advance in the future.
