CRA Welcomes Amita Shukla as its 2018 Eben Tisdale Fellow

By Amita Shukla, CRA Tisdale Fellow

Hello all!

I’m Amita, a rising junior at Columbia University in New York City where I’m majoring in computer engineering and minoring in political science.  I’m also really interested in data science and just joined the WuLab at Columbia’s Data Science Institute. I will also be TAing a databases course next semester.

Outside of academics, I take part in my school’s chapter of Design for America, an organization that works with local nonprofits to build human-centered design solutions for the communities they serve. Last semester, I worked with a refugee shelter uptown and helped build a way for refugees to find the organizations most likely to help them.

During my sophomore year, I interned at the U.S. State Department building a platform for new diplomats to learn about the regions they deploy to. I was also a Google Daydream Student Innovator on my campus, helping Columbia students explore the possibilities of virtual reality in their academic careers. My freshman year, I interned at the United Nations in its ECOSOC division at the Harmony with Nature initiative, helping build a platform for scientists and policymakers to foster a dialogue to create sound policies. The intersection of technology and policy is incredibly exciting and endlessly interesting to me.

I’m thrilled to be in Washington, D.C. (especially when the Caps are winning!), and at CRA, which is a perfect fit for me.

I look forward to meeting you!