Recommendations

I know Chinmayee well, having both taught her and been her project advisor when she was a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering at San Jose State University. I can confidently say that Chinmayee is a remarkable learner, engineer and researcher.

I met her in Spring 2016 in my Foundations of Bioengineering course. She was one of the most actively engaged students in the class, and she would frequently ask insightful questions about the materials covered, which helped me provide useful clarifications and benefited the other students. Throughout my interaction with Chinmayee, I have been impressed by her ability to assimilate new concepts and communicate them effectively.

My interaction with Chinmayee further developed when she asked me to be the faculty advisor on the reading committee for her Master’s project. This project focused on the development of a novel device for investigating directed evolution, and was conducted at NASA Ames under the supervision of Dr. Diana Gentry. It was Chinmayee who initiated her connection with Dr. Gentry and established the professional relationship that resulted in this intriguing project.

I have been delighted to be Chinmayee’s project advisor. She is a talented and committed student who does not hesitate to embark in challenging endeavors. For this project, Chinmayee leveraged her strong foundations of basic electronics principles and circuit construction. She designed the schematics for the UV-C system, sensor system, optical density system and the agitation systems, and built the entire circuitry. At the same time, she has worked hard to deepen her understanding of microbiology and fluidics.

Chinmayee is strongly committed to cultivate her passion for research and further expand her expertise in the areas of biotechnology and robotics applied to bioengineering. Based on my extensive experience as her teacher and advisor, I am convinced that Chinmayee has the talent, commitment and sheer curiosity to be successful as a PhD student and researcher.

It is with great pleasure that I provide this online recommendation for Chinmayee Raj, an excellent candidate for engineering and research positions. As an Assistant professor at San José State University, I have known Chinmayee as an exceptional student in our Biomedical Engineering Program. I have had the opportunity to observe and evaluate her abilities closely.

Chinmayee was in two of my classes - Physiology for Engineers and Biomedical Applications of Nanoplatforms during Fall 2016 and Spring 2018 respectively. I remember her being one of the most engaged students in the class. She is a perceptive and quick individual with a sincere desire for enhancing her knowledge. Her excitement to learn and explore led to a field trip for the entire class to the museum to have visual inputs to learning human anatomy and physiology more effectively. Her active involvement gives her an outgoing presence in the class. She would always be the first one to volunteer to answer questions and the one to ask questions thereby deepening the discussion during lectures.

Chinmayee’s communication and presentation skills are remarkable. She was the first author of their poster, ‘Biodegradability of Silicon Quantum dots in vivo’ which discussed an alternative method of using biodegradable SiQDs. The ideas were conclusively documented and presented at the IEEE San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) Nanotechnology Conference in 2018. It is easy to tell that she absolutely enjoys all public oration opportunities.

She was one among the carefully chosen students to be given the opportunity to be a part of the organizing committee for annual conferences on behalf of the Biomedical Engineering Society (SJSU-BMES). Chinmayee was an active participant for two consecutive years. She was responsible for marketing and spreading the word about the conference to industry professionals by attending various conferences and symposiums to have interactions with industry and research professionals. The Biomedical Engineering department’s connections were enhanced because of her continuous efforts.

Chinmayee’s master thesis showcased her technical abilities. She developed an embedded biochemical wet sensor set for an automation system for carrying out experimental evolution of microorganisms at NASA Ames Research Center. Her successful defense presentation is a great example of her recent research and communication success that, I am confident, will continue throughout her research career.

Chinmayee’s dedication and diligence have earned her top grades in both my classes. She is talented and a very committed individual. I am confident about her success in all her future endeavors, both in the professional and personal front. I am not surprised that her passion for learning and research have led her to pursue a Ph.D. degree. I am excited to watch her contribute to the scientific community in the upcoming years. The community will be significantly enhanced with a devoted individual like Chinmayee. 

I had the privilege of working closely with Chinmayee during her Ph.D. program while I was completing my senior year of undergraduate studies. Throughout our collaboration, I was consistently impressed by her dedication, expertise, and mentorship.

Chinmayee, despite having three other students seeking her guidance in the lab, always made time to provide assistance and advice. Even with her busy schedule, she managed to submit an original proposal, which was a crucial requirement for her degree. The project involved setting up an anaerobic culturing lab from scratch in an empty space. Her primary focus was on procuring the necessary items and designing the experimental setup. Notably, she successfully constructed a culture vessel that accommodated multiple chemical sensor probes, enabling the active collection of biochemical data during microbe growth. Meanwhile, I concentrated on acquiring knowledge about anaerobic culturing procedures, including medium preparation.

Although Chinmayee had limited experience in establishing extensive experimental setups, she fearlessly embraced the challenge. Her proficiency in utilizing tools within the machine shop was evident as she effortlessly demonstrated and taught me their proper usage. She proved to be an exceptional mentor, always patient and willing to answer my questions, despite our project not being her main priority. Despite mentioning her involvement in four projects and mentoring three undergraduate students simultaneously, Chinmayee's commitment to each endeavor was unwavering, reflecting her passion for achieving results and continuous learning.

Furthermore, I greatly appreciate Chinmayee's invaluable support when I discovered a conference I wished to submit an abstract for just a week before the deadline. She promptly provided me with constructive feedback, allowing me to present a poster at my inaugural conference. Additionally, she offered guidance during the poster design phase. I am sincerely grateful for her mentorship and firmly believe that her tenacity and dedication will lead to her success in any future project she undertakes.

I wholeheartedly recommend Chinmayee for any academic or professional pursuit. Her unwavering commitment, expertise, and exceptional mentorship make her an asset to any team and the institution by extension. If you require any further information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.