Over the years she has given several invited talks at various conferences and universities, recently as a invited speaker at Design Conference , as a Keynote speaker at the GLVLSI conference and as an Invited Speaker at a Distinguished Lecture Series of talks to graduate students at Universities. In 2009, Mandy was recognized by Mass High Tech as one of the top ten upcoming Women to Watch in the New England area. In addition earlier this year she was recognized by the India New England journal as one of the top 20 South Asian Women of 2013 in the New England area.
She talks about her work and passions.
Why did you chose to have a career in Electrical Engineering?
My inherent penchant to tinker with electronics as a child coupled with my passion for Math and Physics made me target a career that would allow me to continue to dabble with these topics. Not only did I enjoy these topics in school, I found that they came very easily and naturally to me. Further, my Dad who was an electronics engineer by profession, inspired me. I was a child who thought it would be cool to be like my Dad; it’s amazing how parents can be perfect role models for their children!.
Could you tell us a little about your work?
As Academic Research Director at Intel, I get to identify challenges in areas of strategic importance to Intel in particular and the computing industry in general and work with University Researchers as well as technical experts with Intel to drive generation of innovative solutions to tackle these problems. My Phd background and my decade long experience working on design products has put me in an unique position to be able to see issues from both the industry and academic point of view, working with fresh, energetic graduate as well as experienced industry minds.
Being a woman at IIT is not a very common occurrence. How was that experience?
I’m grateful for that experience. I’d be lying if I’d say it was easy and smooth. At IIT Kharagpur, girls were not allowed into boys hostels and vice-versa. I recall many nights where I used to prepare for my exams alone, while my department classmates (all of who were boys) used to be able to do group study in their hostels. It taught me several lessons in life. One is to be independent and two to be confident of one’s own abilities. Yet another was that if you work hard and put in your best, you will reap results. Not only was I part of a small group of girls in my batch( less than 10% overall), the imbalance typically triggered teasing amongst boys who I spoke with, which could have made the environment more isolated for me, but I did not allow it . I made some of best friends amongst the boys in IIT, including finding my life partner.
You have become a lead technologist at Intel. Not too many people stick to the technical area and succeed in it. You still are working on product design. What motivates you to continue to be an active technologist?
My Dad put it very eloquently when he said “ your knowledge is your strengthâ€. My technical knowledge allows me to not only actively drive product definition within Intel, but also provide technical direction to the young curious minds in Universities. The latter is particularly a strong motivation factor to continue to be strongly involved in what I do. To be able to reach out to graduate students in my area and explain things that they wonder about is especially rewarding. Equally rewarding is to see my ideas/efforts translate to reality (as they go into computers that people use), thereby doing my little bit to make a difference to the world. The fact that I can truly impact human lives through what I do appeals to me greatly.
What are the personal /environmental attributes that have helped you succeed in your career?
All along my career I have stood on the shoulders on giants, starting right from the support of my parents and sister, teachers early on in my life, to my spouse and kids today and I am eternally grateful for that. My job involves a lot of travel and without the unrelenting support of my husband and my daughters, I wouldn’t have been able to get to where I am. My Dad, who retired as a Brigadier in the Indian Army, instilled in me strong values of discipline and hard work, not to forget the importance of being confident in one’s own skin. While I do believe I have “miles to go before I sleepâ€, I tread a career path that brings me immense happiness, satisfaction and results and hence continues to motivate me along further.
What challenges if any have you faced in your career path ?
Gender imbalance in my profession is one of the biggest challenges that I see. This is not because of being incapable as a woman, but because of a false perception amongst technical people who don’t know me to begin with, that being a woman am not “good enoughâ€. While being introduced to a very renowned and well-respected Professor in my field, he decided to quiz me on India. He asked me two questions 1) which state capital is shared between two states to which I answered Chandigarh and 2) what is the capital of “Banglapradesh†to which I answered Kolkata after a brief moment of thinking. Besides a couple of other people, he exclaimed, he hadn’t come across anyone who answered both questions correctly so quickly and then went on to add that it was particularly impressive coming from a woman .. Huh???? This perception needs to change … We are not any less capable as women in my career.
What advice would you give women trying to follow your career path ?
High Tech computer and electronic engineering careers do touch and enrich people’s lives. As long as this is a path that you enjoy, you feel passionate about and brings out the best in you, go for it!!! It will be a huge rewarding experience.
What lasting impact do you expect your work to have on the world?
I’m driven by a goal that many of us share .. “enrich human livesâ€. Each of us has our strengths and capabilities to be able to do our bit to enable this. Some of us work behind the scenes, others are right in the forefront. I delighted and proud of part of the top computer design company in the world that does its part to made a difference in the lives of people. Today it is hard for us to imagine a world without computers which have become such an intrinsic part of our lives, allowing us to do things that were unthinkable even about a decade ago. And we are not done... to be part of that revolution that enables computing to be embedded into the very fiber of our being, thereby creating a world that is safer, healthier, secure and at peace , more importantly without losing the human(e) touch is my goal. I do hope to be able to attract many more fresh curious and intelligent minds to join me in this endeavor.
You and your husband have extremely busy lives. What is the secret to your maintaining a work -life balance ?
A deep understanding is key in any close relationship and my husband and I are very fortunate to enjoy this. Yes it is true that my husband and I both have challenging careers and yes it is true that we are raising two girls ..couldn’t have done either if we were not doing it together. He is the pillar of my strength. To me a balance in ones’ life occurs when you and the people who you spend most of your time with and who matter to you are happy. We both strive to ensure that in our own ways. I have to admit in our case it has helped that we are in similar professions and therefore it is a lot easier to understand each other’s job demands.
What is your approach to parenting?
My husband and I share fairly similar parenting thoughts.. It is so easy to get blinded by the love one has for their own children. It takes a lot to be able to steel oneself to teach them the important principals in life ..and what better way to do this than by one owns actions. Just like I got inspired by my Dad as a little child, I want to do my bit to inspire my children. Patience is such an important virtue and if there is one thing I pray for everyday as a parent is to give me the strength to be patient with my children, listen to their thoughts and ideas and yes learn from their actions and words. Creating a positive environment for my children at home is extremely important and if I am successful in building memories together that they will cherish for the rest of their lives… I think I have done my bit as a parent.
What do you do for fun?
I love whatever I do, be it working or pursuing activities outside of work. Life has got to be an overall fun experience. I love and enjoy my time with my family and make every attempt to do activities together, be it swimming, skiing or hiking or even sitting together at the dinner table. Dance is my passion and I have been fortunate to be able to continue pursue learning classical BharatNatyam dancing along with my daughters. I recently started doing yoga and I love experiencing the blissful mind-body connection in the yoga room.
Could you tell us a little about your interest in education?
A very important reason I am where I am today is because of my education. The more a mind is stimulated, the more it can contribute to making the world a better place and education puts us right on that path. Education that comes through a structured learning system can refine one's thinking, perspective, and vision. Further, through education we can empower people, enthuse confidence and eradicate deep-rooted misconceptions and social evils; It is truly the bedrock of social and economic development of a society and helps to combat illiteracy and ignorance. I have been fortunate to get a fabulous education but it doesn’t stop there. Helping impart education directly or indirectly to others, thereby sharing my knowledge, continues to be one of my overarching goals.
What work have you done in this space?
I have tried to make a difference in small steps….At work, I have taught computer courses and courses on innovation to over 500 people. From time to time I get the opportunity to give guest lectures at Universities (we are fortunate to have so many in the New England area!) to many graduate and undergraduate students. I have taken the opportunity to highlight the benefits and the impact of careers like mine to middle schoolers and high schoolers (girls) with the hope that they do get to eventually pursue similar careers.What impact would you like to create in this space?Influencing and inspiring young, curious minds is such a rewarding experience. My work in this area is far from done. I want to be able to partner with established institutions whose goal is to reach out and promote education amongst today’s youth, complementing work that is ongoing in this area. My particular focus remains on inspiring young girls into STEAM (Science Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) areas. The strength of numbers counts here and I will need all the help I can get to make this happen.
Who are the people who you admire?
My two young daughters inspire me everyday, make me strive to bring out my best; show them one can make a difference once you put your heart and soul to it. Today I get inspired by so many women on a regular basis. Women technologists like Anita Borg, Radia Perlman and Grace Hopper amongst many others definitely hold a special place for me. Growing up, my Dad was not only the wind beneath my wings, but my hero. Coming from a tiny village in the North East part of India, my Dad who was orphaned at the age of 2, was brought up by his two older brothers. He defied all odds to make it not only through college, but became the first person in the Indian Army Signals corps to pick up a Doctorate degree. I wish every child gets to experience similar role models like I did as a child.
What kind of support have you valued most from your husband?
Holding fort at home during all my travels is critical and my husband does it well. Mutual respect for each other goes a long way and I deep treasure what we have.
What support from you has your husband valued the most?
I need to check with him on this :-)
What is your personal philosophy of living life?
I can’t help but recall this quote“What day is it?"
It's today," squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day," said Pooh.†There is only one “today†and we need to live in the moment. Life goes by too quick. If we have spent it building memories that we can treasure, enjoying the journey and made an impact …. We have lived it well indeed !
What was your happiest moment in life?
I have had so many happy moments in life. If I were to pick a defining moment of happiness it would be the birth of my children.
When there were low points in your life what advice did you value the most to pull through?
We all face challenges. Twice in my life so far I have felt truly helpless…. Once when I lost my Dad and next when I lost my Mom. It has taught me lessons which I probably wouldn’t have learnt otherwise. It drove home the fact that life is temporary and it is important to be grateful for what you have and the people you spend time with. It grounded me, made me realize that no one is invincible and we should make every effort to live it up …enjoy the present !.. It is a gift after all.
Do you have a fitness routine that you would like to share?
I have started practicing Bikram yoga on a regular basis. Since it involves a standard set of 26 postures and is practiced most places where I go, I manage to keep up with it while on the road too. It helps me feel rejuvenated, relaxed and ready to go particularly after long flights.
Do you have a spiritual routine that you would like to share?
Like many I often wonder if there is a force behind all the miracles that happen, how perfectly we have come together on earth. While I don’t typically participate in elaborate rituals on a daily basis, I am a God-fearing person and I do draw inner-strength from believing that my parents are somewhere up amongst the stars watching over me.
Do you have favorite book/author?
While I love reading autobiographies, fictional novels hold special interest for me. One that comes to mind right away is the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. One of my favorite quotes from the book “Faith – acceptance of which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot proveâ€.
Do you have a favorite song/ musician?
…mmmh..lots here …different genres of music appeal to me right from classical to hard rock to country to pop. If I have to pick one, I’ll go back to my IIT days where I became a Pink Floyd fan…â€Comfortably numb†being my favorite number there.
Do you like to cook? What is your favorite dish to make?
While I am not a big fan of cooking, I do believe in balanced diets and recently have got hooked on to ensuring that I minimize the consumption of processed food in the house. Processed food by definition is any food that has undergone more than 5 levels of adulteration. Did you know that? Our forefathers who grew, harvested and cooked their own food had it right. Not too many (particularly kids) today know what are the raw ingredients in their food, let alone where they are coming from. I love to make different kinds of soups using lots of raw veggies, fruits and yes a great food processor.
One fun fact about you?
Doesn’t take much for me to break into peals of laughter!
A few of my favorite quotes Robert Noyce, one of the founding fathers of Intel “ Don’t be encumbered by history… Go off and do something wonderfulâ€Ann Landers†Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work so most people don’t recognize them†My all-time favorite!Brigham Young “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.†I want to reiterate that no one can take away your peace of mind but you. So don’t allow yourself to!
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