Sushant Vema
Let’s start with an introduction. Can you tell me your year, pronouns, your majors/minors, and hometown?
I'm a sophomore, so I’m graduating in 2 years. I'm studying CS and stats, and my pronouns are he/him. I'm from Pleasanton, CA, which is in the Eastbay.
What committee are you in now, and what committees were you in in the past?
This semester, I'm in Web Development. I’ve been in SAAS since Fall 2020, so I was in Career Exploration then, and then in Research and Publication in Spring '21, and then for Fall 2021 I was in Insights and Analytics.
Do you think your committees have helped in any way, or the intersection of your work for your majors, or maybe your internships?
Yeah, definitely. My project last semester was quite a big project because we were working with pretty rough data from a healthcare company called Cortex, and we did really awesome work. It's definitely helped me in my recruiting purposes, from learning fundamentals in Career Exploration to learning how to do your own research product in RP. It's all been positive experiences.
What are your professional interests and why are you in those fields?
I've always been interested in applied data science, especially for social causes. Currently, I'm interested in going more into the climate technology space, so I'm currently doing some research with a couple of PHD students on energy contracts and smart grids. I think that coming from a computational background like CS or stats, you can kind of work in whatever area that you want, and there's a lot of scope for doing meaningful social work as well. So, those are some of the areas that I want to explore in the future.
Have you done this kind of work in your internships or in stuff outside of school?
Currently, I've been doing more work on a climate science project using a lot of forecasting and data analysis, as well as hopefully starting a project soon with public policy and looking at different house pricing mechanisms around the Bay Area. Especially at Berkeley, there's a lot of places to explore the intersection of social sciences and data science, so there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.
What sort of hobbies are you into?
I love to read and watch movies. Some of my favorite genres are sci-fi, as well as historical fiction. I also love cooking. I'm vegetarian, but I like making cuisines from all over the world. You should follow my cooking channel on Instagram (@cooking_with_sushant)
What is your favorite thing to cook?
Nothing beats my mom's food, so I've been working on learning more about the traditional cuisine that I grew up with slowly because you have to preserve those memories as you grow older, especially South Indian cuisine. That's some of my favorite food to eat and cook on a daily basis, but I also like making different varieties of pasta and Pad Thai. It just depends on my mood.
How did you find out about SAAS, and why did you decide to join?
I was introduced to SAAS by Ruhi in Fall 2020. I was doing Data 8, and she was my Assistant Instructor. I was telling her, “You know, I'm interested in stats. Do you know any opportunities in this area, because I saw that you're also a stats major.” And then she told me about this pretty cool club called SAAS. That's how it worked out. So then, I applied to SAAS in Fall 2020, got in, and it was all smooth sailing from there.
You've been in SAAS for a pretty long time, so why did you decide to stay?
How can I leave? How can I leave this awesome club now? I think it was a good balance between an academic environment versus a social environment as well. SAAS puts a lot of effort into meeting new people, as well as having a laid back social vibe. So, you have a house system, as well as donutbot which I really liked. You got to talk to different people every single week, and that was a good incentive, especially during the pandemic, to network with other people who might be outside of your general area and step out of your comfort zone a little bit. So it was that, as well as the professional events that they have, like the business recruiting. Overall, it was a really positive atmosphere, and there were some other social communities, like Avalon. I think it was definitely one club that made my experience, especially transitioning from virtual to in-person, which made that a lot better.
What are some of your favorite memories that you've had in SAAS so far?
From a social aspect, it’s definitely some of the retreats. Last semester, and this semester’s retreats were really fun, even though it was a bit short lived this semester. Also, for IA projects, I remember that a lot of us just got stuck in the room and complained about our data, reminiscing over what could have been if they actually gave us good data. Also, working on projects with people and donut bots, especially. I've met some of my really close friends through donut bots. I think it's little things that add up to be a positive experience in this club.
Do you have any advice that you would give to newer SAAS members?
Don't be afraid to talk to people, like DM people. If you see someone doing something that you're interested in, just just shoot them a Slack message to schedule a coffee chat with them, or especially be proactive in doing donut bots. I think donut bots are the best way to develop your network in SAAS and beyond. And I think committees give you a lot of practical experience if you put the work in, so definitely don't get bogged down in the details. Reach out to the main directors if you feel like you’re struggling, or if you just want to talk to them about how to do something or learn some different tasks. They're always a really good resource. Generally, just take it easy, go to some of the events that are out of your like domain emphasis, and just try to expand your perspectives.
What do you think has been your favorite class so far?
I think my favorite data science class so far is Data 140, contrary to popular opinion for some people. I think probability is really fascinating, and just looking at how stuff works, like with simple patterns and whatnot. I took a class on the geography of the Bay Area. It's called Geography 72, and it was in the American Cultures class, and they go into the history of the Bay and kind of different influences on how the East Bay, like Berkeley and San Francisco, developed. It was just really cool. What I realized is that for social sciences, they're very interdisciplinary, and you could kind of have very candid conversations with people outside of something very specific.
Who are some of your favorite professors?
One of my favorite professors was my Math 1B professor, Professor Paulin, who is a really cool dude. He explains concepts really well, and you could just kind of talk to him about life, advice, and whatnot. And also Data 140, Professor Adhikari, like she really knows what's up and actually gives very engaging lectures. I think those have been my most notable professors so far. I've had a few cool GSIs, though one piece of advice to give the new people in SAAS is to definitely connect with their GSIs because you'll know them more than you know your professor, for the most part. They're usually upperclassmen who can give you really good advice for what classes to take and what stuff you should do.
What's your favorite place on campus to study?
I'll tell you my favorite place outside of campus to study, which is on Ridge Road in Northside. There's a place called the Graduate Theological Union, and it's kind of like a religious school. They have this really beautiful library that's on top of the hill that you can go into if you're a Cal student, and they have really nice views of the Bay Area. That's a very peaceful place to study and it's almost as wide as Main Stacks. Otherwise, my second favorite place to study is the College of Environmental Design. I think it’s a super underrated library, very aesthetic, and has lots of natural sunlight. So, those two are my favorite places to study in and around campus.
What's your favorite place to eat in Berkeley?
I like Thai food, but it varies a lot. But one new place that I've been to recently is a place called The Noodle.
How would you rate Thai Basil in comparison to The Noodle?
Thai Basil is overrated. It’s good, but there's so much demand that they could just increase the prices. For what it's worth, it's a very solid option if you only want to go to Asian Ghetto, but there are many other probably more authentic places where you could get a bigger variety of food. I slightly prefer the Noodle, though.
Tell me a fun fact about yourself!
I can speak 5 different languages. I know Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, English, and French. And then, I was learning Sanskrit for some time, so I love talking about linguistics. I also used to cook for a whole house of 160 people on Thursday's last semester because I lived in a co-op, so that's really fun. I love cooking for people. Oh, I once jumped off a 200 foot cliff on a whim.
Do you want to give more context?
So I was in Virginia, and we went to one of the trails in the Appalachians, and there was this big drop-off, and we didn't know how deep the water was, but we heard stories that people used to jump there, so I said, “Screw it. The water is probably at least 10 feet and I'll be okay.” So then, I just jumped and it worked out because I'm still here today.