"To pursue one's dreams. There is nothing that one cannot do if one sets one's mind to it"

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Lalitha Venkataramanan

Born in India, 1968

Ph.D. Electrical Engineering

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

Field of work

Signal Processing

Areas of interest outside work

Swimming, listening to music.

In high school, I had two main options. I loved playing shuttle badminton (a popular game in India) and dreamed of becoming a professional player. I also liked science and math. Ultimately, I saw that I would not have much of a career in badminton but could be more financially independent with a career in science. That was also in sync with my parents' expectations of me. In hindsight, I am very happy with this choice.

When I went to college, it was a women's college that I attended. The majority of my girlfriends focused their time and attention on boys and thoughts of marriage. Though I saw nothing wrong with this, my independent spirit rebelled against the thought of ever having to depend on someone else financially. During my Ph.D., I spent most of my time reading papers and doing research. I came to know what being a hermit felt like! I had to learn to be totally self-reliant, from fixing a printer to solving a research problem. It took me quite some time to get used to it and even like it.

I probably didn’t realize how well it prepared me for what came later in my career. My husband and I lived for six years in two separate locations. To say the least this was not easy. However, we worked hard on building a beautiful, lasting relationship and learned to support each other in this.

Learning self-reliance has benefited me professionally. Working on solutions to research problems is a key aspect of my job, and it’s the part I find most interesting. Not only am I fortunate to have that opportunity, I am equally fortunate to be given both the resources and flexibility to do this kind of work.

My career choice has had a positive impact on my family life. My husband and I are financially independent and can afford to pursue our dreams. We also love traveling, and it is not difficult to find a job in most countries with a career in science/engineering. My career advice to young women is to dream and to pursue one's dreams. There is nothing that one cannot do if one sets one's mind to it.