Sara Ghasvarianjahromi - ECE PhD Student of the Month - April 2022
Sara Ghasvarianjahromi is a Ph.D. student in the Helen and John C. Hartmann Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NJIT. She is working as a member of the Center for Wireless Information Processing (CWiP) under the supervision of Professor
Joerg Kliewer. Her research focuses on Authentication and Federated learning.
What attracted you to NJIT?
At first glance, I was deeply impressed by Prof. Kliewer’s research expertise and his graduate students' success in the prestigious community of Information theory. Professor Kliewer and the achievements of the other faculty members in the ECE department drew my attention. NJIT's diverse environment also was a factor, along with what it offers the students to make their journey more enjoyable. These offerings left me with no other choice than choosing to pursue my Ph.D. here.
What do you think would be an impactful move in your research area?
Secrecy is an inseparable part of communications today and can be achieved by applying authentication protocols to the system. Authentication plays a vital role in keeping the networks secure by permitting only the verified user to access the protected data or participate in a specific task. I believe that finding and applying the proper and efficient authentication protocols to the various communication systems is of great importance due to the growing demands for fast and secure data transfer.
What is a mesmerizing moment during your time at NJIT so far?
I have not been at NJIT for very long, but what sticks in my mind is the first time I visited this beautiful campus, meeting my advisor, and visiting the prestigious CWiP research lab.
Where do you hope to see yourself after finishing your Ph.D.?
I have wanted to work at a high-tech company since my first day of studies in my Master’s program. Every decision I have made since has been a result of that goal. I remain very optimistic that I will acquire a good position in the industry after completing my Ph.D.
Please share some of your thoughts as a new international Ph.D. student.
Being both an “international” and “Ph.D.” student may cause high levels of pressure and stress. As an international Ph.D. student, I think learning how to keep a balance between my social and academic life is necessary. However, this applies to all Ph.D. students but specifically to those who are international. During this short period of studying as a Ph.D. student, I figured out that a healthy mind and body will exponentially improve your efficiency.