Meet our Graduate Students: Prashanth Ravishankar

Prashanth Ravishankar, PhD candidate

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When considering options for graduate school, what made you choose the University of Arkansas?  The diversity of international students in the university and the funding opportunities available for graduate students.

What's something people might be surprised to know about graduate life at the University of Arkansas? Being an international graduate student, two of the biggest difficulties faced are home-sickness and blending in. But the other graduate students here at the U. of A. make it much easier, and are very supportive to one another during hard times. Also, Fayetteville is a great town to be in; the people are really kind and friendly. They greet everyone, which was surprising to me as an international student.

Are there any faculty members you've had particularly good experiences working with? I joined the U. of A.'s Master of Science in operations management program, after which I decided to join the PhD in Biomedical Engineering program. There are multiple professors who have contributed to my personal growth here, the first of whom are Jim Burgin and John Moores from the MSOM program. The professor who  helped me understand the potential I had to be accepted to the PhD program is Dr. John A. White. I also have to mention Dr. Adnan AL-Rubaye from the CEMB program, and my adviser Dr. Kartik Balachandran. They are both very supportive of me, and were curious enough to understand my passion for two different areas: business and biotechnology.

What would you tell an undergraduate student considering UArk for graduate school? It is a great place for anyone who wants to pursue graduate school. The U. of A. has some quality research going on, especially in the areas of poultry science and biomedical engineering. Beyond the engineering graduate school, the graduate school at the Walton College of Business provides great opportunities through MBA and MIS programs.