Akhil Gupta

ISE degree:
MS IE '21

Link to your personal LinkedIn page:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/guptakhil/

 Personal Website:

https://sites.google.com/view/ guptakhil

Were you involved in other student organizations on campus? 
Researcher, Founders - Illinois Entrepreneurs

Favorite college memory:
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic hit our graduate life terribly, one distinct college memory before that would be Quad day. The wide variety of organizations and their enthusiasm (along with the swag) was amazing. The atmosphere was totally lit for starters! Another memory that I can recall is the Diwali celebration back in 2019 at the Main Quad. The bright shining candles brought out the best of the view from Illini Union to Foellinger Auditorium. :)

Favorite ISE class:
IE 510: Applied Nonlinear Programming (Prof. Ruoyu Sun) - amazing class and instructor!

Favorite UIUC campus coffee shop/restaurant/bar:
Mia Za's - Italian Restaurant

Advice you would give to your freshman college self if you could:

One piece of advice would be to truly enjoy the on-campus life and not worry too much about the academic aspect. You'd eventually become the best version of yourself, and that's what matters in the end. Cheers!

Additional comments, memories, links to bios or award recognition, etc. that you'd like to share:

One of the highlights of my research career at UIUC was publishing a main-track paper at one of the most coveted AI/ML conferences, AAAAI'Enjoyed the rigor and overall experience. Also, I used to love interacting with people while fiddling with my coffee mug in the Student Lounge within TB. Amazing space to collaborate and meet up!