News and Information

Nikhil Agrawal, India, MS. Computer Science, 2006
My name is Nikhil Agrawal and I'm from India. I graduated from WSU in 2006 with my master's in computer science. My research interests are in "cryptology and data mining". Wright State's got one of the strongest Computer Science programs and it was fun to do my schooling here. I currently work at Motoman Inc, we make robots for different specialized industries. Its a fun place to work at. I had the best years here at WSU. My first job was at the Nutter Center. People there were really nice and I felt at home, especially just coming from India then. After that I got an opportunity to be a teaching and research assistant at the computer science dept. This was a great learning experience - both teaching students and learning at the same time. This got me to know a lot of people at Wright State, some of whom I will be associated with for a long, long time. I also got to do lots of fun things here like learn Latin dancing, learn to fence, play racquet ball, go hiking, canoeing, skiing and do many more fun stuff. Besides specializing in the areas of my interest, WSU gave me my best friends for life....GO RAIDERS!

Rodrigo da Costa, Ms. in Management Information Systems, 2003
I came to WSU in 2002 and joined the LEAP (Learning English for Academic Purposes) program. In September, 2002 I was admitted to the MBA with concentrations in Operations Management and Management Information Systems. Upon returning to Chile I was hired by High Service Inc. in Concepcion as a project engineer and was later transferred to Santiago as strategic planning advisor. I really enjoyed my time at WSU. Although the program was very challenging I was able to find the time to actively participate of many of the activities at University Center for International Education (UCIE), including International Friendship Affair (IFA), I joined a group of international students to play soccer and fostered nice friendships with other Chilean students in the area, as well as other international and domestic WSU students. I am still in touch with my first instructor there, as a matter of fact, she was instrumental in my getting used to the U.S. and the WSU campus culture.

Vivek Arunkumar, India, MS. in Student Affairs in Higher Education, 2006
I came to Wright State University in July 2004 as a Graduate Assistant for the Office of Residence Services. I was enrolled in Student Affairs in Higher Education program and was apprehensive as I was switching careers from engineering to student affairs. I graduated from the program in 2006 and am currently a Community Coordinator with the Office of Residence Services at Wright State University.
Wright State gave me a firm foundation on which to stand. The faculty and staff at Wright State, through their support and professionalism, helped me get past the initial apprehension. And now I feel at home at Wright State University.

Virginia Jimenez, Uruguay, Bs. In Mass Communication, 2002

I graduated from Wright State University in 2002 with a Bachelor in Mass Communication. My academic experience was enormously complemented by my on campus working experience; the four years I was in college I got to work at the television center where I gained a great deal of experience on video and television production, which was my area of study. Experience was not the only thing I gained there; I also made lifetime friends with other crew members who made sure I was living the true American college life. At the international office I became friends with some of the most wonderful and interesting people from all over the world, and even though many of them went back to their home countries, we keep in close contact. These days we trade wedding invitations and pictures of babies and laugh as we remember our WSU days.

After graduation, I was one of the many in my group of international friends who decided to stay in the U.S.; and entered the challenging world of securing employment and an advantageous immigration status. Only one year after graduating I was extremely fortunate to come back to WSU; this time as a staff member. I have been the technology coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts for the past four years, and this coming June I will be graduating with a Master in Public Administration from WSU as well. As you can see I am a Raider all the way!

Beatriz Ibañez, Chile, MBA, 2002
I came to WSU in 2000 from Chile to pursue an MBA degree. I concentrated in the areas of Finance and International Business. During my program, I was able to work as a Graduate Assistant for the Raj Soin College of Business. Currently, I work for the Academic Health Center at University of Cincinnati and I am pursuing a second Master’s degree in Accounting. I had a wonderful experience at WSU. The University and the Center for International Education did a great job introducing international students not only to the American culture, but also to others. I participated in one of the exchange programs that the University offers that gave me the opportunity to visit Japan with a group of WSU students.
 

Guillermo Ovalles

I have nothing but fond memories of my time at WSU. As a foreign student I always felt "at home" when I was on campus. I had the good fortune to attend several classes by professors like Dr. John Sherman and Dr. Donna Schlagheck (among many others) who really changed the way I thought and shaped who I am today. At times I went through some very difficult personal situations and I managed to make it through thanks to all the support I received from faculty and staff at WSU.

Since leaving WSU I've formed a family and have a wonderful 6year old daughter. I am currently a 4th grade Bilingual teacher working with mostly economically disadvantaged children in the Houston area. I have a classroom full of wonderful kids with backgrounds from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala among other countries. While I was at WSU I was always closely connected to the UCIE (I worked there for over 2 years) and as a result I've always enjoyed working with people from very diverse backgrounds. Right now I try to instill the same sentiment into each one of the kids I teach.

I recently received a full fellowship from the Earthwatch Institute to join a team of scientists in July for 11 days and study the Coastal Ecology of the Bahamas in Eleuthera Island, Bahamas....
 

Amrita Patel, India, BS. In Electrical Engineering, 2006
I am an Indian student born and brought up in Kuwait. I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Wright State University (2002-2006). WSU boasts an extensive engineering program with distinguished faculty necessary to prepare students for professional careers.
Throughout my course of study, I learned that WSU not only offers an excellent academia but also an opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. I was able to improvise my leadership skills through participation in various student organizations including Student Government, Tau Beta Pi Honor Society and Society of Women Engineers. I plan to enroll in the Electrical Engineering Graduate Program at WSU in the future to take advantage of the research opportunities that the school offers along with a diverse and competitive student population.
 

Harshita Soni, India, MS. in Computer Engineering, 2006

I graduated with a Masters in Computer Engineering and worked as a Database Programmer for Stoplift and as a Software Developer for a start-up company Dataupia in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I would like to thank the University Center for International Education (UCIE) for being extremely helpful and friendly in so many ways. Confidence, a deeper understanding and respect for diversity, a great career, friends from all over the world are some of the after effects of being a Wright State student! Have a great IFA 2007!"