{"id":29,"date":"2024-05-24T15:45:43","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T15:45:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mitmgmtfaculty.mit.edu\/rpal\/?page_id=29"},"modified":"2026-03-13T00:37:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T00:37:11","slug":"students","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mitmgmtfaculty.mit.edu\/rpal\/students\/","title":{"rendered":"Students"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

I have mentored STEM students in research at MIT, the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, the University of Southern California, and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.<\/p>\n

MIT Students<\/strong><\/p>\n

I currently mentor or have mentored the following graduate, undergraduate, and postdoctoral students in research at MIT, including external collaborators. I was the finalist for the 'Best Research Mentor' award at MIT for AY 24\/25.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Graduate Students and Postdocs<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Cynthia Zhang<\/strong> (Electrical Engineering at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n
  • Darren Yao<\/strong> (Computer Science at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n
  • Luisa Pan<\/strong> (Electrical Engineering at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n
  • May Al-Mousa<\/strong> (IBK Postdoctoral Fellow, MIT)<\/li>\n
  • Corwin Nicholson<\/strong> (SDM, MIT Sloan School of Management)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Undergraduate Students<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Konnie Duan<\/strong> (Computer Science at EECS, Economics, MIT)<\/li>\n
    • Tilek Askerbekov<\/strong> (Mathematics, Computer Science at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n
    • Lillian Bluestein<\/strong> (Computer Science at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n
    • Yaphet Lemiesa<\/strong> (Electrical Engineering at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n
    • SMA Nahian<\/strong> (Computer Science at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n
    • Karen Li<\/strong> (Computer Science at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n
    • Douglas Granillo<\/strong> (Computer Science at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n
    • Canon Robins<\/strong> (Computer Science at EECS, MIT)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      External Graduate Student Collaborators<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Rohan Sequeira<\/strong> (external mentee\/collaborator<\/em>; ECE PhD student at the University of Southern California)<\/li>\n
      • Peihan Liu<\/strong> (external mentee\/collaborator<\/em>; Computer Science PhD student at Columbia University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        ________________________________________<\/p>\n

        Student Testimonial Samples<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \"Dr. Ranjan Pal has been an exceptional mentor. He combines technical guidance with the freedom to explore, offering detailed feedback that has sharpened my skills as both a researcher and a communicator. Despite his busy schedule, he consistently remains accessible to his students and offers steady support for both our academic growth and personal well-being.\"<\/em> <\/span>(Cynthia Zhang, EECS, MIT)<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \"Working with Ranjan has been a truly enriching experience. He has consistently provided clear guidance and thoughtful feedback, helping me grow as a researcher. His mentorship style strikes a perfect balance between offering strong support and giving students the freedom to take initiative, which has helped strengthen my confidence and ability to work independently. My time at CAMS with Ranjan has taught me to approach research with a more critical, analytical mindset, preparing me for my future academic and professional goals.\"<\/em> (Lillian Bluestein, EECS, MIT)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        \"Dr. Pal has served as a great mentor leading me through understanding how to approach my research with a business and scientific perspective. Working alongside him has given me a valuable understanding of how to communicate my ideas and also has helped support me when I was confused on how to answer a research question. Serving as a guide for my research, we worked on a paper together and I have been able to present my work at MIT CAMS many times, which I attribute the multiple successes of to him.\"<\/em> (Yaphet Lemiesa, EECS, MIT)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        \"<\/em>Dr. Ranjan Pal served as my MEng thesis advisor, where his guidance was critical across all stages of the project. His suggested background material was invaluable in scoping and planning my thesis research, and he consistently provided useful and actionable feedback across both technical results and exposition. Throughout the process, his perspective helped me contextualize the real-world applications of my research and identify the most useful future directions.\"<\/em> (Darren Yao, EECS, MIT)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        \"I began working with Dr. Ranjan Pal at the University of Michigan, where his mentorship was instrumental in shaping my understanding of cyber risk management and academic research. He provided clear, structured guidance on formulating research questions, conducting experiments, and engaging with the broader research community. Even after transitioning to MIT CAMS, he remained an accessible and supportive mentor, continuing to collaborate and offer thoughtful insights. His mentorship directly contributed to my successful admission to the PhD program at USC and my ongoing development as a researcher.\"<\/em> (Rohan Sequeira, ECE, University of Southern California)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        \"Ranjan's research has a compelling blend of mathematical theory and empirics\/case studies - often describes as 'applied theory', that he applies to a host of very timely and impact business management problems in the field of cybersecurity. Such a research approach immediately caught my attention as a math major at the University of Michigan, where I started collaborating with Ranjan. This collaboration extended to when I went to Harvard and Columbia for my graduate studies. From the start, Ranjan\u2019s mentorship played a pivotal role in my holistic development as a researcher. His thoughtful guidance was instrumental in shaping the direction and success of our work. But more than that, Ranjan became a trusted advisor and a close friend, where conversations extended far beyond research. As a student researcher navigating uncertainty and doubt, I found immense comfort and clarity in our conversations. Ranjan would share his own experiences with honesty and warmth, offering not just encouragement but genuinely practical advice. Looking back, I can say with confidence that Ranjan has been one of the most influential people in my journey. His mentorship continues to shape the way I think, work, and grow \u2014 not just as a researcher, but as a person. I\u2019m deeply grateful to call him both a mentor and a lifelong friend.\"<\/em> (Peihan Liu, Computer Science, Columbia University)<\/strong><\/p>\n

        _________________________________________<\/p>\n

        Students at the University of Michigan<\/strong><\/p>\n

        During my tenure as a research faculty member in EECS at the University of Michigan (Fall 2019 to Spring 2022), I\u00a0officially<\/em>\u00a0led a (D)iversity, (E)quality, and (I)nclusion compliant research group of 15 graduate and undergraduate (UG) students, who I feel are smarter than me -:).<\/p>\n

        All of my students published research<\/strong>\u00a0- with most of them currently pursuing graduate studies. They are placed and\/or have received offers from leading graduate schools in the USA, the UK, and Asia that include\u00a0Carnegie Mellon University<\/strong>\u00a0(CS, ECE, Financial Math),\u00a0Harvard University<\/strong>\u00a0(CS),\u00a0Yale University<\/strong>\u00a0(CS),\u00a0New York University\u00a0<\/strong>(DS),\u00a0UC Berkeley<\/strong>\u00a0(EECS), the\u00a0University of Michigan<\/strong>\u00a0(EECS),\u00a0Georgia Institute of Technology<\/strong>\u00a0(CS, ECE),\u00a0Columbia University<\/strong>\u00a0(CS, Financial Math),\u00a0Cornell University<\/strong>\u00a0(CS, ECE),\u00a0University of Pennsylvania<\/strong>\u00a0(ECE),\u00a0University of Southern California<\/strong>\u00a0(CS, ECE),\u00a0Northwestern University<\/strong>\u00a0(ECE),\u00a0Rutgers University<\/strong>\u00a0(Financial Math),\u00a0University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign<\/strong>\u00a0(CS, Financial Math),\u00a0University of Massachusetts<\/strong>\u00a0Amherst<\/strong>\u00a0(CS),\u00a0University of Pittsburgh<\/strong>\u00a0(Financial Math)\u00a0University of California San Diego<\/strong>\u00a0(CS, ECE),\u00a0Imperial College London<\/strong>\u00a0(Financial Math),\u00a0National University of Singapore<\/strong>\u00a0(CS), and\u00a0Nanyang Technological University<\/strong>\u00a0(CS).<\/p>\n

        ________________________________________<\/p>\n

        Students at the University of Southern California (CS and ECE)<\/strong><\/p>\n

        During my postdoctoral days, I closely\u00a0<\/em>mentored\u00a0two PhD students (in CS and ECE)\u00a0<\/strong>at the University of Southern California (USC)<\/strong>\u00a0with Prof. Leana Golubchik who are currently placed at\u00a0Facebook (Meta)\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Amazon<\/strong>\u00a0post completion of their PhD. I also closely mentored a\u00a0PhD student in CSE<\/strong>\u00a0at the\u00a0Indian Institute of Technology Delhi<\/strong>\u00a0with Prof. Vinay Ribeiro who is currently placed at TCS Research Labs (India) after his PhD.<\/p>\n

        ________________________________________<\/p>\n

        List of My Graduated Students from Prior to Joining MIT<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Yushi She<\/strong>\u00a0(BS<\/em>, UMichigan, CS), [Graduate School<\/strong>, Georgia Tech (CS)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- USC, Cornell, UMichigan<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        2. \n

          Ziyuan Huang\u00a0<\/strong>(BS<\/em>, UMichigan, CS) [Graduate School<\/strong>, UMichigan (ECE)]\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- Berkeley, UCSD, Cornell<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        3. \n

          Rohan Sequeira<\/strong>\u00a0(MS<\/em>, UMichigan, ECE) [Graduate School<\/strong>, Viterbi Fellow at USC (ECE)]\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- Purdue<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        4. \n

          Xinlong Yin<\/strong>\u00a0(BS<\/em>, UMichigan, ECE) [Graduate School<\/strong>, Georgia Tech (CS)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- USC, University of Michigan<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        5. \n

          Yixuan Wang<\/strong>\u00a0(BS<\/em>, UMichigan, CS) [Graduate School<\/strong>, CMU (CS)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- Columbia<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        6. \n

          Junhui<\/strong>\u00a0Li (BS<\/em>, UMichigan, CS) [Graduate School<\/strong>, CMU (CS)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- USC, University of Michigan<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        7. \n

          Harshith Nagubandi<\/strong>\u00a0(MS Candidate<\/em>, ECE, UMichigan, transferred to\u00a0Graduate School<\/strong>, UCSD (ECE))<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        8. \n

          Charles Light<\/strong>\u00a0(MS<\/em>, UMichigan, ECE), [Industry<\/strong>\u00a0- Silicon Labs]<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        9. \n

          Vineeth Kotala<\/strong>\u00a0(BS Intern<\/em>\u00a0- IIT Delhi, Math and CS), [Graduate School<\/strong>, UIUC (Math. Finance)]\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- Georgia(Ga)Tech, Rutgers, UPitt<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        10. \n

          Peihan Liu<\/strong>\u00a0(BS<\/em>, UMichigan, Math) [Graduate School<\/strong>, Harvard (CS)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- UC Berkeley, Yale, UChicago, Cornell, USC, NYU<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        11. \n

          Zhehong Wu\u00a0<\/strong>(BS<\/em>, UMichigan, DS) [Graduate School<\/strong>, UMichigan (DS)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- UIUC, Columbia, NYU, Northwestern, USC<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        12. \n

          Yufei Zhu<\/strong>\u00a0(BS<\/em>, UMichigan, CE), [Graduate School<\/strong>, UMichigan (ECE)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- UCSD<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        13. \n

          Taoan Lu<\/strong>\u00a0(BS<\/em>, UMichigan, DS) [Graduate School<\/strong>, CMU (Mathematical Finance)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- NYU, Cornell, UMich, NUS, NTU, USC, Imperial College London<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        14. \n

          Yifang Dong<\/strong>\u00a0(BS<\/em>, UMichigan, ECE) [Graduate School<\/strong>, UMichigan (ECE)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- Berkeley, GaTech, Cornell, UPenn, UCSD, USC, Columbia<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        15. \n

          Sanjana Prabhu<\/strong>\u00a0(BS\/MS Intern<\/em>\u00a0- IIT Madras, EE) [Graduate School<\/strong>, CMU (ECE)],\u00a0Declined<\/em>\u00a0- Columbia, UMass<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        16. \n

          Sung-Han Lin<\/strong>\u00a0(PhD<\/em>\u00a0with Leana Golubchik, CS, University of Southern California) [Industry<\/strong>\u00a0- Facebook\/Meta]<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        17. \n

          Chien-Lun Chen<\/strong>\u00a0(PhD<\/em>\u00a0with Leana Golubchik, ECE, University of Southern California) [Industry<\/strong>\u00a0- Amazon]<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        18. \n

          Aditya Ahuja<\/strong>\u00a0(PhD<\/em>\u00a0with Vinay Ribeiro, CS, IIT Delhi) [Industry<\/strong>\u00a0- TCS Research Labs, India]<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n