Ruchitha Channapatna

What’ve you enjoyed most about your area of study? Was there a particular discovery, new skill or way of thinking, or insight that you found especially valuable? Please share an example from your favorite class or experience.

Studying anthropology has opened my eyes to the ways in which people and systems interact. I took my first 21A class as a freshman (21A.311), which left an incredibly impactful impression on me; realizing how many aspects over a medical device’s lifetime can be explored shifted the way I framed goals and values. Since that class, I have learned so many more valuable ways of thinking. One of my favorite class experiences was a simulation activity where classmates and I worked through a medical crisis case study.

How does the knowledge from this field, or your interest in it, combine with your other major or minor studies at MIT?

I am incredibly grateful that my minor in 21A combines so seamlessly with my other major and minor studies at MIT. Many of my anthropology courses have focused on medicine, health care, and global health which has provided me with the humanistic – and realistic – side of how technologies, institutions, and systems shape experiences (and vice versa). My mechanical engineering major and biomedical engineering minor provide the skills to design technical solutions, and anthropology provides tools for gaining perspectives towards positive impact. I always love when topics from my classes overlap across STEM and humanities!

An MIT education includes study in the scientific, technical, social science, arts, and humanities fields. How do you think that wide range of knowledge and perspectives will be valuable to you – for your career success and for your enjoyment of life?

The wide range of knowledge I have gained through my MIT education will no doubt guide me both in my career and in my personal life. In my career, I strongly believe my engineering background and anthropology minor will complement each other to emphasize communication, encourage intentionality, prioritize technical feasibility, and promote multidisciplinary and multiperspective approaches in problem solving. In my personal life, the mindsets of breaking down problems into actionable steps and of learning about diverse experiences will keep curiosity, resilience, and empathy with me wherever I go.

What are your plans for the future?

I plan to be working in the medical device industry! I hope that in my career, I get the opportunity to collaborate between technical teams, clinicians, patients, and stakeholders in order to provide technologies that improve equitable access to care.