Rohit is a senior at UC Berkeley triple-majoring in Computer Science, Data Science, and Statistics. He is the external vice president of Political Computer Science, a student-led organization which aims to promote non-partisan discussion in regards to the role of policy in technology (and vice versa). He is the External Vice President at Political Computer Science @ Berkeley, and joined the organization as a general member, then served as a project manager before becoming the organization’s EVP. Outside of Political Computer Science, he is involved at Berkeley as a director in another data science organization, and working in the campus’ visitor services department by giving tours to visitors from around the world and greeting them at iconic campus landmarks like the bell tower and football stadium. Beyond his work at Berkeley, Rohit has completed summer internships at Walmart and AXA, and aspires to work in data science post-graduation.

What causes are you most passionate about?

I am extremely passionate about achieving social justice. Throughout my life, I have seen many peers from underrepresented backgrounds face hurdles in both their personal and professional lives. These hurdles could range from explicit racism to more implicit microaggressions or weird comments regarding their identities. Given my background as an Indian student, I have been in such a position myself, and knowing how this discomfort feels, I am driven to make my world more of a safe space for anybody. 

If you could make one improvement in the world, what would it be?

If I could make one improvement in the world, I would increase access to basic education to everybody. The power of a quality education can make anybody’s life so much easier. Not only does it open the doors for opportunity, it empowers better communication within people, and helps sharpen ideas for innovation. Making the world more educated will sharpen the world’s progress, and advance humankind into territory we couldn’t even dream of in the present. 

What ideas or efforts do you think will have changed the world the most?

I think the idea of the world-wide-web is what changed the world the most. It was able to connect the world like no way before and brought in so many new technologies when it launched. Beyond this, it did wonders for making information more easily accessible and archiving history forever. As the internet continues to grow, it will be interesting to see the new good that it does for the world, and the efforts that go underway to minimize any negative effects.