Computer Engineering: Building a Nest of Opportunities

From India to Embry‑Riddle's Computer Engineering Program

Teja Tiriveedhi’s father grew up in India and dreamed of being a student at Embry‑Riddle, but due to circumstances beyond his control, he was unable to attend. So, you can imagine how thrilled he was when Teja was accepted, and he was able to see his son become an Eagle.

Tiriveedhi always had an interest in technology and computers, which drew him to major in Computer Engineering.

He honed his machine learning and programming skills working on the Turtle Tech project, a drone-based sea turtle surveillance effort between Embry‑Riddle, Northrop Grumman and the Brevard Zoo. The project tracks the turtles and soon technology will enable scientists to individually identify the turtles by species, gender and individual markings, by using uncrewed autonomous vehicles (UAVs). This will allow conservation efforts to be conducted without disrupting wildlife.

Tiriveedhi’s role included writing machine-learning algorithms based on UAVs to identify and track sea turtles. These algorithms indicate whether the image is a sea turtle, mark the location and save the image. From there, the data is compiled, and the turtle is given an identification.

Succeeding at Embry‑Riddle

Tiriveedhi also took advantage of Embry‑Riddle's study abroad opportunities and spent a memorable summer in Athens, Greece, where he learned about airline and airport operations while living and taking classes on a sailboat.

On campus, Tiriveedhi’s love of film enabled him to channel his artistic side and make his mark as an Eagle. Inspired by the Bollywood films he watched with his father as a child, he founded Embry‑Riddle's Movie/Film Making Club, where he made short films with fellow enthusiasts as a creative outlet.

By meeting other students who shared his passion, he was able to help ease his transition from one culture to another.

“Find friends who have the same interests as you,” he said.

Embry‑Riddle offers students a wide array of clubs and organizations to join, which is an excellent way for students to become active members of the university community. Extracurricular activities also contribute to student success. According to Best College, joining a club can help you boost your resume, meet new and diverse people and develop new skills, all while building your own personal and professional network.

Tiriveedhi certainly capitalized on Embry‑Riddle’s opportunities and carved out his own unique student experience.