Sai Cheruvu (MS ’25) specialized in Geospatial Data Sciences (GDS) at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and graduated in May.

What is your background?

I got my BS in public health at the University of Texas at Austin. While I was there, I also minored in journalism and predominantly worked with local and international nonprofits. Through reflecting on my family’s history with farming in India, I developed an interest in sustainable agriculture. I created a capstone project doing fieldwork in India, working with farmers who were a part of a state-led initiative called Community-Based Natural Farm in Andhra Pradesh, India. This is where I fostered my interest in supporting farmers, and it sparked a desire for me to develop a technical background in GIS, which would enable me to critically evaluate and support sustainable agriculture efforts, which prompted me to start looking at graduate schools. 

Why did you choose SEAS and the GDS specialization?

For my undergraduate thesis, I read many pieces authored by SEAS Associate Professor Meha Jain that piqued my interest in SEAS and her research. I explored the Geospatial Data Sciences specialization because I wanted to strengthen my technical and statistical skill set to support sustainable agriculture. I was also interested in attending U-M to be part of the Transformative Food Systems fellowship. As I expanded my knowledge on food systems, I hoped to learn more about what food means to people, how communities form connections with cultivated food, and how these relationships impact food security.  

What has your SEAS experience been like?

I have loved everyone I have met at SEAS. From my first day on campus, I knew I would be able to find my people and would fit in with the students who were here with me. The cohort of Transformative Food System fellows has also been amazing and has given me connections in urban planning and public health as well as SEAS. 

I am addressing my initial desire to figure out an effective way to use technology to scale sustainable agriculture, which brought me to SEAS through my thesis.

I’ve been wanting to continue my work in India and better understand agriculture-intensive systems, as well as the role I can play in scaling and sharing these efforts. I have been pairing remote sensing data with census data and agriculture data to see what is influencing zero tillage options to gain insight into where zero tillage is suitable.

Would you recommend SEAS to incoming students?

I would say it is invaluable to find a good mentor, and SEAS has such a variety of research interests and resources that it is easy to find an advisor or mentor who shares your passion. Even within specializations, people have their own interests, and that should guide your connections, network and what you get out of SEAS. I have had incredible mentors at SEAS, including my advisor, and have learned a lot about effective ways to frame my research projects and questions.

What will you do next after graduation?

This semester I am working at the Government Accountability Office in a role that could hopefully turn into a full-time position. I hope to have a career in public service because I find it valuable to be able to see how my work can impact the communities I belong to. I would also be interested in getting my PhD to continue exploring agrarian distress on a global level.