Testimonials for Ganesh Mallya

Testimonials that I have received from some young superstars, who I had the privilege to work with over the past few years, have been included here. Some of these testimonials were received on LinkedIn, while others were via email or anonymous course evaluations. My sincere thanks to everyone here – I am humbled.

Testimonials from visiting research interns at Purdue University

I had the pleasure of working with Ganesh during my two months (May-2016 to July-2016) research project as a part of Purdue Undergraduate Research Experience program under the supervision of Prof. Rao S. Govindaraju and Ganesh. The project was related to identification of hot spots for water quality constituents using concepts of risk analysis and machine learning. I was very new to this topic and did not have much knowledge about the same. Ganesh helped me understand the topic and cleared my doubts so that I can carry out the tasks assigned to me. He also taught me basics of some very useful technical softwares such as ArcGIS. I believe that he has very sound technical knowledge in his field and knows very well how to share that. He was very punctual and very committed to his work. I firmly believe that he would be a really great asset to any organization.
Vipul Talwaria, IIT Bombay

I had the pleasure of knowing Ganesh and working alongside him during my two months research project under “Purdue Undergraduate Research Experience” (PURE) program, a Purdue-India initiative under the supervision of Prof. Rao S. Govindaraju, from mid-May to mid-June 2017. Ganesh guided and assisted me throughout my stay in Purdue. The assigned project was about midterm forecasting of urban water demand and was a relatively new research area for me. But all thanks to Ganesh for making my overall experience so smooth. Having great knowledge and command over the subject concerned, his guidance and assistance helped me achieve the objectives of the project well within the designated time. He has exceptional expertise in mentoring, and I was particularly impressed by Ganesh’s ability to explain the difficult concepts in a straightforward and understandable way. I found his dedication and work ethic both inspiring and motivating. Since I was traveling from India, he went out of his way to ensure that I am well settled and adjusted to the new environment. I firmly believe that Ganesh would be a real asset to any organization.
Shubham Kumar, IIT Bombay

I had an Undergraduate Research Experience at Purdue University, and I worked with Ganesh for six months under the advice of professor Rao Govindaraju. Within those months we worked on developing a SWAT model for the Bogota River Watershed, and I could not have a better company, Ganesh is very intelligent, but not just that, he is patient and is noticeable how he wants to teach whoever needs it, and he has the knowledge to do so or give advice for personal growth in the field whenever a team feels stuck He is a good coder and he is ready to help with his abilities in order to make the best of any particular project and come up with ideas for it. I am glad for have been able to work with him, I learned a lot from him.
Santiago Cifuentes Palacio, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Testimonials from students in Hydraulics (CE 340) or Urban Hydraulics (CE 440) classes at Purdue University

Ganesh Mallya is one of the most helpful individuals I have met during my time at Purdue University. I was fortunate enough to have Ganesh as my TA in both Hydraulics (CE 340) and Urban Hydraulics (440). While being a TA, Ganesh made himself readily available to meet outside of scheduled times. This added flexibility and dedication to his students is something that I have rarely experienced in a college setting. Of course, his knowledge on the courses is exceptional. Moreover, his thorough and patient methods of explaining the material ensured that I was able to fully grasp the material. While all these examples show Ganesh’s commitment to his students and his field, one teaching characteristic stands out the most to me. Ganesh was able to connect book and lecture problems to real life applications. Being able to visualize the methods at work in real-life situations allowed me to fully understand the material I was learning. Furthermore, Ganesh’s method of teaching sparked my interest in a field in which I would have never seen myself pursuing. Most other TA’s and even professors have not influenced my career and passions as much as Ganesh. Because of Ganesh’s ability to not only teach, but also influence his students so successfully, I believe Ganesh Mallya will be a spectacular addition to any research or academic institution.
Benjamin Turcich

Ganesh was my Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) for CE 340 Hydraulics (Spring 2019) and CE 440 Urban Hydraulics (Fall 2019). During my time taking both courses, Ganesh was consistently an exceptional GTA who was always willing to go above and beyond his requirements as a GTA to facilitate my learning. In office hours, he frequently stayed after his designated time to explain difficult concepts to me and other students. Although Ganesh was not required to do this, he prioritized the learning of his students and stayed to continue answering questions. Ganesh’s explanations were always extremely clear and patient. If I did not understand a concept, he would always explain it in a different manner until I understood it.

Additionally, Ganesh always promptly replied to my emails and patiently used emails to answer my questions, regardless of their quantity and level of detail. A prime example of this is when he worked with me to remotely resolve a technical issue in a project over Thanksgiving Break. He even ran my project file on his computer to ensure that we were on the same page. The fact that Ganesh was willing to put in his personal time to help me address this issue speaks volumes about his passion for teaching and drive for results.

All of these aforementioned examples demonstrate Ganesh’s passion for teaching. He is an industrious individual who will add value to any future endeavor that he is involved in. I sincerely appreciate all that Ganesh has done for me. Without question, my understanding of hydraulics would be substantially reduced had Ganesh not been my GTA for CE 340 and CE 440. Therefore, I highly recommend him for a future position in academia or a research lab.
Benjamin Bowman

When I think of an ideal teacher, I think of someone who is knowledgeable, patient, caring, and dedicated to teaching students. Ganesh holds all of these characteristics and I had the pleasure of having Ganesh as my Graduate Teaching Assistant for two hydraulics courses. His extensive knowledge of hydraulics is evident as he can clearly and concisely explain complex material. He has the ability to clarify difficult concepts and remain patient when students need additional explanation. In addition, he always goes above and beyond what is required of him by providing supplemental help sessions or materials to help students learn. Ganesh has always been extremely reliable, responding to emails and questions quickly and always showing up early for sessions. Even with my complicated schedule, he was extremely flexible and scheduled additional time with me outside of his office hours to help me understand concepts.

His commitment to teaching goes beyond what words can express. Ganesh is a wonderful teacher and his dedication to teaching is apparent.
Carlie Wilhelm

I’ve had the pleasure of having Ganesh as my teaching assistant for two courses during my time at Purdue – CE 340 (Hydraulics) and CE 440 (Urban Hydraulics). Like most TAs at Purdue, Ganesh is very intelligent and understands the material very well, but what makes him stand out among the rest are his patience with students and how much he cares about their learning. He takes the time to explain the processes and concepts behind problems to make sure students are effectively learning. One of the things that I appreciated most about Ganesh was how generous he was with his time. He would take time out of his day to work with students if we couldn’t attend his scheduled office hour times. There were also times when he stayed after office hours ended to continue working with me and a group of students to make sure we got all the help we needed. I did well in both CE 340 and CE 440, and I owe a lot of that to Ganesh. He’s smart, patient and passionate about learning. I know the fields of research and academia would benefit from him and his personal and academic skills.
Keara Sullivan

I was privileged to have Ganesh as a teaching assistant for CE 340 – Hydraulics during the Fall 2018 semester. The qualities Ganesh possesses that stand out most to me are his communication, patience, and aptitude to analyze problems from multiple viewpoints. It was common for the TA office to be filled with confused students bombarding Ganesh with questions. It seemed that many of these students had similar questions or the same general misunderstanding. Ganesh went above and beyond to explain any concept to these students (myself included) using the best method of instruction for each student, including equations and diagrams when needed. Ganesh was always articulate, respectful, and effective when explaining concepts, regardless of the complexity. Moreover, Ganesh maintained composure and patience while repeatedly explaining concepts to multiple students. Ganesh’s ability to tailor his explanations to fit each student, so that each student truly gained a better understanding, made him an exceptional teaching assistant. Overall, it was evident to me that Ganesh cared greatly about his teaching assistant position and providing the best possible instruction to the students. I genuinely believe Ganesh will significantly strengthen the quality of any research or academic program.
Zachary Sisson

As a student assistant for CE 340-Hydraulics, Ganeshchandra Mallya displayed a high level of maturity, knowledge and compassion. Three times a week, Ganesh attended CE 340 lecture, assisting the professor in teaching by helping lead demonstrations and in-class exercises. In addition to his class activities, Ganesh helped run the Lyles Civil Engineering Teaching Assistant Office Hours, where students came to seek help with coursework. This was time spent outside his own TA office hours. During the Lyles Office Hours, Ganesh was incredibly attentive to students. Whenever a student appeared to be struggling with a concept or even looked confused, Ganesh would be right by their side prepared to answer questions and offer guidance. Countless times when I struggled with a difficult problem, Ganesh would patiently sit next to me and guide me as I solved the problem, providing explanations along the way. He would also work out problems on whiteboards, drawing diagrams to clarify troublesome concepts. Having academically benefited from Ganesh’s teaching methods, I strongly believe he has the leadership and aptitude to succeed in academia, especially in a teaching position.
Kelsey Vought

I was fortunate to have Ganesh as a TA for my Hydraulics course, CE 340, at Purdue University. As expected, Ganesh clearly knew the subject matter. What made Ganesh special were two qualities you hope for in a TA but don’t always find.

First, Ganesh demonstrated a concern for his students by making himself available to help. He had office ours which he kept. Ganesh responded to emails and was willing to set up appointments at other times to work with the students’ schedules. He was willing to put in as much time as the students required to learn the material.

Second, Ganesh was a patient and effective communicator. He was able to explain concepts and complex material in a way which made the incomprehensible comprehensible. Ganesh was patient and willing to take the time and find a way to help students understand the concepts. Ganesh helped guide me through the process of solving problems so that I was able to understand how and why a problem was solved in a particular way.

I consider Ganesh one of the best teachers, not just teaching assistants, I have had at Purdue. Every student would be fortunate to have Ganesh as an instructor and mentor.

Carlee Appelbaum

I was extremely fortunate to have Ganesh as my TA for Hydraulics in Fall 2018. Ganesh has been one of the best TA’s I’ve had during my three years at Purdue. Nearly every week, I was able to rely on Ganesh to help me and many others through complex problems or concepts. Ganesh holds many great qualities through his patience and ability to explain ideas in various ways. I often saw many students packed in the TA help room, asking the same questions, and Ganesh was able to uniquely answer everyone’s questions so that they understood. He is very kind and efficient in responding to emails or resolving issues, even late in the night. Ganesh is a highly valuable asset and would notably benefit any academic or research program.
Samantha Lushinski

I’ve only known Ganesh for a span of one semester during the Fall 2018 semester where he was one of the Teaching Assistants for CE 340, Hydraulics. But that duration was enough for me to see that he is a hardworking and passionate teaching assistant. He would be readily available during office hours and when approached with enquiries about any assignments, he was able to show that he has a firm understanding on what was being asked and would ensure to explain the concepts involved as best as possible without handing the answers on a silver platter which is a valuable service in a school filled with constant new incomprehensible concepts. During his explanations, he was able to always maintain a calm and rational composure even when I, admittedly, seemed very frustrated and impatient because of the assignments. Which proved to be beneficial as I was eventually able to grasp the course materials better and have my enquiries answered during the office hours. He also seemed easily approachable and was always wearing a smile on his face which helped in terms of morale when faced with a difficult task. Outside of office hours, his responses to my emails had always been swift and concise which was also advantageous in case I couldn’t make it to office hours. All in all, Ganesh was a great help and I’ve no doubt that he would be a great asset in any future endeavors be it in engineering or even teaching.
Ahmad Fathi Bin Zahari

Ganesh was my TA for CE 340 (Hydraulics) in the Fall 2018 semester, where he patiently tended to all of our questions. His explanations were clear enough for me to then be able to teach one of my peers. Ganesh was also always prepared for questions beyond the homework problems. If he was ever uncertain, he would follow up with me at a later time and challenge me to also find an explanation to compare against his. It was particularly easy to receive help from Ganesh. First, he was able to understand what questions I was asking, even if I did not communicate them effectively. Second, he enabled me to solve the problem by building off of what I had done correctly. He equipped me to succeed rather than solve the problem for me. These experiences with Ganesh speak to his teaching excellence and dedication to his students.
Victoria Sullivan

Through taking CE 440 Urban Hydraulics at Purdue University fall semester 2017, I got to know Ganesh Mallya, who served as the Teaching Assistant for that course. I spent many hours meeting with him in study rooms and computer labs as he walked me through the complex assignments and projects. One remarkable characteristic of Ganesh is that he is able to explain complex material in a very digestible manner. Our assignments were done over Excel, Solver, and Wastewater Engineering softwares Stormcad and Sewercad. This often involved a lot of heavy troubleshooting. Ganesh has always been very effective at answering me and my classmates’ questions both in person and over e-mail. Through our conversations with him, he helps us identify the source of our error but also the theory behind the process.

I will never forget how often Ganesh has replied to my emails late into the night or on weekends as well. Ganesh is incredibly devoted to students, and often serves students outside of office hours. He makes sure that everyone has the help they need. I look up to him for his patience in dealing with the students. Even though emotions can run high on students, Ganesh has always remained calm and focused. His detailed-oriented work ethic is amazing.

Ganesh is one of the most effective teaching assistants I have ever worked with, and I believe that he would be a great teacher as well. I highly recommend Ganesh. He is a rare combination of patience, devotion, detail-oriented, and effective communicator. Ganesh has been an incredible role model for the students, and his example and leadership empowers the student body to strive for more as well.
Annie Chen

I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Ganesh during my time as a Purdue student in the Hydraulics class he TA’d for. Not only was Ganesh always available at office hours to answer my questions, he did a great job at balancing guiding me towards the correct answer without giving it away. His knowledge of the subject was truly impressive but he never boasted about it, rather he used it to find multiple ways to explain the same material so that each student could understand it in their own way. In addition to being a great TA, Ganesh was just a great person to be around. He would always ask how my weekend went and if I ever saw him out shopping with his family he would give a friendly way and say hello! Ganesh was by far one of the best TAs I ever had at Purdue and any future student would be lucky to have him as their teacher.Brenna Ryan

Ganesh was an outstanding TA for hydraulics. He had a great level of knowledge on the subject but was able to guide students through problems in a way that was easy to follow. He has great patience and would work through a problem several times if a student did not understand. He really cared if the students understood the material not just if they got the correct answer. If he did not know an answer to a student’s question right away, he would make sure to find an answer and follow up demonstrating his dedication to teaching. Ganesh would thrive in any teaching position.
Anne Hays

I had the opportunity to have Ganesh as my TA for Hydraulics. As a college student, I usually take all the opportunities given to receive help in a course. One thing I have learned is being an expert in a subject does not mean you are good at teaching it. Ganesh was the opposite. Every week I would spend a couple hours in the TA help room learning the concepts and solving problems for my hydraulics class. Ganesh took seemingly impossible and complicated concepts and broke them down into understandable steps. He did this by walking me through homework problems, showing me book examples, and many times, doing extra work outside of office hours and emailing me more information about how to solve problems. He also demonstrated an understanding of the people he taught by speaking in terms relevant to the level of the course. After being confused in lectures with large terms, Ganesh was able to teach the concepts in a way I could understand. He did this by using simpler technical language and walking me through problems step by step. Not only would he show me how to solve the problem, but he would explain why it works that way. He would also always take the time to go further in depth, explaining how I would solve the problem if the conditions changed. This allowed me to develop a greater understanding of hydraulics and apply my knowledge to new kind of problems on exams. He practiced great patience as he would explain the same concept or problem over and over in different ways until I would understand. Without the strong teaching and mentoring skills provided throughout the semester by Ganesh, I would not have an understanding of hydraulics.
Emily Arnold

During Spring Semester of 2018, I had the opportunity to receive guidance in my Hydraulics course from Ganesh. Ganesh was a teaching assistant for the course and after my first week of working through some problems with him, it was clear that he was well versed in the subject. Ganesh was always prepared for any of the topics or questions that I had. He had an incredible ability to break problems down with terminology and phrasing that was appropriate with the students he was working with. Ganesh was also incredibly patient and would rework problems until he felt that students understood the questions they had. On top of his expertise within the subject of hydraulics, Ganesh was always friendly and easy to approach. With all these qualities put together, Ganesh was easily the best teaching assistant I personally have been taught by.
Nickolas Zerla

Ganesh was my TA in CE 440 – Urban Hydraulics at Purdue University in the fall of 2012. I was a senior at the time with an emphasis in structures but also an interest in hydraulics. I felt the class was very practical, especially because Ganesh taught us about plotting hydraulic and energy grade lines and how to use commercial design programs for storm and sanitary sewer design. He took the time to compile sets of instructions for using Bentley StormCAD and KYPipe to assist us on our homework assignments. I appreciated this because it helped me focus on understanding the technical aspects of the course material and not having to worry too much about learning the syntax and organization of a software program. Later on, from the fall of 2013 through the fall of 2014, we were both in grad school at Purdue and I witnessed his continued hard work in his research. I recommend Ganesh because of his teaching ability in its own right and because it demonstrates his strong technical knowledge. Furthermore, the completion of his graduate research exemplifies his strong work ethic.
Adam Clauss

I had the pleasure of getting to know Ganesh throughout my undergraduate career at Purdue University. I first interacted with Ganesh in an Urban Hydraulics course where he was the teaching assistant. He served as more than just an assistant when I had questions, but as a mentor that worked to ensure I understood the concept and grew as a student. Ganesh was very engaged with the students in the class and showed great patience at times as we worked to understand the challenging course topics. What has truly impressed me about Ganesh was outside of the classroom setting. During my last semester, I reached out to him for help on my Senior Design project. He did not hesitate to offer his assistance and met with me multiple times to go through concepts. His knowledge helped me succeed in my project overall. Ganesh has shown leadership in his field and has shown me what it means to be dedicated and passionate. He is an asset that any organization would be lucky to have.
Julie Woodworth

I have gotten to know Ganesh pretty well over the past 3 years, during which he was a teaching assistantship for Urban Hydraulics at Purdue University. As an undergraduate student, I found Ganesh to be one of the most outstanding graduate teaching assistants I have had the chance to be mentored by at Purdue. Above all, it was Ganesh’s mentorship and sharp thinking which helped me succeed in Urban Hydraulics. I have found Ganesh to be very engaged students, but more importantly, he was unafraid to tackle hard problems or challenge the process. Only a few graduate students are at that level. Now as a graduate student myself, I strive to achieve the same type of success with my students that I found through Ganesh’s leadership. He will be a credit where ever he travels.
D’Shawn Thomas

Lyles TA Survey – Spring 2018

I was the Lyles TA for Hydraulics along with Dr. Zhu Liu. The survey responses were directed to the course instructor at the end of the semester, and the question was: “Suggestions regarding the Lyles teaching assistants (Be constructive!)”. A word cloud of the responses is shown below, and the complete TA-specific responses can be found here.

Hydraulics lab (CE 343) course evaluation responses at Purdue University

What is something/are some things that the instructor does well, e.g., something you hope that the instructor will continue to do in the class in the future?

The instructor was always very helpful if you didn’t understand something. Always available for help.
CE 343 student

Engages students in discussion as he wants us to actually understand.
CE 343 student

CE 343 survey responses for Spring 2011 and Spring 2014 semesters.

Responses: [SA] Strongly Agree=5 [A] Agree=4 [U] Undecided=3 [D] Disagree=2 [SD] Strongly Disagree=1