Aashritha Machiraju, a graduate student at Arizona State University (ASU), has been awarded the fall 2025 Impact Award for her significant contributions to the ASU community and the Fulton Schools of Engineering. Machiraju is completing her master’s degree in computer science with a focus on biomedical informatics through the accelerated master’s program in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence. This recognition highlights her research, service, and leadership that have meaningfully impacted both her peers and the broader community.
Her academic journey included research at the Embedded Machine Intelligence Lab, where she concentrated on multimodal artificial intelligence applications in healthcare. Additionally, she served as a data analyst for the Fulton Schools, supporting student success initiatives and demonstrating how data-driven approaches can lead to improved real-world outcomes.
Machiiraju’s engagement extends beyond academics into community service. She has volunteered with Women in Machine Learning and played a role in welcoming new engineering students through E2, an orientation event. Furthermore, she supported local nonprofits, including Maya’s Farm and the Arizona Humane Society, from which she adopted her dog.
Mentorship has played a pivotal role in Machiraju’s development. She credited Associate Professor Hassan Ghasemzadeh for encouraging her to enhance her communication and analytical skills, guiding her from mere technical curiosity to a more intentional research approach. Professor Stephanie Forrest’s biocomputing course also significantly influenced her outlook, illustrating how concepts from biology can inspire innovative solutions in computing and technology.
Looking ahead, Machiraju aims to further her work at the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare, with aspirations to remain in Arizona, Boston, or the Bay Area. She envisions leading a team or launching a venture focused on preventive health technology. “Engineering is fun because it’s equal parts creativity and perseverance,” she remarked. “ASU gave me room to explore, and curiosity was encouraged, not constrained. Whether it was research, entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary learning, or community involvement, Fulton felt like a place where I could reinvent myself and push boundaries.”
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