Advising

--- "As a mentor and an advisor, I listen, inspire, guide, and work together as a team." ---

MENTORING PHILOSOPHY

When I take a student under my wing, I always start by inquiring about their backgrounds and listening to their aspirations. Based on the given information, I work with the student to create a network-based mentoring map, set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) goals, inspire them through stories of different career paths from people in my network, and guide them through the first few steps before taking the coach position. This process is iterative since some students may not share everything at once. In the past, I have helped students overcome their financial burdens by contacting hiring managers and recommending them for part-time engineering positions. The idea is that they can meet their financial needs while building their resumes. I have also helped students develop better habits to excel academically, overcome imposter syndrome, and gain more confidence in public speaking. In addition to one-on-one mentoring, I create venues for group mentoring and peer advising. Finally, I assist students in building a robust support system, introduce them to people in my network, give them access to opportunities, and adopt a proactive approach to identify barriers, anticipate challenges, and develop a clear path forward.

RESEARCH ADVISING PHILOSOPHY

As a faculty advisor, I always strive to create a welcoming, collaborative, and supportive environment where students from all backgrounds can achieve their academic and research goals. When recruiting students to my research lab, I look for individuals interested in fluid dynamics, algorithm development, numerical analysis, applied mathematics, and scientific computing. I typically recruit students pursuing degrees in aerospace or mechanical engineering, although I may also co-advise computational and applied mathematics students through my joint assistant professorship with the Department of Mathematics. Students may demonstrate their interest and academic preparation through relevant coursework, research projects, internships, or independent study. I value students who think critically, learn quickly, work effectively both independently and collaboratively, and remain motivated when facing challenging problems. While I find an academic career deeply rewarding, I fully support my students in pursuing their career goals. 

I structure my lab to provide regular mentorship through weekly one-on-one meetings with each student. I view these meetings as an opportunity for students to develop a research mindset by engaging with my approach to problem-solving and for me to better understand their progress and tailor my guidance to their needs. While I take a hands-on approach to advising, particularly early in a student's training, I expect students to grow into independent researchers by the time they graduate. To maintain this level of interaction, I generally advise 3-4 graduate students and 1-2 undergraduate students per academic year. The weekly meetings focus on research progress, professional development, and academic planning. Students drive the meetings and may cancel if there are not any significant updates or challenges. Students need to bring a summary of their work to these weekly meetings. The summary does not have to be a polished document, but it must be comprehensible to others. The summary may include slides, handwritten notes, figures, code, or anything else that will result in a meaningful discussion. We will not meet on university and federal holidays. Additional meetings may be requested if there are special needs. Students also participate in group meetings that include discussions of ongoing projects, software development practices, and recent research publications. Doctoral students are encouraged to mentor junior students and gain teaching experience, as I believe mentoring and teaching strengthen technical understanding, communication skills, and leadership abilities regardless of career goals. 

I view my research lab as a collaborative team built on collegiality, accountability, and mutual respect. All students have equitable access to opportunities and resources, and I work closely with them to identify challenges, provide support, and adjust my mentoring approach as needed. I also help students design their course plans so they can build strong foundations in their engineering discipline and related computational fields. Although I do not impose strict work schedules, I expect students to meet research expectations, maintain strong academic performance, and contribute positively to the lab environment. In the past, my students have received nationally competitive fellowships and internationally competitive awards, including the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP), John S. Foster Jr. Undergraduate Fellowship, and AIAA Best Student Paper Award in CFD. To further highlight my success in mentoring and advising student researchers, REU students hosted in my research lab contributed to two conference papers (2026 and 2027 AIAA SciTech Forums), including one as first author. Finally, here is a selection of written feedback from 2024-2026 IREAAMU NSF-REU & Collaborative REU students:

“... I also appreciate the weekly AAM [Advanced Air Mobility] meetings hosted by Dr. Sanjaya. It's clear that she cares about the REU students and their outcomes.  Smaller focused groups like this are where the most value is created, ...”

“Thank you for everything you've done for us during this program. I appreciate all of the time and effort that you put in to help us get from day one to here ... I will never forget your dedication and passion for this program, and how amazing you made this summer for me. I hope we meet again at some point, in a way that I can prove how much this program changed my life.”

“Thank you for pushing me to be my best. I appreciate all the work you did for us this summer. It was an honor to work in this program.”

“I feel it was extremely well put together, and I got a lot out of the experience! It wasn't just research; it was also workshops, group events, networking, and tours. I think that made for a very meaningful and well-rounded experience.”