I’m Nikhil, and this is my website.

I suppose the first question that I should answer for you is “What exactly is this website?” I think it’s best if I let my very first post (over on the Posts page) do the explaining for me:

The original idea for this website came up two days ago, when I was looking at some of my friends’ own personal websites. I thought it’d be a good idea to have a single place where I can put my best metaphorical foot forward for job recruiters, interviewers, and anyone else who might be interested in me for whatever reason. But I wanted it to be more than just an interactive resumé; I wanted it to be a way for you, the reader, to get to know me as a person by following along as I work through all of the projects that catch my interest.

Based on that, I’m going to make the (potentially dangerous) assumption that you, the visitor of this site, are here for one of two reasons: either to get a quick overview of who I am in order to evaluate me for a job offer or something similar, or to get to know me a little and follow me through my tech-related journey as I take on projects that interest me. If you’re the latter, check out Posts to see what I’ve been working on recently and what I’ve completed in the past. If you’re the former, read on!

Who I Am

As mentioned in my resumé, I like to think of myself as a Polymathic Data Scientist. That’s because both my professional experiences and my personal interests span many disciplines. In my 19 years on this planet, I’ve…

  • Finished construction of a satellite that launched to Low-Earth Orbit in November of 2022,
  • Collected DNA samples from the roof of the Jefferson memorial and Arlington National Cemetery’s amphitheater,
  • Conducted independent microbial genomics research into DNA representation and visualization using machine learning (paper upcoming), sparking my ongoing love for research and data science,
  • Joined the Texas Rocket Engineering Lab where I currently work as a systems integration lead.

And many more (see the Projects page for some of the biggest ones and the Posts page for more regular updates), with even more currently in the pipeline.

What I Want

My overwhelming desire in life is to do cool stuff. That could mean creating an intelligent “smartshell” powered by ChatGPT, converting some worthless old hardware into a Linux-powered encrypted network storage device, or even learning how to use Jekyll and code in HTML in order to build this website.

This desire is what fueled my decision to pursue a CS degree at The University of Texas at Austin. It’s what motivated me to attend the 2022 Small Satellite Conference in Logan, Utah and present the satellite I’ve worked so hard for. And it’s why I’m publicizing my accomplishments on this website. Because this website is more than an interactive resumé: it’s a call for you, dear reader, to reach out to me with any opportunities you have where I can do more cool stuff. It’s a call for you to get in touch so that together, we can make something happen. It’s a call for you to join me on my quest to make a difference, because together, we can change the world.

Ready to Take the First Step?

Connect with me on LinkedIn if you’d like to get in touch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhil-kalidasu/. I’m also on Instagram if you’re interested in seeing some occasional updates on my projects (though there’s also the Posts tab of this website and the RSS feed at the bottom). And if you’d like to see some of my contributions to the open-source community, check out my GitHub.