Renuka Shenoy works at the KCSB radio station
Renuka Shenoy, a third year Ph.D. student in Electrical Engineering, took some time to talk with the GradPost about her research and how she spends her free time as a DJ for the India Show on KCSB and performer in several musical groups.
Research Topic
Pattern Recognition in Bio-image Informatics
How did you get started with the India Show on KCSB?
I heard that the India Show was looking for new programmers and jumped at the opportunity! I don't have any prior experience programming on the radio, but it is something I have always wanted to do, and the KCSB experience has been everything I hoped for.
How do you select the music for the show?
We usually play an hour each of classical and popular music. I try to play as much of a variety of old and new songs as possible, and also try to include seasonal music. That being said, I usually only play songs that I like.
What are some of your favorite songs or artists? Do you have any to recommend to someone new to Indian music?
I love old Hindi film music—stuff from the '50s and '60s especially. My favorite artists are Kishore Kumar, Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt—I would definitely recommend giving these artists a listen. Also, for anyone who likes instrumental or classical music, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma has some lovely pieces on the Santoor (an Indian string instrument).
What other things do you do, both on and off campus?
I am a part of three UCSB music groups—Ravaani (UCSB's South Asian a cappella group), San Clemente Voices (a mixed voice choir of UCSB grad students), and Agni (an Indian classical music and dance group on campus). That pretty much takes up all my free time!
How do you balance your time between research and extracurricular activities?
Research work always comes first. None of my extra-curricular activities are too much of a time commitment—an hour or two a week per group at most. They serve as a means of relaxation and something to take my mind off the stress of work.
What are your long-term goals after UCSB?
I want to stay in the research community, perhaps teach. I'm still not a hundred percent sure.
What advice do you have for your fellow grad students?
Don't get caught in a rut of overworking yourself—take some time off to do the things you love!