Soundarya Korlapati

From AI to VR, Soundarya Korlapati is an expert in interactive technology. The doctoral student in computer science and software engineering from Hyderabad, India, is making an impact on the Plains — whether she’s starting campus clubs or working on the Auburn University Subject Matter Experts (AUSME) project.

Why Auburn

“When I was applying to different grad schools in the United States, I chose Auburn because it seemed like a good place for me to grow. Auburn provided opportunities that other places didn’t, especially with all three grants (land, sea and space). I love Auburn, I’m very grateful to everyone who’s helped me in my journey here.”

Why engineering

“Growing up, I played a lot of video games, which initially sparked my interest. I was first exposed to immersive technologies in undergrad, and when I came to Auburn, I worked on VR projects under Professor Cheryl Seals (the Charles W. Barkley Professor of computer science and engineering), who works in the field of human-computer interaction, and that’s what first got me started on my research focus.”

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Lab and AUSME project

“Deciding to stay at Auburn for my doctorate ended up being one of the best decisions of my life because after I decided to stay, I joined the RFID lab. The lab uses RFID technology to provide solutions for suppliers. We work in a lot of different fields like retail, aviation, supply chain and manufacturing, where we focus on how RFID can help solve problems in those fields.”

“Our AUSME project is about creating a search platform for finding Auburn faculty and researchers. If someone has a problem they need to solve, they can look up the specific people to help them with it. Initially, our team focused on building the AI model and processing the data we were trying to collect. We had to figure out where to pull information from and then how to display it. Our team is amazing to work with, and we’ve been able to successfully launch the platform.”

Campus Involvement

“I love to be involved on campus and contribute as much as I can. I served as CSSE Senator for 2 consecutive years, joined 100+ Women Strong—first as a mentee and then as a mentor to help other women in my major, and I’ve been part of the Indian Student Association as cultural vice president and publicity officer. I also volunteered as a judge for ASEF Alabama, 4-H Alabama, E-Days, and more. One thing I’m most proud of is starting the Adobe Creative Club as an Adobe Student Ambassador and founding president, where we promote student awareness of the Adobe software they have free access to at Auburn. It’s cool to know that I’ve started something on campus that will continue after I’ve left.”