Switched on Selva (Issue 16, 2012)
Selvaraaju Murugesan is switched-on to signal processing. He is so passionate about his research program, the Doctor of Philosophy (Electronic Engineering), that he thrives on finding – and then solving – new problems.
‘Doing a PhD in signal processing is challenging,’ says Selvaraaju. ‘There is always excitement when I solve a research problem. It is a great feeling that I get, that my contribution is so valuable to the research community.’
Selvaraaju, from India, earlier completed a Master of Electronic Engineering at La Trobe, where he says he was fortunate to have found a research supervisor who matched his research interest in signal processing.
‘My supervisor’s support combined with my quest for further knowledge motivated me to do a PhD in electronic engineering specialising in filter banks and wavelets.’
Earlier this year, Selvaraaju was one of 12 out of 2000 candidates selected to present a paper at the International Symposium on Circuits and Systems conference in Seoul, South Korea. This followed another success – Selvaraaju won a A$5000 Better Neighbourhoods award in March for the local Darebin City Council. He submitted a winning idea for a project to pair international students with local families to generate more cross-cultural experiences in the local community.
When he is not working on his research, Selvaraaju tutors and help students in laboratories on the Melbourne campus. He has been selected for a coveted AMSI Internship with Biarri Networks. He has hosted seminars and is an all-around leader to the younger generation of students coming through the University: currently Selvaraaju is a Connect Mentor to new students starting their life at La Trobe.
‘I have joined a few clubs and I am involved in a lot of their activities. I am an active member of the mountaineering club, astronomical society and engineering club. I do a lot of volunteering with tourism in Melbourne so my Saturdays are usually gone. I also plant trees on weekends with Conservation Volunteers in Australia.’
‘I went on a Weekend Break Program organised by La Trobe International, whereby I stayed with an Australian family for a weekend. It was memorable because my host family showed me around the beautiful town of Albury-Wodonga. They encouraged me to travel around Australia to do lots of camping trips.’
How Selvaraaju would find the time to fit in camping trips would be anyone’s guess with all of his research, social and voluntary commitments, but one thing is certain – he plans to continue his research well into the future.
‘I love the freedom to be able to research the things which I'm passionate about. My Department and my supervisors are always motivating me to pursue my passion.’
Selvaraaju is the recipient of both the La Trobe University Postgraduate Research Scholarship (LTUPRS) and the La Trobe University Full Fee Research Scholarship (LTUFFRS). La Trobe offers generous scholarships to high achieving international students from all countries.
