Formally, my journey with Precog and PK began on January 4th, 2018 (Precog’s Birthday).  #Preface However, it started in August 2017 when PK gave a talk about the work at PreCog and said they were looking for new members. I instantly connected with the group and their work. I desperately wanted to be a part of the cool projects they were working on. I got back to my room, formatted my Resume, wrote a Statement of Purpose, and sent my application. Like in any good story, I didn’t get through the first time. It was a major disappointment for me, but I knew I had to make my profile better.…

This is a little different from the other posts in that it is in part an attempt to document the lifecycle of a project at Precog – from ideation to publication, and in part a brief overview of what I worked on during my time there. So if you’re an undergrad or a prospective intern, it might be a worthwhile read as to why you should definitely try to look for an opportunity with the group. I’ve tried to highlight the unique aspects of the group which is what makes it a place where students enjoy doing quality research. The paragraphs which begin with highlighted words are concerned with the…

My name is Dheeraj, and I’ve just completed my third year at IIIT-H. I had the opportunity to work with PK on his sabbatical here at IIIT-H. As I sit down to write this, it seems kind of an injustice to sum up all of my experiences with PK in a few words. I’m not great with putting emotions into words, but I will try my best. I’m also aware that most people write this blog after they’ve completed their journey with PK, but I hope that isn’t the case with me. I hope this blog signifies a beginning, not an end. I’ve absolutely enjoyed my time working with (not…

I remember first hearing about Precog and PK back in 2015 when I was seeking admission to IIIT Delhi. For a freshman in an institute with most of its faculty being graduates from the most prestigious universities around the world, Precog seemed to be one of its crown jewels: headed by a CMU graduate, doing socially relevant work, having several laurels to its name, its members at top places around the world, and as expected being super competitive to get into. As overwhelming as this seemed to me then, I always wanted to work hard, do projects and build my profile so that I can later try and make an…

It is an amazing and indeed a fortunate opportunity to be among the first few students of the Institute and your advisor. Why? Because being the first few puts you in the experimental zone, especially for the advisor; this allows all parties (institute, advisor and oneself) to explore the best way growing together. Institute was new and flexible, rules were still to be imposed, Prof. Jalote and other professors would interact on a daily basis and it was a flat open culture. I believe and in my experience, those were the most productive and professionally healthy years, but the organisation and structure followed and a little of the culture got…

It’s been about three years since my time at PreCog with PK as an undergraduate intern. Looking back, it was definitely one of the highlights of my undergrad life. My undergrad thesis and the subsequent publication helped give me a first taste of social network analysis and data mining. My work at PreCog gave me a huge leg up. It opened up exciting new opportunities, first as a Research Assistant with Dr. Huan Liu at Arizona State and now, as a Data Scientist at Doximity. Looking back, PreCog shaped me quite a bit as it was my first time at a research lab. I learnt the core aspects of how…

When I first visited PreCog’s website, I was impressed not only by the exciting research being carried out but also by a small, recurring line found below each project, “If you are interested in knowing more or helping us with the research please write to pk [at] iiitd [dot] ac [dot] in”. There was a sense of approachability that you don’t normally see in research groups. So, I quickly sent out a mail to PK about internship opportunities and was pleasantly surprised to see a reply under 20 minutes. It oozed professionalism, genuine interest and a no-nonsense attitude, signs of things to expect from the group. Within a month of…