Student Member Spotlight: Archana Kannan

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Student Member Spotlight
Archana Kannan

Written by: Kevin Corbley

Originally from Chennai, India, Archana Kannan is pursuing her PhD in Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC). She is currently a research assistant in the Microwave, Sensors, and Imaging Laboratory (MiXIL) at USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering. A major focus of her work is the coupling of physics and machine learning for the retrieval of geophysical parameters such as soil moisture and burn area classification from microwave remote sensing data. Archana earned her Master’s in Electrical Engineering from USC and Bachelor’s in Electronics and Instrumentation from the Madras Institute of Technology in India. In her free time, she enjoys growing tropical plants inside her house. Archana joined GRSS in 2021.

Why did you decide to join GRSS?

As part of my PhD program, I started to research some remote sensing topics, and the GRSS was recommended to me by my advisor. I slowly started getting involved in the local chapters as well. Now I’m actually the chair of the GRSS chapter of USC. I was also briefly involved as the Western USA [Young Professionals] coordinator, and I’m also involved with the Metropolitan Los Angeles and Coastal GRSS chapter now. So that’s how my involvement with GRSS started.

How do you expect your GRSS experiences to assist you in current academic pursuits?

Number one, it’s directly related to my research. So, I find a lot of papers and literature online, which are accessible to me as a member. Secondly, I attend conferences and some of the seminars organized by different GRSS chapters. I meet a lot of people connecting during these conferences and at some of the webinar events, and they have helped me in shaping my research. And I’ve also collaborated with a couple of people I met via GRSS events, and they have been helping with my research and dissertation.

What are other GRSS activities that you’ve been able to participate in?

Definitely the IGARSS conferences. I have been attending IGARSS for four years now. I’ve been involved in presenting, attending, and also got a chance to volunteer and organize some events at those conferences. And the other one I take advantage of is the seminars and webinars, especially the online seminar, since I started during the peak COVID period. All those online meetings and seminars have been helpful.

Looking longer term, how do you expect GRSS will benefit your professional career in the future, after you get your PhD?

I see having a continuous involvement with GRSS, especially in the next five to ten years. One thing I’m looking forward to is the connections I’ve made so far, and I think that will be helpful in landing my next position, either in academics or industry. [GRSS will also] help in building my profile.

Are you leaning towards academics or industry right now?

Currently, I’m leaning towards academics, trying to do a postdoc, and then see where it goes.

How has your experience in GRSS differed from what you expected in any way?

I have been pretty much part of the IEEE as a whole since my undergrad program. Since it was in engineering, I was involved in the IEEE chapter back in India as well. So, I had some expectations, and the GRSS has definitely met those expectations, and a little bit more, as I’m also a part of the chapters I mentioned earlier. But apart from that, I think it pretty much met my expectations and got me involved more.

What other GRSS events do you plan to attend?

Not in the next few months, but I am planning on submitting an abstract for the 2026 IGARSS and probably attending that one in Washington, DC. Apart from that, I think we have some events lined up at the USC chapter, which I’m looking forward to for the fall semester. [There are some] good speakers lined up, so I’ll be there.

When a chapter like yours has an event, let’s say a seminar, is it usually a speaker who’s local? Or do you get people coming from somewhere else?

During the beginning years, we had many online seminars. Nowadays, we are planning more and more in-person events to increase GRSS involvement. We had speakers coming from different places – Canada, the East Coast, and Texas. We also try to combine events with other societies and chapters to share costs related to logistics.

What words of encouragement would you offer to other students who were considering joining GRSS?

Join! Especially considering that, as a student, the membership fee is negligible, like $1. The perks you get are definitely worth it. One of the main [benefits] is the networking part of the GRSS. They are a huge community, and they are really open to collaborating and helping you out. Most of the people I’ve reached out to so far have responded to me positively. So, I think there is huge involvement from the GRSS, and having that network is good for your current situation as a student, and also when you graduate.

Do you know an IEEE GRSS Student Member who deserves to be recognized? We invite you to submit a nomination by sending a brief message to ir_pub@grss-ieee.org with the subject: “Student Member Spotlight.”