Interview: CDS Master’s Student Jatin Khilnani speaks of the value of SALT
Science Alliance Leadership Training (or SALT) is a highly selective, annual leadership conference hosted by the New York Academy of Sciences for professionals in the field of science and technology. Jatin Khilnani, a second-year Master’s student at CDS studying audio processing/self-supervision, NLP and fairness, was selected to take part in SALT back in March. Below he speaks about his experience attending the training and his takeaways from it.
(The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity.)
What was the biggest motivating factor in your decision to apply to attend SALT?
Science Alliance focuses on supporting the development of early-career scientists. This Leadership Training program is designed to help STEM researchers learn the necessary soft skills like critical communication and emotional intelligence through practice, so that they can demonstrate leadership caliber as they build their careers in respective fields.
I was eager to benefit from this learning platform, to interact and network with graduate researchers by gaining from their experiences and seeking inputs. Additionally, it offered continuous follow-up and education even after the program, which I believe to be a very important factor in ensuring that knowledge gained can be converted to implementable skills in a professional environment and honed through a feedback loop.
How do you feel that your experience at SALT prepared you for leadership in the industry?
The variety of sessions and activities over the week long program provided a learning-by-doing experience. They were targeted at understanding fundamental concepts, ascertaining one’s personality and team role, and implementing the same in a group setting. The program motivates to utilize natural communication abilities, manage change, build self-and-other awareness, solicit & understand feedback and most importantly articulate one’s vision.
The clarity of thought brought through active participation, combined with better communication skills, understanding of group & team dynamics and motivation to build a learning community, has prepared me to strive for being a leader in either academia or industry.
As an early career data scientist, what is the most valuable thing about attending SALT?
My purpose in taking a hiatus from the corporate world was to assimilate technical (especially mathematical) know-how to build a research career in the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence domain, and I am grateful to be able to do so at the Center for Data Science.
Attending SALT has made me self-aware of how this journey has affected my prior persona, and made me think about my vision and the impact I would like to create in society through the skills gained, post completion of the Master’s program. It has also given me a network of experienced mentors and friends whom I can reach out to seek advice for honing my skills and advocating my career further.
Did anything about your experience surprise you? What advice would you give to someone attending the conference next year?
I was surprised to see the findings of personality assessments taken as part of the program. They were pretty accurate and provided insights into one’s characteristics like learning style and interpersonal behavior. It was both fun and insightful to focus on these aspects, notice when they come forward in a team setting, and how to handle them.
In order to get the most out of the program, I would suggest one to engage and indulge without inhibitions or preconceived notions. Unlearn to learn. At the same time, also be analytical about how you would want to take the feedback from the program and utilize it to build your own action plan. The assessments do provide base instincts, yet human beings are and can be flexible enough to blend per the environment and task at hand, which is what I realized by recollecting my experiences from industry, CDS, and at the program.
