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Engineer Anuj Surao ’17g (Electrical Engineering) has found success in the United States working for Amazon, and recently, he had the opportunity to reflect on his experiences as an international alumnus of SUNY New Paltz and where he is today.
Using the power of technology, the systems development engineer in Amazon Robotics appeared virtually to speak at a welcoming event hosted by the Center for International Programs. He shared wisdom gained from navigating campus life as an international student with the newest class of graduate students right before they were about to embark on a journey he was on eight years ago.
“The more time you put towards your education, the more you gain practical, beneficial knowledge,” he said to the gathered crowd of new international students.
For Surao, coming back to the University was a testament to his success as an alumnus, and the drive that he had in getting to where he is today.
“The biggest thing I wanted to impart was the importance of visualizing how you want to make your mark in the world, and then exacting that vision,” he said.
Moreover, Surao’s engaging talk to new students cemented a legacy of service that began long before he set foot on campus.
Making a difference for both children and the planet
Despite his success with one of the most prominent multinational companies, the accomplishment that gives him the most satisfaction is the support he has spearheaded for orphanages, non-for-profits and public schools in his native Hyderabad, India.
His stewardship started as an undergraduate in Hyderabad’s Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) University in 2012, when he visited a nearby orphanage through the Sankalp Foundation, a nonprofit in India that assists underserved schoolchildren. All it took was a classic TV cartoon to convince Surao to dedicate his life to helping these orphaned children.
“I just started playing ‘Tom & Jerry’ for the kids and seeing their eyes light up made me want to help better their lives,” he said.
His volunteer work began from that moment, starting with a fundraising effort he helped to organize for the orphanage whilst building sustainability education for the children it serves.
The money earned was then donated back to many orphanages including the Sankalp Foundation. In return, the funds generated from this mass collection effort resulted in books, pens and building upgrades for the Sankalp Foundation.
“Volunteering always brings me joy,” he said. “Seeing these kids be able to have resources that we often take for granted felt rewarding.”
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Surao and the children, along with a handful of volunteers from GITAM University, collected a total of 70 tons of paper waste from there and other schools in the Hyderabad region, which were then sold to the ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division company in Secunderabad, India for recycling purposes.
“All this paper waste was being left behind and I knew there was a way we could reduce the environmental harm while raising money,” he said.
His efforts were solidified when the company he worked with to bring the proceeds from the paper waste sale back to underprivileged children recognized his stewardship with the Green Leader award.
“It was a significant honor for me,” he said. “This is critical and important work in both helping these children and also helping the planet, and anything I could do to help is worth it.”
Harnessing the power of U.S. higher education to make an impact
Following his graduation from both GITAM University’s undergraduate and graduate engineering programs, Surao sought to add another master’s degree in electrical engineering and pursue professional opportunities in the United States. He learned about SUNY New Paltz through a coach on one of his qualifying exams for U.S. education.
“After learning about it, I knew this was the place for me to expand on my engineering education,” he said.
Surao started his master's program at SUNY New Paltz in 2016, where he continued his undeniable passion to serve. In his year of study, Surao served as a graduate assistant for the Center for International Programs, a hub of support for international students like him.
“It was a foundational experience for me,” he said. “The Center created a collaborative and empathetic work culture, showing deep concern for international students, which left a lasting impression on me.”
Among the hundreds of international alumni who graduated both as undergraduates and graduate students from the University in the last two years, many have gone on to find success like Surao through work at other multinational companies like Cintas, IBM and Walmart.
“As an engineer, studying in America gave me a more global perspective on my field which is highly valuable for a career,” he said. “You learn what skills you need to move forward in a competitive field.”
Using the innovative powers of engineering to serve the common person
Surao found an opportunity to use the skills he learned both at SUNY New Paltz and at Amazon as a way to potentially serve people worldwide.
Outside of his work with Amazon, he published research on the potential to tackle mass recycling through robotics, continuing his commitment to environmental action, and submitted a patent for an autonomous robotic arm designed to make mundane tasks more efficient for everyone.
Should the patent be approved, the arm will be operated through an app that can be downloaded on any smartphone, which models how the user wants the arm to complete the task at hand they want to finish.
“As long as you guide the arm through the app the ways you want steps to be completed, it will do exactly as it’s taught,” he said. “For example, if you want to wash your car, you can select the make and model of the car, and the arm will clean it how you wish.”
Surao looks at his engineering career as another way of extending his legacy of service.
“I went into this profession with the goal of using the skills I learned to make an impact in some way, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in the U.S. to do so,” he said. “All of this can be attributed to the foundation I had through both my education here and my service overseas.”
Click here to learn more about the Center for International Programs at SUNY New Paltz.
