Repaying in Kind
According to Soyeb Barot (M.S. ’05), “Excellence is not a skill. It’s an attitude and perseverance is key.” The New York Tech grad and New Jersey resident can attest to this philosophy firsthand. Growing up in Mumbai, India, his parents always emphasized the importance of education. “Even though they never had the opportunities to continue their studies, they made sure I had the resources—even through financial struggles,” he says.
When he lost his mother during his undergraduate years, he worked to help support the family, but his father always ensured that his education goals stayed on track. He was able to graduate, and in 2004 came to New York Tech to pursue a master’s degree in computer science.
“The courses New York Tech offered aligned with what I wanted and offered me the ability to explore multiple substreams within computer science,” he says. “And in a time before WhatsApp and Facebook, the admissions and computer science departments worked really hard to ensure international students got the support they needed to transition to a new country and educational format.”
While pursuing his master’s, Barot met the love of his life and settled in New Jersey, where he and his wife love to grow vegetables in their garden, cook, and take road trips. He has also found success in his chosen field, serving as a vice president at Gartner Inc., a research and advisory firm that provides actionable, objective insights to build next-generation technologies for global organizations. “As an analyst, I cover topics on machine learning and artificial intelligence,” he says. “In the role of chief of research, I am responsible for the research and content strategy—including completing 250 to 300 research notes per year—for technical professionals across the domains of data and analytics, enterprise applications, infrastructure and cloud, and security across the entire industry.”
Barot also prioritizes giving back to the school that gave him so much. He is a mentor in the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences CAMPUS Mentoring Program and serves on the college’s advisory board. “I am a big believer that mentors play a critical role in your professional as well as your personal life. You learn from the experiences and viewpoints of others who have taken different paths to realize their dreams,” he says. “Being a mentor gives me an opportunity to give back in a similar way as I have always learned from my personal ‘board of mentors,’ as I refer to them.”
Barot finds that he gains a lot from the program. “It’s rewarding to learn from mentees, how they look at challenges and what motivates them. I am often impressed and inspired by them,” he says, adding that the university fosters supportive and productive environments for growth. “New York Tech provides a fantastic home for a diverse community, which makes it a meeting place for students to come up with innovative ideas and solutions.”
