Arpit Vaishya needed new challenges.
For two and a half years after obtaining his bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Mumbai, Vaishya worked in the augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) domains for a top tech company in his native India. He was doing well professionally and receiving a good salary as a full stack developer, but he found the work tedious.
“I was mainly developing the same application, debugging the same errors on that particular application,” he said. “I was working on the same thing each and every day. It was not that interesting or exciting to me at that point. There was nothing new for me to learn.”
His answer to breaking up the monotony was to move halfway around the world and pursue his master’s degree at Cal State LA as an international student. Vaishya, 26, will graduate with a Master of Science in Computer Science, a 4.0 GPA, and numerous publications and presentations that he coauthored. He will attend the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology Commencement on Monday, May 19, at the Shrine Auditorium.
A few weeks after the ceremonies, he will move to Boston to start his new job as a software engineer with Lookout, an AI marine navigation company where Vaishya has twice interned in the past two years.
Vaishya was introduced to Cal State LA by Navid Amini, associate professor of computer science, whom Vaishya met during virtual AR and VR conferences. Amini encouraged Vaishya to continue his education abroad and informed him of Cal State LA’s Department of Computer Science. Having worked with American companies at his job in India, Vaishya had familiarized himself with what would be expected of him.
“The tech world was growing so fast, so I thought it was a good time to step back and gain a better understanding of the new industry,” he said of his decision to pursue his master’s degree. “When I was in India, I was communicating with clients here in the United States. I understood the technology they were working on, and I felt that I should align with that technology.”
After researching other universities, Vaishya decided Cal State LA was the place for him because of its affordability. Cal State LA ranks No. 1 in upward mobility in the nation and the state in two separate rankings, partly because its reasonable fees do not saddle students with unmanageable student loans and allow them to move up the economic ladder quickly.
Vaishya was vigilant in applying for scholarships and grants that helped with his fees. His awards included the Alumni Association Scholarship, the Emeriti Association Fellowship, the CSUBIOTECH Research Grant, the CSU Tuition Fee Waiver Award, and the CSUPERB Research Grant.
When Vaishya arrived at Cal State LA in August 2023, not only was it his initial visit to Los Angeles and the United States, it was the first time he had stepped foot outside of India.
Vaishya said it took him a while to acclimate to his new surroundings. He found comfort in the Indian community, but as he settled in and met more people, Vaishya came to embrace the diversity of Cal State LA.
“I was traveling abroad for the first time,” he said. “There were a lot of differences—the time zone, the jet lag in the initial days, the culture shift, the way people talk to each other, how they get along. It was all new to me. Eventually, I started working on campus and met different people. That was good for me. I understood there’s a bigger world apart from my own religion, my own culture.”
Vaishya explored a lot of California during his two years at Cal State LA. He hiked frequently, whitewater rafted in the Sacramento area, and explored Silicon Valley. He is looking forward to more adventures when he moves to New England.
“Technically, Arpit has deep expertise in both software engineering and machine learning,” Amini said. “He can design sophisticated software systems from scratch, and he knows how to apply machine learning to solve real-world problems. His recent work addresses everyday challenges, from developing intelligent systems to prevent boat collisions and improve maritime navigation, to applying AI for disease detection in public health contexts. These projects are not only academically solid but also built with end users in mind, with the potential for meaningful impact. Arpit is mature, patient, well-rounded, and a joy to mentor, and his success is a direct result of all these qualities.”
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