Mobilizing Hope
Regis University helped Sarvesh Karkhanis pay it forward
Technology has always been at the forefront of Sarvesh Karkhanis’ mind. A distance learner who lives in Mumbai, India, he received his entire Regis undergraduate education online, an experience that helped inspire him to seek other ways technology can help improve the lives of others – specifically, premature infants in developing countries.
Karkhanis recently shared what attracted him to Regis, his academic focus, the inspiration behind his career goals and his post-grad plans.
What initially attracted you to Regis?
A few years ago I decided to drop out of my traditional college in order to focus on my professional efforts. Since I have always found more value in self-learning, I decided to continue with my degree through a distance education program in the computer science field. In the search for a reputable online institution, I came across Regis University. The syllabus and courses at Regis were very professionally designed and even had ABET accreditation. More importantly, I loved the emphasis that Regis places on the Jesuit values, encouraging students to be socially aware and give back to their community.
Your capstone project is a medical device. Can you tell us more?
Inspired by the Jesuit values, I decided to apply my skills in a way that could actually help people. After talking with medical researchers, I stumbled upon an old research paper that described a device designed to save lives of premature infants who lack optimal control of their mouth muscles. This lack of control makes it hard for them to feed themselves, leading to extreme malnourishment which could result in permanent disabilities or even death. My solution measures the sucking pressure from an infant’s mouth and syncs it to a stimulus such as music. Using this stimuli, the infants can be trained to suck properly, which ultimately improves their self-feeding skills. Currently, I’m in talks with medical researchers from a reputed medical school in Mumbai who are very impressed with my project and are eager to test my device through actual human trials.
How do you think you exemplify the Jesuit values in your everyday life?
The Jesuit values that I learned through my experience at Regis University are very close to my heart. I do meditate regularly and unity of mind and heart is the gist of my spiritual goals. I strive for excellence in whatever I am doing, try to gain expertise in my skills and apply them in order to better the lives of others. I like how Jesuit values emphasize the fact that everyone has a unique set of skills, skills that can be used with the goal of serving others.
What are your post-graduation plans?
I never have any fixed plans, but I try to follow my inner callings. I may complete my graduate degree in a field that would help me enhance my robotics, design and technology skills. I have already been accepted to summer professional programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and I plan to attend the program. I am also working on my startup plans. I may soon launch my startup and work on it alongside my graduate education.