As Aayushi Verma enters her second year in the PhD program in the School of Computing, she has been growing as a researcher and leader, giving back to the academic community, and preparing for the next stages of her career. Aayushi’s involvement in the John Lof Leadership Academy (JLLA) and the GradLife Committee in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) highlights how taking on leadership roles can be a meaningful part of personal and professional growth.
“It is important that we lead with kindness and empathy.” – Aayushi Verma
Starting the PhD Journey with Leadership Practice
Aayushi’s involvement in JLLA began after hearing about the organization during her doctoral orientation. Intrigued by its focus on developing leadership among fellow graduate students in the College of Engineering, she applied, interviewed, and joined the cohort. Now in her second year with JLLA, she serves as the Finance Co-Director on the Executive Board (2025–2026), overseeing the organization’s budget, while also contributing to event planning, outreach, and recruitment.
Helping with two professional development workshops, “Building and Leading Multi-Generational Teams” and “Crisis Management and Decision-Making Under Pressure” , allowed her to refine her event planning, content creation, and strategic thinking.
In Spring 2025, Aayushi chaired the JLLA Outreach Committee, where she worked with her team to develop a charter to expand connections and strengthen ties between JLLA, the College of Engineering, the broader UConn community, and the general public.
Aayushi (second from left) with JLLA faculty leadership and eBoard team, May 2025
Strengthening Graduate Life Through Departmental Engagement
In addition to her work in the lab and JLLA, Aayushi serves on the GradLife Committee in her department. Inspired by the success of a Halloween event organized by a friend, Aayushi joined the committee to help foster connection and community among graduate students.
She has since launched initiatives including a weekly lunch series, listening sessions to gather student feedback, and a student-run seminar series. “I wanted to be involved in creating a stronger sense of community in my department,” she says. “Grad school can feel isolating, and spaces like these help us support each other beyond just coursework or research.”
Gaining and Applying Career-Ready Skills
Aayushi’s experiences have helped her build transferable core career skills that are highly valued by employers. Drawing on her background as a former data scientist and master’s degree student in Data Science, she brought strengths in communication and professionalism to her roles.
Through her time in JLLA and GradLife, she’s also learned how to collaborate with people from diverse academic, cultural, and professional backgrounds. Leading these efforts has helped her strengthen her ability to take initiative, delegate thoughtfully, and motivate a team around a shared goal.
Through her time at JLLA, she has been building her own leadership framework—shaped by principles she’s studied and challenges she has navigated—which she hopes will serve as her north star throughout her career. “I’ve been learning not just about how to lead, but about why I lead—and how to stay grounded in that.”
Leadership as Bridge-Building
One of Aayushi’s key insights is the importance of taking intentional ownership of her actions to build meaningful connections. As a bridge between JLLA, the College of Engineering, and the graduate student body, she ensures that the initiatives she leads truly serve the communities they’re meant for.
“I’ve learned that taking ownership means acting with purpose,” she reflects. This mindset is helping her build confidence and envision how she will be able to advocate for herself and her team, communicate her research, or connect with like-minded individuals to address specific needs throughout her career.
The Power of Quiet Leadership
For Aayushi, leadership doesn’t have to be loud or commanding. She has found strength in what she calls quiet leadership, which she believes is effective at bringing people together to serve a common purpose. For her, quiet leadership means the ability to unite people, cultivate supportive and inclusive environments, believe in each other, and support team members through challenges.
“It is important that we lead with kindness and empathy,” she says, particularly as many doctoral students will eventually take on mentoring, teaching, or supervisory roles in their careers.
Aayushi presenting her research poster at the Research Connections event, UConn, October 2024.
Advice for Fellow Graduate Students
Balancing leadership responsibilities with academic demands is no easy task. Aayushi relies on weekly goal-setting routines that include mapping out the upcoming week, key goals and deadlines, and breaking down large tasks into smaller ones. She finds such routines help her stay on track with her commitments without losing sight of her bigger goals.
She also emphasizes wellness. Getting in some movement, spending time outdoors, painting, reading, and connecting with friends and family are what she finds useful wellness strategies.
Her message to fellow doctoral students considering leadership opportunities is, “Go for it! Stepping outside your comfort zone is a fantastic learning opportunity – the skills you build will serve you well throughout your career journey.”
