Feature Stories Alumni: Sharan Anil Kumar, MS ’22: Turning risk into reward at UMass Dartmouth

Computer science graduate alum
Sharan Anil Kumar, MS '22
Feature Stories Alumni: Sharan Anil Kumar, MS ’22: Turning risk into reward at UMass Dartmouth
Sharan Anil Kumar, MS ’22: Turning risk into reward at UMass Dartmouth

Through perseverance & support from the UMassD community, Sharan not only found professional success but also returned to give back as a proud Alumni Association member.

Sharan Anil Kumar, MS ’22, arrived at UMass Dartmouth as an uncertain student, brimming with untapped potential. While eager to embrace the limitless opportunities before him, he was equally aware of the risks he had taken to pursue his education as a Corsair. 

Originally from Chennai, India, and holding a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Sharan was three years into a successful career as an associate quality assurance consultant at Sirius Computer Solutions when he made the bold decision to deepen his passion for computer science with a master’s degree from a university in the United States. Thankfully, he knew where he could make his dreams come true and owes it all to his friend and former classmate, Anusha Sridhar, MS ’18 

“Anusha and I went to undergrad together, and she graduated from UMass Dartmouth while I was applying to universities all over the country for the same degree she had just earned,” Sharan said. “That was really the inspiration to attend UMass Dartmouth; it’s very promising to know someone who had taken this journey and was so successful from it. 

“Looking back on all of this now, I realize this was all very risky to do it at first place,” Sharan confessed. As an international student, he faced significant financial hardship in trying to secure a student loan to fund his education and afford his journey across the world to Ring Road, eventually turning to his family for help. “My mom, Lakshmi, a high school computer science teacher with over 30 years of experience, has always been my greatest inspiration to pursue this field of study. She and my cousin made extraordinary financial sacrifices to support my dreams and make this all possible.” 

Though Sharan understood that the risk was well worth the reward, he couldn’t help but tremble under the weight of his decision, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic halted all in-person classes and restricted access to campus in 2020. He spent his first year as a Corsair learning from behind a computer screen and working as a member of the University’s COVID cleaning team, a far cry from the start he had envisioned. 

While keeping campus clean and safe, Sharan bumped into Chancellor Mark Fuller on several occasions, each a chance encounter that would change his trajectory at UMass Dartmouth. They bonded over their different yet similar experiences, both being new to the University and navigating unfamiliar territory in their own ways. These conversations broadened Sharan's view of how he could engage with the UMass Dartmouth community, motivating him to pursue new avenues for involvement and personal growth. 

“Chancellor Fuller always had this warm smile,” said Sharan, who later joined the Graduate Student Senate and became the president of the Indian Students Association. “Over the years, our bond has become very special. He has been so supportive of the international population on campus, and having the chance to collaborate with the University’s leadership on student initiatives was a highlight of my time at UMass Dartmouth.” 

ISA, Chancellor Fuller, graduation
A collection of photos from Sharan's time as a Corsair.

Chancellor Fuller isn’t the only one who influenced Sharan’s time as a scholar. Assistant teaching professor of computer and information science, Dr. Amir Akhavan Masoumi, realized the rich depth of Sharan’s skillset and enlisted his help in grading work for a quality assurance course. So impressed with Sharan’s computer science knowledge, Dr. Amir also helped him land a teaching assistantship, where he lectured and assisted object-oriented programming (JAVA) lab sessions, and a research thesis opportunity with Dr. Yuchou Chang 

Throughout his thesis work, Sharan received invaluable guidance from Dr. Chang, in addition to the mentorship of computer science chairperson Dr. Haiping Xu and assistant teaching professor Dr. Adnan El-Nasan. Under their collective support, Sharan concluded his UMass Dartmouth studies with the successful defense of his research thesis, “Curriculum Learning for Improved Deep-Unrolled Image Reconstruction: Incorporating Prior Knowledge with Scheduled Data,” in May 2022.  

This work laid a strong foundation for his future career, and today, Sharan works at Paramount Plus as a senior quality assurance engineer, performing data quality assurance for nearly 70 million users. For nearly two years after graduation, he lived in New Bedford, MA and frequently returned to UMass Dartmouth for countless events, making up for time lost in 2020 and bridging connections with friends old and new. 

“You just can’t keep me away from UMass Dartmouth,” said Sharan, who has since relocated to Washington. “Nothing would have been possible without the support from this community. A lot of international students carry similar dreams as me, and I remember an Alumni Association member addressed us as alumni for the first time at Commencement. It was a surreal moment and made me realize that I have valuable experiences that I can share to inspire people.” 

Sharan is now an Alumni Association member himself, driven by his desire to stay connected to the university that gave him so much. Through this involvement, he has found a meaningful way to stay engaged, network with fellow alumni, and continue the cycle of support that played such a pivotal role in his own success. 

“It was an alumna that inspired me to take this leap of faith in the first place. I came to this state with no relatives or friends, but now I have a family of my own,” said Sharan. “Giving back doesn’t always have to be monetary—time is money. Everyone has something to offer. It’s just up to them to realize it.”