Hi, I’m Pratishtha
I’m a multidisciplinary software developer from Calgary, Alberta. I moved here from India. I recently completed my MSc in Software Engineering at the University of Calgary (fully funded), where I worked under the supervision of Dr Diwakar Krishnamurthy. I did my undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Engineering in India (BTech, Banasthali Vidyapith).
Over the past few years, I’ve focused on building applied, end-to-end systems—especially where data is messy and the output needs to be reliable. My core strengths are in applied development (XR Devices, Apps), data-driven modeling, and machine learning deployment: turning models into usable tools through RESTful APIs, validating behavior with Postman, and designing workflows that are testable, measurable, and maintainable.
In graduate research with ETHEREAL Research Lab, I worked at the intersection of HCI, XR accessibility technologies, and statistical modeling—building interaction systems and the supporting pipelines to evaluate them honestly in real use, not just clean demos. I’m motivated by work that blends human impact with technical rigor: building things people can use, and backing decisions with evidence.
Selected Experience
2023 – 2025 · Research Assistant — University of Calgary (ETHEREAL Research Lab)
- Built XR interaction systems and the data workflow around them (session logging → cleaning → evaluation).
- Worked with time-series hand-tracking / interaction data and developed scoring + validation methods.
- Collaborated with researchers and stakeholders to translate real-world constraints into system decisions.
2022 · Mitacs Globalink Research Intern — Athabasca University
- Built features for a cross-platform application using structured datasets.
- Worked with geospatial content and user-facing flows; focused on clarity and reliability.
2021 · Research Intern — Utrecht University
- Created repeatable preprocessing + analysis pipelines and ran baseline model comparisons.
- Summarized results into clear, decision-ready findings.
Open Source
I’ve contributed to open-source both as a mentor and a contributor—reviewing pull requests, helping debug issues, and improving documentation so projects are easier to join.
- Mentorship: GirlScript Summer of Code (mentor) · GirlScript Winter of Contributing (supervisor)
- Contributor programs: PClub Summer of Code, DevIncept
Let’s connect
If you’d like to collaborate or chat, feel free to reach out via email or LinkedIn. For the full picture, head to the tabs above—Projects, Publications, CV, and Extracurriculars.
