Mousumi Roy, PhD

I attribute my success to having a growth-oriented mindset and always pushing myself out of my comfort zone. In an internal study we took, the highest score that could be achieved was 50, and I got a 48, which was the highest number in the group. I strongly believe that you have to push yourself and that there is nobody who is way too smart while others are not. It's all about growth, development, and how you want to see yourself. If you put in the effort, there is nothing stopping you. I've led teams with this mindset, and they have been inspired as well. I never say no to going out of my comfort zone and stretching my goals, and that's how you progress in life. Another key factor is not being too impressed by naysayers. I come from a Himalayan town, and if I had listened to the society around me, I would never have even gone to another state, let alone traveled internationally as much as I have. I believe in being the solution to problems rather than focusing on the problems themselves. At a certain age, when you're more confident, you develop the mental resilience to say, 'I take your viewpoint, but I know what I'm doing.' I also believe strongly in discipline and spending quality time wherever I am and whatever I'm doing. I put my full attention into everything I do. If something is of interest, whether it's in the technical domain, STEM, mentorship, or helping someone, I'm happy to engage. I never take on things with an emotional burden of not wanting to do them. It's always with the attitude of 'Yes, I'm happy to help and engage if I can.'

My number one advice, which I feel very strongly and heartfelt about, is that you need to be in uncomfortable zones, not comfort zones. The more you experience being out of your comfort zone, it becomes a way of life. This is such a cliche because everybody keeps saying it, but once you experience it yourself, particularly being there, it becomes transformative. You have to push yourself, and there is nobody who is way too smart while someone else is not. It's all about growth, development, and how you want to see yourself. If you put the effort in, there is nothing stopping you. Never say no to going out of your comfort zone and stretching your goals, because that's how you progress in life. The second thing is do not be too impressed by naysayers, because 98% of people are telling you 'Oh, you cannot do this' or 'There is a problem here.' Be the solution to the problem. That's my thing. If I had listened to the society around me coming from a Himalayan town, I would never have even gone to one of the other states, let alone traveled internationally. Never go with the naysayers. Do what you've got to do. Just do it. I will say that at a certain age, when you're more confident, you'll have that mental resilience to say 'Yes, I take your viewpoint, but I know what I'm doing.' I recognize that at tender ages like 16 or 18, when I work with high school students, they get influenced a lot. If someone tells them 'You cannot do that, this is not for girls,' they might believe it. But you have to push through that. I feel it's very important for women to empower others and say, 'Hey, you can do it. If I can do it, you can also do it.' Representation is so important, especially for women, to show that it is possible.

The biggest challenges and opportunities in my field right now include bringing more women into STEM and technology by addressing early discouragement at formative ages, while also embracing the ongoing need for lifelong learning as the technology landscape continues to evolve rapidly.

The values most important to me in my work and personal life are discipline, mentorship, empowering others, maintaining a growth mindset, and staying solution-oriented in the face of challenges.