When the COVID-19 pandemic forced MIT students to evacuate campus in March, Geeticka Chauhan faced an unexpected challenge. Just weeks after being elected council president of Sidney-Pacific, MIT's largest graduate residence, the fourth-year PhD student found herself navigating crisis meetings with university administrators while managing her own travel restrictions that prevented her from returning home to India.
From her Sidney-Pacific apartment, Chauhan continues to adapt to her leadership role while preparing for the complex task of safely reintegrating over 1,000 residents into high-density living spaces. Her responsibilities include developing protocols for common areas, addressing noise complaints as students spend more time confined to their rooms, and supporting the mental and physical well-being of a community now limited to virtual gatherings. "It's an unprecedented situation," she reflects.
Chauhan's background in artificial intelligence and natural language processing has uniquely positioned her for these challenges. During her time at MIT, she has consistently leveraged her technical expertise to strengthen community bonds, particularly drawing from her experiences as an international student.
Building Community Through Innovation
Upon arriving at MIT in 2017, Chauhan immediately connected with Sidney-Pacific's vibrant "helper culture," where researchers apply their experimental mindset to everyday activities. "These brilliant minds might be developing algorithms by day and crafting culinary experiments by night," she notes. "That collaborative spirit embodies what MIT represents to me."
Soon, Chauhan was leading Budokon yoga sessions, creating innovative dishes, and helping organize large-scale community events that brought together hundreds of international graduate students. Beyond the technical challenge of preparing meals for massive crowds, these activities provided her with a sense of belonging thousands of miles from her home in New Delhi. "Creating these connections gave me a family away from home," she explains.
Chauhan has actively addressed challenges facing international students at MIT. As a member of the Presidential Advisory Council, she collected and presented testimonies regarding visa difficulties to MIT's leadership. When a friend from China faced quarantine on Valentine's Day, Chauhan organized a care package delivery system, ensuring isolated students received meals, chocolates, and supportive notes. "When you're far from home, small gestures of care make a tremendous difference," she says.
From Math Struggles to AI Innovation
Growing up in New Delhi, Chauhan initially struggled with mathematics and coding, but with encouragement from her mother and grandmother, she transformed these weaknesses into strengths. "My mother taught me that perseverance can turn your greatest challenges into your most significant assets," she recalls. This mindset eventually led her to pursue computer science.
However, as the intense pressure of college preparation mounted, Chauhan yearned for balance and creative expression. She discontinued her weekend engineering classes, enrolled in photography courses, and eventually earned a full scholarship to Florida International University, drawn by the prospect of a more holistic education.
The transition to American education presented cultural challenges. In Miami, she struggled to reconcile the individualistic mindset with her community-oriented upbringing. It was there she met Professor Mark Finlayson, whose research in narrative science and natural language processing sparked her interest in AI. "Professor Finlayson's mentorship opened my eyes to how AI could deepen our understanding of human narratives and ultimately ourselves," she says. This guidance ultimately led her to MIT.
Healthcare AI Research and Beyond
Chauhan now works in MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, focusing on natural language processing applications in healthcare. Her master's project developed a tool to analyze clinical literature, helping pharmacologists identify potentially dangerous drug interactions. Currently, she's completing a project that combines visual analysis of chest radiographs with textual analysis of radiology reports to quantify pulmonary edema, assisting clinicians in managing patients with acute heart failure.
"In modern healthcare, practitioners spend excessive time on administrative tasks rather than patient care," Chauhan explains. "Our research aims to automate decision support processes, giving clinicians more time for what matters most—caring for patients."
As her research progresses, Chauhan is exploring model interpretability—making AI decision-making processes transparent by highlighting which data points influence conclusions. Despite facing challenges like imposter syndrome during her PhD journey, she has learned to balance her professional identity with her personal interests in teaching, henna art, singing, yoga, and student governance.
"Early in my academic career, I struggled with perfectionism," Chauhan admits. "I've learned that true success comes from embracing your whole self, not just your achievements. Research shows women in STEM are more likely to abandon their fields after receiving a single B grade, which highlights why we need to evaluate people holistically, not just by their resumes or grades."
