Yashaswini Murthy
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PhD Candidate Email: ymurthy2@illinois.edu |
About
I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), under the guidance of Prof. R. Srikant. My research interests lie in the intersection of reinforcement learning theory and applied probability. Specifically, my doctoral research has been centered around average reward Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) and robust MDPs with risk-sensitive exponential costs, exploring their applications in reinforcement learning.
In the fall of 2023, I undertook an internship at INRIA, Paris, where my work primarily focused on reversible MDPs. Prior to this, I served as a research assistant in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UIUC, contributing to projects in Differential Privacy and Game Theory.
Before entering the Ph.D. program, I earned both a Master's and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (specializing in automation) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Additionally, I completed a Minor degree in Systems and Control Engineering. My Master’s thesis delved into the mathematical modeling, control, and motion planning of microrobots in both Newtonian and Non-Newtonian fluids.
Outside of work, I like photography, running and reading non fiction, science and historical fiction. I absolutely love traveling and also derive a lot of joy from good food (despite not enjoying the process of making it).