Shah, Dayim

FY RD Fall 2022 03/18/2004 CEEB: CAID: 27799163

FERPA: Waived
Submitted: 12/31/2021

Cornell University Writing Supplement

Writing Questions
Engineering Engineering is inherently collaborative. What does collaboration mean to you? What
Prompts strengths do you bring to the collaborative process?, Diversity in all definitional forms is
intrinsic to excellence in engineering. Indeed, devising the best engineered solutions to
complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from
broadly different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. How do you see yourself
contributing to the diversity and inclusion of the Cornell Engineering community? What is
the unique voice you would bring to the Cornell Engineering community?
Engineering Response 1
The prompt rightly says that engineering is an inherently collaborative process. Engineering deals with solving
some of the most pressing problems faced by mankind, purples too complex to be solved by one person alone.
Therefore, if we wish to solve these, problems collaboration is not only a help but a necessity. Collaboration to me,
at its core, refers to effective communication stemming from a mutual respect for each other’s ideas and
confidence in their abilities. I would say that collaboration is something beautiful as the end result it yields is
greater than the sum of the things it brings together. The most powerful strength that I bring to the collaboration
process, I believe, is my blind eye towards the other person’s skin color, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious
affiliation. To me, a good idea doesn’t come from a white man or a black man, a homosexual or a heterosexual, a
Christian or an atheist; a good idea can come from anyone who has the knowhow & skill and should be judged on
merit irrespective of who they are because I believe that in Engineering, we are looking to solve problems and not
create new ones based on petty differences.
Engineering Response 3
Diversity in every form should be a welcome attribute and this is especially true for engineering, a field where
creative and innovative ideas can never be in excess. Unlike a homogenous one, a diverse group of engineers
would have each member look at the problem from a unique perspective, wildly increasing the pool of possible
solutions making the chance greater that the problem is best solved. If I speak about myself, I would say that an
empathy for the human souls is what I bring to the table. Coming from a conflict zone, I have felt firsthand what a
person feels when critical engineering infrastructure means to a person. When the entire Kashmir valley was put
under a physical and communication blockade post August 2019, I craved for a single call – just one call that
would bring tidings of well-being about my dears. Having gone through all that, in any engineering project I ever
work on, the factor of how it will affect actual living breathing human beings is what will be of prime importance to
me & I believe that it is indeed much needed in any engineering enterprise.

CA Shah, Dayim CEEB: Fall 2022

1 FYRD CAID: 27799163