
Curiosity guides everything I do. I read research papers on my morning treadmill, complete new cloud AI certifications for fun, and keep a running notebook of educational breakthroughs from OER to agentic learning. That constant habit of scanning the horizon lets me spot which ideas are truly novel and which are simply repackaged buzzwords.
My day job has me steering large scale data and AI enablement efforts inside Microsoft. To succeed in that environment, I routinely evaluate design proposals, balance innovation against real world constraints, and coach engineers on turning great concepts into reliable products. Those same evaluation muscles transfer perfectly to judging to assess clarity of vision, evidence of impact, feasibility, and scalability, then articulate balanced feedback that helps entrants refine their work.
Global perspective matters. I collaborate daily with colleagues in India, Europe, and the Americas, and I volunteer with nonprofits that teach coding to girls in rural schools. Such cross-cultural immersion helps me weigh projects through an inclusive lens, appreciating context and resource limitations that may differ from Silicon Valley norms.
Finally, I am driven by purpose. My personal mission is to expand opportunity through technology and education, especially for women and children who rarely see themselves represented in advanced fields. Serving on the QS Reimagine Education judging panel would let me amplify that mission at scale, elevating ideas that democratize learning and spark lifelong curiosity in others.
Aarthi Anbalagan is a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft Azure Core with around 14 years of experience designing and operating large-scale distributed systems, telemetry infrastructures and AI-driven solutions. Aarthi’s academic journey reflects her lifelong pursuit of excellence. She stood first in her high school, graduated summa cum laude in her undergraduate degree, and earned her MS in Computer Science from an Ivy League university, graduating magna cum laude with a research focus in Big Data, AI and Human Computer Interaction.
Beyond her technical expertise, Aarthi is a passionate educator, mentor, and community builder. She founded AI Learning Champs, a peer-driven learning initiative within Microsoft that empowers engineers across geographies to build real-world AI skills through collaborative workshops and applied learning. She is also an editor of the widely-read Medium publication AI Simplified in Plain English, where she guides authors in breaking down complex AI topics for diverse, global audiences.
A recognized thought leader and advocate, Aarthi holds the title of Senior Member of IEEE, serves on technical program committees such as Big Data 2025, and has judged entrepreneurship and innovation challenges like DECA. She was recently honored with the Global Achievers Award and has contributed AI-related articles and book chapters to international publications. Her work lies at the intersection of cloud, data, systems thinking and applied AI.
Aarthi is deeply committed to advancing diversity in STEM. As a diversity champion at work and in her community, she actively volunteers for programs that uplift women and children, especially in underserved regions. She believes in the power of accessible education and has supported initiatives that teach coding and digital literacy to girls in rural areas.
Across every role as an engineer, mentor, editor, or advocate—Aarthi leads with curiosity, empathy, and a deep desire to build a future where opportunity and education reach everyone, everywhere.
You can learn more about me at www.aarthirocks.com.