ESP Biography

VIDYA RANJAN, #1 sea otter and MBTA fan

Major: 12

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: 2026

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Hi! I'm Vidya (they/she), currently a sophomore at MIT. I'm majoring in course 12 (earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences), and will likely add on a minor or double major in course 6-4 (AI and decision-making). In addition to teaching, I'm also an admin for ESP, which means that I do some of the logistical work to make our programs come together :)).

Come talk to me about anything! I'm interested in a lot of things, but above all I enjoy having the most random possible conversations.

Past Classes

(Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

Z15905: Learn to read Hindi in 2 hours - and get a crash course on Indian history along the way! in Spark 2024 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2024)

The writing we use has a surprisingly complex history, carrying the remnants of a long and rich cultural history before us. In this class, we'll take a journey through Indian history, looking at the evolution of the Devanagari writing system (used to write Hindi, Sanskrit, Nepali, and many other languages!) from its origins over 2,500 years ago to a living script that hundreds of millions of people still use today. No prior knowledge of Hindi necessary!

W15908: Arbitrary Rankings of Arbitrary Things in Spark 2024 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2024)

Come rank things with us! Have a strong opinion about which is the best shade of green or what is the ideal banana ripeness? Now is your time to shine! "A 10/10 experience--would highly recommend" "This activity is S-tier; the best part of my weekend" "On a scale of 7 to 17, I'd give this walk-in a 17!"

A15909: Intro to Madhubani art! in Spark 2024 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2024)

Madhubani painting (also known as Mithila art) is one of India's great traditional art styles, with a history dating back over 2,000 years. Artists are able to create magnificent, extremely intricate works of art, and yet at its core the style boils down to only a few simple geometric patterns! In two hours, we'll start from the complete basics and go through the history and principles behind this unique art style. By the end of the class, you'll be able to make your very own painting to take home with you!

X15882: Transit, Transport, Transportation: A Look at the Past and Present of the Public Transit in Boston in Splash 2023 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2023)

Have you ever wondered what an "Alewife" is, and why there's a train station named after it? How about why each of the lines of T has the color that they have? Join us on a journey through time and space as we look at the history of public transit in Boston since the 1600s. We'll learn about the first ferry established in the city during colonial times, how accessibility concerns affect the design of the MBTA map, and os much more! By the end, you might even be designing your own plans for a transit network in Boston!

W15885: Arbitrary Rankings of Arbitrary Things in Splash 2023 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2023)

W15152: Arbitrary Rankings of Arbitrary Things in Splash 2022 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2022)

Z15284: Make maps of anything! in Splash 2022 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2022)

Interested in geography? Heard of GIS and want to know what it's about? Have a cool data visualization idea? Want to talk to An MIT Student about all or none of the above? Come and learn how to make maps using GIS software with me! Even if you're not interested you can just talk about anything you want, I also like having random conversations while making maps. Some form of food or drink will be provided!