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While pursuing an undergraduate degree in civil engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Adarsh Kumar MFE26 once envisioned a future with skyscrapers and bridges. But somewhere along the way, Adarsh discovered that what had captured his interest was not the structures itself but the systems behind them. Gravitating towards analytics, programming, and complex algorithms, he had found his calling delving into solving quantitatively intense problems.
After graduation, Adarsh’s path evolved through diverse industry experiences in tech and finance, until he found his way to Berkeley thanks to the strength of the Haas MFE network. It was at WorldQuant, where his mentor and supervisor, Prakarsh Duhoon (MFE21 alumni), inspired him to pursue financial engineering at his mentor’s alma mater. Understanding how the program shaped Prakarsh’s own career progression and analytical depth, Adarsh knew Berkeley was where he wanted to be.
“I chose Berkeley because of how well the program integrates data science, machine learning, and financial economics within a strong practical framework. The faculty, the alumni network across top hedge funds, and the culture of applied learning align perfectly with my goals. The program is rigorous, fast-paced, and focused on real outcomes, which makes it the ideal environment for me to grow.”
While at Berkeley, he developed the skills necessary to take the next step in his career as a summer intern at Magnetar Capital’s Systemic Equities team. There, he worked on research around earning calls and analyst behavior, an experience which has reinforced his interests in combining data science with economic intuition. It was a new kind of engineering designing systems not made of steel and stone but instead logic and data. Where its strength lies not in its physical form of the structure but analytical capabilities.
Adarsh shares some advice for anyone applying to the MFE: come with purpose. Strengthen your foundations in mathematics, programming, and statistics early, but also take the time to understand why you want to be in this field. The program moves quickly, but if you stay curious, collaborative, and clear on your goals, the experience will teach you everything you need to learn, grow, and reach those goals.
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