International Community Feature: Smit Shivgar

For the first installment of our International Community Feature this semester, we’re pleased to spotlight Smit Shivgar, who is working towards a Masters in Engineering Management at the Tufts Gordon Institute, School of Engineering. 

Smit’s journey began in Pune, one of the largest cities in the state of Maharashtra, India. An early interest in the technical side of car design led him to pursue his undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering at Pune University. But with time, he also began to focus on developing his understanding of the process side of the field. After graduation, he began a position as a manufacturing engineer working at Bosch. There, he was in charge of production line and shop floor supervision in the automotive division where he managed a number of complex operations. This ultimately led to a transition to working in supply chain operations. 

When Smit started imagining his next steps for pursuing a Masters degree where he could explore the intersection of engineering, operations, and management, his childhood dream of coming stateside motivated him to apply to US-based programs. The Tufts Gordon Institute seemed to have the right blend of the technical and management aspects he was looking for. And it also felt like the perfect opportunity to build on the experience he had gained in India while also learning from a new work culture. Being in a big, architecturally beautiful city like Boston and meeting people from diverse backgrounds were also important factors. He applied and was accepted in May 2025 which happened to coincide with a highly disruptive F1 visa shutdown. After months of uncertainty and having to stay glued to his computer searching for appointment slots, he managed to secure one in August and was on campus a few weeks later. Initially things felt overwhelming once he arrived – adjusting to the culture and regional American accents proved to be a challenge. But with patience and resilience, friendships and his academic life began to fall into place.  

Ultimately, Smit is looking to build a career in the domain of manufacturing supply chain operations using data to shape how they can be streamlined and improved. The hope is to find a leadership role in a company where he can focus on the people side of operations and help improve their experience as employees. 

In reflecting on his time so far in the US, Smit recognizes it has not all been easy but he has learned to cultivate an optimistic mindset while appreciating that failure and disappointment can be a part of the process. While he has occasional pangs of nostalgia for Indian holidays such as the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, Holi, and Diwali, he’s glad to be in a part of the country that has such a robust Indian community where he can still celebrate them in some fashion. Recently he has also made an effort to become more self-reliant and learn how to cook some of his mom’s recipes in order to have much needed tastes of home. Boston has proven to be a welcoming, vibrant city with a lot to offer – walkable neighborhoods, many universities to explore, and a decent public transportation system.  

The advice Smit wishes to leave for current and future students alike: 1) Don’t wait until you feel completely ready for opportunities – that rarely happens so you just have to dive in! Even if something is intimidating, have confidence in yourself, get out of your comfort zone, and go for it. 2) Things have a way of eventually working out, so be sure to appreciate the journey along the way. 3) Always be willing to ask for help and reach out. 4) Avoid procrastination and try to be consistent with your routines. 

–by Julia Keith 

(Photo courtesy of Smit Shivgar)