Sanjay Vuttarapally poses in the Project Design Studio located on the fourth floor of Newman Library. Photo by Chase Parker for Virginia Tech.
From curious student to confident leader
Through the University Libraries’ Studios Network, Sanjay Vuttarapally discovered leadership, community, and a new vision for engineering.
Sanjay Vuttarapally never expected a machine that sorted marbles to change the direction of his academic career.
In high school, he enrolled in a principles of engineering class on a whim. One of the main projects — a small automated marble sorter — initially felt pointless, just another assignment to fill the semester.
Then something clicked.
“I fell in love with the process,” he said. “Brainstorming ideas, building the machine, troubleshooting problems, and writing code. I actually looked forward to going to school just so I could keep improving it.”
What began as a class project became an obsession. He kept refining the design, making it faster, more accurate, and more efficient.
“It might sound silly to get excited about sorting marbles,” he said, “but there’s something incredibly satisfying about building something from scratch and watching it work.”
That satisfaction followed him to Virginia Tech, where he discovered that same spark in the University Libraries’ Studios Network.
Discovering the studios
Like many first-year engineering students, Vuttarapally encountered the studios through coursework that required 3D printing and laser cutting. His first time walking into the Prototyping Studio left an impression.
“I was amazed that students were trusted to work with that kind of equipment,” he said. “It felt open, hands-on, and different.”
Even more striking was the student-driven culture. Students taught students, creating an environment that rewarded curiosity, collaboration, and initiative.
He applied for several positions across the Studios Network and was hired as an outreach assistant in the Project Design Studio, an opportunity that would become one of the most formative experiences of his college career.
From assistant to leader
He started by supporting events and logistics, learning the rhythm of outreach work under the guidance of his supervisor, Sara Bear.
As his confidence grew, so did his responsibilities. He began planning and running events, coordinating volunteers, and onboarding new outreach assistants.
One of his favorite moments came from a small event he called the Design Challenge. Held in the Prototyping Studio, the event invited a handful of students to design dinosaurs from waste materials such as cardboard and clay. The goal was to build a dinosaur that could survive a specific environment.
“There were only six to nine students, but that’s what made it special,” said Vuttarapally. “It felt cozy. People weren’t just visiting the studios — they felt like they belonged there.”
For Vuttarapally, it captured the heart of the studios as not just advanced tools, but a welcoming creative environment.
Sanjay Vuttarapally leads a planning meeting for the University Libraries studios outreach team in Newman Library. Photo by Chase Parker with Virginia Tech.
Learning what you can’t learn in class
When asked what he learned most from working in the studios, he didn't point to technical skills. He pointed to communication.
While staffing Game Night, a recurring event that draws more than 100 students, his initial calls for volunteers went unanswered.
“I panicked,” he said. “I thought I had completely failed.”
He then realized that the problem wasn’t interest, it was communication. After replacing direct messages with a simple Google Form, volunteer sign-ups poured in.
“That’s something you don’t really learn in lectures,” he said. “You learn it by messing up, adjusting, and trying again.”
The role also taught him time management, adaptability, and how to stay calm when problems arise without warning. These are skills that are shaped by real responsibilities rather than a syllabus.
A new vision for the future
Perhaps the most significant change was personal. When he began his studies, Vuttarapally imagined a future spent working alone.
Now, he wants the opposite.
Through outreach and leadership, he discovered that he thrives on working with people. That realization helped guide his decision to pursue biomedical engineering, where technical skills directly improve lives.
“I want to create things that help people,” he said. “Working with people is just as important as the technology itself.”
After three years in the studios, his confidence has grown.
“I’m proud of how many events we’ve run,” he said. “We keep trying new ideas, that’s what makes it exciting, even after three years.”
