Inside DELTA: 5 Questions with SarasChandrika Grandhi

Before SarasChandrika Grandhi came to DELTA, her role didn’t exist. 

Upon being hired last May, DELTA created the role of business analyst for Grandhi, where she spends most of her workday doing software testing evaluations. And while she may be relatively new to DELTA, Grandhi is not new to the world of IT. 

Originally from Andhra Pradesh, India, Grandhi has more than 18 years of experience working for large corporations, including the InterContinental Hotels Group and Infosys Technologies. 

She received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering in India and is now pursuing her Master’s of Business Administration from NC State with an expected graduation date in 2025. 

With all this on her plate, she also serves as a valuable member of the DELTA team. 

How would you describe your position to someone unfamiliar with DELTA?

Grandhi works to ensure that online learning tools like Moodle and WordPress are running smoothly and meeting all quality standards.

“I evaluate all the learning management systems to make sure that whatever the students and faculty want is being delivered,” she said. 

 Grandhi is often checking these tools before students or faculty use them, verifying fixes to any problems during testing. 

What are your day-to-day responsibilities? 

“I try to meet with all the teams that interact with the faculty and students,” Grandhi said. “It could be the instructional team, the LearnTech team or the developers, I work with them all. I try to get a big picture of what faculty needs for the students, how they’re developing, and what the standards will have to be.” 

Grandhi also runs a series of tests to make sure that an application is protected against any type of hacking. 

“I will evaluate it and see that it’s not breakable and is meeting all of the standards,” she said. “Then it is good to go and we will release it to the students.” 

What was your favorite experience at DELTA? 

Grandi said navigating the difference between working in higher education and her previous corporate positions has been a highlight in her experience with DELTA.

“When I came in for NC State, it was a totally new thing for me, this is not a profit earning company,” Grandhi said. “We are not behind revenue earning, like regular corporate work. But DELTA is just between a nonprofit organization and a corporation. So then to understand that, it was a learning experience, but everything was really good, the team was so helpful. And now I really enjoy higher education.” 

What is your area of expertise?

Grandhi is an expert in what she calls “ethical hacking.”

“Thinking like a student or a hacker and trying to break applications, that’s my job. It can even be fun,” she said. 

What do you like to do in your spare time outside of work? 

Grandhi said she was a “jack of all trades.” 

“I bake cakes. I have two sons who keep me busy,” Grandhi said. “And here in my community, I teach some Indian culture — things like prayers and our songs for some girls. They come over twice weekly. I also like to do math. I did my diploma in math. I really try to do a bit of everything.”

Since both of her sons have an egg allergy, Grandhi challenges herself to make vegan recipes. She also enjoys decorating her cakes in her sons’ favorite things, such as Legos or football — all without fondant!