Aditya “Sunny” Sundaresan, business and financial analyst in Pod 2, plays Hindustani classical music on his sitar and enjoys scuba diving when he’s not watching out for the financial health of School of Medicine Basic Sciences cores. We sat down with Sundaresan to learn more about him and the work he does at Vanderbilt for our school.
What do you do for the SOMBS?
I am a business and financial analyst for the Pod 2 cores. I basically manage the finances for the Pod 2 cores, making sure each of their task accounts is accurate, reconciled, and compliant every month, which I send out in a report. I take all that data and turn it into clean, visually compelling reports that make sense to leadership without them having to dig through spreadsheets.
On top of that, I handle the financial side of external research contracts, tracking budgets and keeping everything in order from start to finish. At the end of the day, I ensure their money is where it’s supposed to be and the right people always have the information they need. Some of the job is simply making sure the principal investigators can focus on the science and not think about the money.
How long have you been working for Vanderbilt and/or the SOMBS?
It will be three years in August.
Where were you born and/or raised?
I was born on Long Island, New York, but grew up in Davis, California, the bicycle capital of the U.S.A.
Why do you like working for the SOMBS?
I like working with my boss, Beth Rivas, and creating relationships with both my coworkers and the people on the science side. It’s nice to know that my work, however small it may seem, is indirectly helping cancer research.
What is your favorite memory or project you completed during your time here so far?
There was a last-minute billing deadline I helped assist with, and though I had no idea how to help at first, miraculously we managed to get everything done on time, and while I was stressed at the time, it’s fun to look back on and realize it all worked out.
Can you name a colleague who has had a positive impact on your work?
David Stiles, who’s a financial analyst. He really helped me fit into Vanderbilt, understood my background and has been a huge help in helping me navigate career choices.
What activities to do you like to do outside of work?
I do outdoor photography and some short videos here and there of the places I’ve gone. I keep most of my videos to myself. I have scuba-dived in Central America mostly (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico); my favorite location was the cenotes in Mexico.
I’ve only had one close call: In Costa Rica, at 110 feet below the water, I ran low on oxygen and there was a strong current. But I’m safe now!
What is a fun fact about you?
I play the sitar, an Indian instrument that looks like a bass guitar. I play Hindustani (North Indian) classical music. Unlike western classical, there is no sheet music, but there are still scales, different keys, etc., and a lot of freestyle with structure. It’s similar to jazz that way.
Which person from the past would you like to meet and why?
I would like to meet Paul Newman because he just seems so interesting and charismatic, and I didn’t grow up when he was very popular. He’s from the age of the more classic movie stars and it would be fun to talk to someone like that!