Karthich Ramakrishnan wants academic insights to help solve policy problems

Wonk /wäNGk/: Informal term for a person who takes an extreme interest in political policy. See also academic, scholar, geek, nerd.
There are certain moments that set you on a life path. This was one for Karthick Ramakrishnan: There he was, a mere grad student, slated to present his research paper at the prestigious American Political Science Association alongside esteemed professors whose works he revered.
His research was about immigration, a subject near and dear to his India-born heart.