Defining Excellence in 2025 Vol-2 December2025

DEFINING

E cellence IN 2025

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS The Execu ve Mindset How Business Leaders Think, Decide and Act

Geotechnical Engineering R&D Lead, Director for Research and Manager, Technology and Workforce Development

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS The Future of Business Leadership Skills, Strategies, and Mindset for the Next Decade

From Geotechnical Engineering to Global Impact: How

Ankitha

Prakash Arvan

29988535 ISSN: 2998-8535

www.insightssuccessmagazine.com

is Fusing Engineering Expertise with Entrepreneurial Purpose

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Editorial

The New Architecture of Leadership

A

s we reflect on what it truly means to define excellence in 2025, the narrative is no longer limited to singular achievement or linear success. Today’s excellence is multidimensional—shaped at the intersection of technical mastery, visionary leadership, innovation, and societal impact. Few leaders embody this convergence as compellingly as Dr. Ankitha Prakash Arvan, emerging as a powerful architect of passion-driven, purpose-led excellence.

Already recognized as one of Florida’s Most Influential Women and a finalist for the Top 50 Women Leaders of Florida at the age of 33, Dr. Arvan represents a new generation of leaders who transcend conventional boundaries. Her professional journey reflects not only personal distinction but a broader evolution of leadership in engineering and research—one that blends rigor with relevance, and innovation with responsibility.

Currently serving in dual, high-impact roles—as Geotechnical Engineering R&D Lead at Tierra South Florida Inc. (TSF Geo) and Manager of Technology and Workforce Development at TRANSIPIC, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign—Dr. Arvan brings over a decade of experience in steering complex, high-stakes research initiatives from concept to execution. Her ability to operate seamlessly across industry, academia, and workforce development underscores her rare multidisciplinary command.

At the core of her influence lies her pioneering work in integrating Artificial Intelligence into geotechnical engineering sciences. Her doctoral research culminated in the development of GEOS© Version 1.0, a standalone software that addresses a long-standing gap in the field by enabling accessible, accurate characterization of complex soil–pile systems. This contribution has not only advanced research frontiers but has also delivered tangible value to practitioners worldwide.

-Alaya Brown

Dr. Arvan’s impact has earned international recognition. She is the recipient of the 2023 ASCE State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award, and her work has been featured in ASCE’s Special Collection aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, influencing global discourse on sustainable infrastructure, climate resilience, and clean energy integration.

Beyond accolades, her leadership is defined by communication, mentorship, and vision. Honors such as the 2022 3MT Thesis Scholarship Award and the 2024 Women in Deep Foundations Professional Development Grant reflect her commitment to advancing not just ideas, but people and possibilities. In defining excellence in 2025, Dr. Ankitha Prakash Arvan exemplifies what modern leadership demands: intellectual depth, innovative courage, and an unwavering commitment to building resilient systems—both human and structural—for the future.

CONTENTS 08

THE SIGNATURE STORY

From Geotechnical Engineering to Global Impact: How

Ankitha Prakash Arvan

is Fusing Engineering Expertise with Entrepreneurial Purpose

18 22

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

The Executive Mindset How Business Leaders Think, Decide, and Act

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

The Future of Business Leadership Skills, Strategies, and Mindset for the Next Decade

Editor-in-Chief

Merry D'Souza

Managing Editor

Alaya Brown

Executive Editor

Eva Miller

Visualizer

Michael Warner

Art & Design Head

Donna Claus

Co-designer

Yasmin Nasser

Business Development Manager

Sherin Rodricks

Marketing Manager Business Development Executives Digital Marketing Manager

Jenny Jordan Reem Almasoud, Sheldon Miller Isabel Barnes

Technical Head

Phil Simon

Research Analyst

Helena Smith

Circulation Manager

Finn Wilson

sales@insightssuccess.com

December, 2025 Corporate Office Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-859-2600 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccessmagazine.com

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Defining Excellence in 2025

From Geotechnical Engineering to Global Impact:

How

PRAKASH ARVAN is Fusing Engineering Expertise with Entrepreneurial Purpose

Geotechnical Engineering R&D Lead, Director for Research and Manager, Technology and Workforce Development

E

xcellence is measured by whether one can associate top-tier science with sustainable application when it comes to the complex realm of high-level engineering and research. It is the arena where theoretical models go from theory to long-lasting infrastructure in practice. Emerging as a powerful architect of this fusion of passion and excellence is Ankitha Prakash Arvan.

Already recognized as one of Florida’s Most Influential Women and a finalist for the Top 50 Women Leaders of Florida at the age of 33, Dr. Arvan stands as a paragon of multidisciplinary leadership who is unequivocally 'Defining Excellence in 2025.' Currently serving in two prime roles as the Geotechnical Engineering R&D Lead in Tierra South Florida Inc. and the Manager of Technology and Workforce Development at TRANS-IPIC, University of Urbana-Champaign she brings over a decade of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, rigorous expertise in managing high-stakes research initiatives from conception to high-quality completion.

Dr. Arvan is not just a researcher but a leader in Civil Engineering, well-noted for establishing revolutionary interventions to integrate Artificial Intelligence into geotechnical engineering sciences. Her PhD work culminated in GEOS© Version 1.0, a standalone software to characterize complex soil-pile models and fills a critical void for easy-to-use applications for practitioners and researchers alike.

She has received a great deal of international recognition for her thought-provoking contributions to the field and was awarded the 2023 ASCE State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award. Her work is so instrumental that it was featured among the ASCE's Special Collection for United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), influencing civil engineers across the world to think about sustainable civil engineering practice with respect to clean energy, climate resilience, and resilient infrastructure.

Honored with the 2022 3MT Thesis Scholarship Award for her captivating communication skills and selected as a recipient of the 2024 Women in Deep Foundations Professional Development Grant from Deep Foundations Institute Dr. Arvan is more than an academic leader. She is Institute, a visionary force driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development, ensuring that the infrastructure of tomorrow is built on the solid foundation of today's most brilliant research.

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The Father’s Blueprint: Roots of Resilience Dr. Arvan’s foundation was laid by her greatest inspiration: her father, Mr. Jaya Prakash Arvan. His perseverance and unshakeable belief in continuous learning became the bedrock of her own ambitions. He encouraged a young Ankitha to stay curious and pursue excellence—values that she carried from childhood into the rigorous halls of academia. Later supported by her grandfather, Mr. Sathyanandam Shamarthi, her uncle Mr. Sandeep Shamarthi, her mother Ms. Prashanthi Arvan and a circle of close family and friends who believed in her potential, she developed the confidence to navigate a career defined by high-stakes research.

This resilience proved essential. Over a decade of managing complex research initiatives, Dr. Arvan navigated both breakthroughs and failures—redesigning methodologies and overcoming technical setbacks. These challenges didn't deter her; they sharpened her capabilities, transforming her into a master of project management and research design.

From Legacy to Innovation: The Engineer's Calling A profound evolution of purpose shaped her professional destiny. Initially, her father envisioned her as a doctor, admiring the profession's service and discipline. For years, Dr. Arvan carried this aspiration as a badge of his belief in her. However, a different fascination took hold—a captivation with how infrastructure shapes communities when she personally witnessed her father working on great infrastructure development projects. She realized her calling was to design structures that could stand for decades and serve thousands.

Leadership is not about doing everything alone; it’s about building teams, fostering collaboration, and learning from others.

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The Entrepreneurial Resonance: From Science to Scale

Knowing that my work contributes to real-world impact gives me a profound sense of purpose.

Dr. Arvan’s journey reveals that her appetite for business was not an ambition of finance, but a natural progression from her engineering and research experiences. She realized that technical expertise alone was insufficient to generate meaningful, large-scale impact. The moment her focus shifted to the intersection of innovation, strategy, and entrepreneurship, her ideas truly came to life.

Throughout her research career, she was continually drawn to decision-making, planning, and value creation—skills essential for any entrepreneur. She enjoyed not only solving technical problems but also understanding market needs and crafting strategies for long-term impact.

While her journey began with a dream passed down to her, it evolved into a purpose uniquely her own. During her doctoral research, she realized engineering offered the power not just to design, but to innovate. This epiphany led to the integration of Artificial Intelligence with Geotechnical Engineering and the birth of GEOS© Version 1.0. She honored her father’s inspiration by channeling his values into a field where she could deliver sustainable, impactful solutions for the new Civil Engineering world.

The Architecture of Equilibrium Dr. Arvan understands that sustaining high-performance research requires a deliberate architecture of balance. She views work-life equilibrium not as a fixed achievement, but as a "continuous practice."

Applying the discipline instilled by her father, she approaches her personal life with the same intentionality as her research: breaking large goals into manageable steps to manage pressure without sacrificing quality. To maintain mental clarity amidst intense focus, she relies on regular yoga and meditation, tools she considers essential for reconnecting with her purpose.

Furthermore, she invests deeply in mentorship—learning from others and guiding the next generation—which reminds her of the bigger picture. By knowing when to pause, reflect, and spend time with loved ones, Dr. Arvan ensures that she returns to her work with renewed clarity.

Her success is a result of this holistic commitment: professional structure supporting personal well-being, allowing her to define excellence in every endeavor.

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“My appetite for business is rooted in passion, curiosity, and the desire to create meaningful, scalable, and sustainable impact.”

Entrepreneurship, in particular, appeals to her because it serves as a dynamic platform where creativity is encouraged, risks are transformed into opportunities, and solutions can reach broader audiences. This commitment to continuous learning in financial models, operations, and leadership perfectly complements her engineering background, empowering her to think holistically and imagine new possibilities for infrastructure innovation.

The Unwavering Driver: Pursuit of Excellence with Purpose The passion that drives Dr. Arvan is the unwavering desire to "do better every day" and use her skills to help people in meaningful, lasting ways. At the core of all her endeavors is the belief that her work must improve lives, strengthen communities, and create opportunities.

She is motivated by the idea that even the smallest technical improvement can create a massive ripple effect—whether by developing a tool that saves engineers countless hours, improving the safety of a crucial structure, or advancing technology to make infrastructure more sustainable for future generations.

“Knowing that my work contributes to real-world impact gives me a profound sense of purpose.”

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Her passion is rooted in the values passed down by her father—integrity, compassion, and perseverance—reinforcing her belief that success is measured by the ability to uplift others. An unwavering sense of purpose always governs this pursuit of excellence.

The Pandemic Pause: Transformation, Not Disruption While the COVID-19 pandemic brought immense disruption to the world, for Dr. Arvan, it created unexpected opportunities for focus and growth. The sudden reduction in travel and external commitments allowed her to "dive deeper into my ongoing projects."

She strategically used the period of global stillness to strengthen her analytical and technical skills, making substantial progress on the long, focused work required for her geotechnical software development. The unexpected quiet became a genuine space for creativity and innovation.

Her strategy was simple but effective: she turned inward.

She invested heavily in self-development and professional refinement. Surprisingly, she balanced this intellectual focus with personal exploration, taking long driving trips that provided mental clarity and a renewed appreciation for resilience across the country.

"Ultimately, the pandemic became a period of transformation rather than disruption." By focusing on deep research and embracing stillness, Dr. Arvan converted a global challenge into a defining opportunity for profound personal and professional growth.

The Strength of the Matriarch: Resilience Forged in Family Dr. Arvan’s extraordinary journey is inseparable from the strength and dignity of her mother. She credits her single mother’s unwavering determination, dignity, and independence as the foundation of her own ambition and resilience. This familial influence instilled in her the core values that guide her success today.

Her strengths are a direct reflection of this upbringing: Discipline: Approaching every task—from complex problem-solving to personal growth—with commitment and consistency, enabling her to handle demanding workloads with clarity and patience.

Adaptability: Growing up in a single-parent household required early flexibility and responsibility, which now allows her to thrive in dynamic professional environments.

Empathy and Communication: Taught by her mother, these qualities enable her to mentor effectively, collaborate seamlessly, and build strong, meaningful professional relationships.

However, Dr. Arvan shares her vulnerabilities as a learning playground for others. She actively works to manage her tendency to take on too much at once and her habit of being overly self-critical. Recognizing these limitations has helped her learn to set boundaries and delegate effectively, moving her focus from unattainable perfection to sustainable progress.

“My perseverance is not optional—it is a way of life. But recognizing my limits has helped me embrace progress over perfection.”

The Zenith of Achievement: UN SDG Recognition Dr. Arvan's commitment to excellence is powerfully validated by the accolades that mark her professional ascent. Her genius for distilling complex information was honored with the 2022 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Scholarship Award.

More significantly, her published work earned the 2023 ASCE State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award, a major milestone affirming the innovation and relevance of her research. Her contributions were deemed so pivotal that they were included in the ASCE Special Collection for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), aligning her work with global priorities such as clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and climate action.

My appetite for business is rooted in passion, curiosity, and the desire to create meaningful, scalable, and sustainable impact.

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She advises future leaders to cultivate self-awareness and resilience, urging them to leverage their strengths while being open to feedback for continuous improvement.

Crucially, they must prioritize empathy and communication to connect with people and foster trust.

“Leadership is not about doing everything alone; it’s about building teams, fostering collaboration, and learning from others.”

She advocates for approaching challenges as opportunities for growth and stresses that true leadership must be guided by purpose and integrity.

The Mantra: Passion Guides Every Step Dr. Arvan’s final counsel to her viewers is a philosophy distilled from a decade of high-level research and entrepreneurial drive. She urges everyone to embody curiosity, resilience, and purpose in everything they undertake. Growth, she insists, is not a sudden achievement but the result of consistent effort, the willingness to learn from failures, and an openness to new ideas.

“Embrace curiosity, resilience, and purpose in everything you do. Growth comes from consistent effort, learning from failures, and staying open to new ideas.”

Stepping Stones: Legacy of Meaningful Mark

This induction solidified her status as a leader driving solutions that serve both her field and the world.

Further cementing her role in shaping the field's future, she was selected as a recipient of the 2024 Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) Professional Development Grant from the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI), confirming her growing influence. Most recently, she was honored as a finalist for The Top 50 Women Leaders of Florida and Florida’s Most Influential Women for 2025, celebrating her broad impact and dedication.

Dr. Arvan encourages aspiring professionals to view challenges not as obstacles but as stepping stones. She reminds viewers that true success is not defined by external accolades or titles, but by the positive impact created for others and the resilience built along the way.

Her mantra for a lasting career is straightforward: "Invest in continuous learning, maintain a balance between personal and professional growth, and never underestimate the power of mentorship and collaboration." Ultimately, Ankitha Prakash Arvan's message is a final, inspiring charge to let passion guide every step toward leaving a meaningful mark through one's work and actions.

The Blueprint for Influence: Leadership as Service Dr. Arvan offers a clear mandate for aspiring leaders: "Leadership is a journey, not a title." It is defined by influence, vision, and the ability to inspire and empower others, rather than the mere occupation of an authoritative position.

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December 2025

The Executive Mindset

How

BUSINESS LEADERS Think, Decide, and Act

I

t is not just the authority or experience that differentiates executives from managers, but also their mindset. The executive mindset, in this sense, is the main factor that determines how leaders perceive the difficulty of the situation, how they choose to act in tense situations and how they make the vision come true through the continuous flow of activities.

In a world where there is no real certainty, everything is happening so fast, and the stakes are high, the way leaders think is considered to be as important as what they know.

Getting the executive mindset opens the door to why certain leaders always impact positively while others find it hard to get out of the short-term execution trap. The executive mindset, at its most basic level, is about outlook, rigor, and purpose.

Thinking in Systems, Not Silos Executives work in an area where hardly any decision impacts only one function or outcome. Good leaders think in systems, knowing how strategy, operations, human resources, finance, technology, and culture interact. They don’t just take care of the pluses of individual parts; they put their attention on the whole organization's wellness and the value it will take in the long run.

This systems approach makes it possible for the top management to foresee effects of decision-making at the second and third levels. They know that a move made in one department might have negative side effects in another and they consequently make adjustments. Their mindset is

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not limited to the immediate challenges but is rather directed to the whole environment where the company is located.

Decision-Making Under Ambiguity Executives seldom have access to complete information.

There are changes in the market, data is not fully available, and timing is very important. The executive mentality treats ambiguity as an inseparable part of the scenario instead of a limitation. The best of the leaders learn to be uncertain and take their decisions by combining chance, wisdom, and values rather than waiting for the light to be absolutely clear.

However, it is not synonymous with being reckless. The executives' choice of the time to act is quick yet they are thorough at the same time. The leaders take it upon themselves to evaluate the risks, think about the other options, and take steps with a firm grasp of the situation knowing that often the cost of doing nothing is greater than the cost of making a mistake.

Prioritization as a Strategic Discipline An executive's foremost characteristic is the continuous ability to prioritize. Those at the highest level always have more chances and requests than they can ever meet. The executive attitude separates the unimportant from the important and concentrates the focus on the most significant issues.

This practice brings about a safeguard for the company’s energy. Executives allow themselves to work on the strategic area by refusing the distractions and the lowimpact initiatives. Prioritization is not about doing more; it is about doing what creates the greatest leverage.

Balancing Short-Term Results with Long-Term Value The demand for instant results is a never-ending factor in managerial positions. Nevertheless, the ones who only consider quarters as their horizon lose the ability to create value in the long run. The mindset of top management encompasses the simultaneously taking care of short-term execution and creating long-term value.

To achieve this balance is a tough job. The top management teams invest in the organization’s capabilities, culture, and resilience even when the investments do not get returns up to their expectations.

They know that the success that lasts has to be based on making the right decisions which may not even give perks immediately but will make the institution stronger in the future.

emotions, uninterruptedness, and the capacity to see things clearly despite the pressure.

Cold leaders keep teams steady and improve the quality of decisions. The top management does not get rid of feelings; instead, they control it well and make sure that the right people will not be able to react. This firmness turns out to be the confidence of the company.

The Mindset That Sustains Leadership Impact The executive mindset is not determined by one's position in the organization but rather by the way he or she thinks, decides, and acts consistently throughout the time. It is a combination of strategic view with disciplined performance, confidence imbued with humility, and decisiveness accompanied by reflection.

Smart managers are not characterized by the number of decisions they take but rather by the level of good reasoning that lies behind them. In a challenging and intricate world, the executive mindset is the leadership quality that gives the greatest advantage—controlling together outcomes, culture, and legacy.

Emotional Control and Composure There is usual intense scrutiny and pressure on executive leadership. The way leaders react during hard times influences the conduct of the organization. The executive way of thinking is characterized by the ability to control

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The Future of Business Leadership

SKILLS, STRATEGIES, AND MINDSET FOR THE NEXT

DECADE

T

he coming years will be a critical turning point for business leadership. Changes in technology at a rapid pace, the changing expectations of the workforce, unpredictability of global politics, and a demand for accountability that continues to grow are some of the factors that will redefine leadership.

The model of leadership that was generally accepted and traditionally practiced—primarily based on exercising power, being the most experienced, and controlling—has been replaced by a more flexible, people-focused, and strategically aligned method. The leaders who are going to be successful in the next decade are going to be the ones who advance their skills, re-evaluate their strategies, and have a mindset suitable for constant change.

Leading in the future will not prize being certain. It will reward being adaptable, clear, and purposeful.

environment is not favorable. Having the ability to tolerate uncertainty is no longer a nice-to-have trait but a must-have core capability of leaders.

Strategic Thinking Beyond Short-Term Performance It is true that short-term outcomes are still a priority, but the leaders of the next generation need to consider the long term. The factors mentioned above: sustainable growth, organizational resilience, and stakeholder trust, all require a mix of short-term and long-term performance strategies.

This strategic discipline comprises amongst others, the making of investments in capabilities before they are massively needed, the careful and purposeful alignment of innovations, and the spurning of short-term decisions that might erode long-term value. The leaders that prevail will be those who manage to weave foresight into usual decision-making practices.

Leadership in a World of Constant Disruption The next ten years will be characterized by continuous disruption instead of separate transformation cycles. The interplay of technological advances, AI assimilation, climate goals, and economic changes will constantly reshape the environment for businesses. The leaders of the day won't be able to trust either fixed plans or old practices anymore.

The future-ready leaders need to master the art of effectively working in the midst of confusion. They make sound decisions without having the full picture, change their route fast, and keep the active state even when the

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Human-Centered Leadership as a Competitive Advantage Man's ability to lead distinctly will increase with the help of automation and AI to a very large extent. Engagement and performance are now basically impossible without empathy, emotional intelligence, and communication; no longer secondary traits, these are now the most important ones in the entire hierarchy of human interaction and cooperation.

The leader talking about the future recognizes that the adaptability of an organization depends on the people working there.

By promoting psychological safety, inclusion and continuous development, the leaders will be able to get more creative and committed their followers. Empathy-led organizations will not only be more attractive to the new workforce but also be able to keep the current one and, finally, to cope with the changes in the market easily.

Digital Fluency as a Leadership Skill Digital transformation is now a collaborative effort between specialists and non-specialists. It is necessary for leaders to acquire digital fluency to be able to tell how technology affects the strategy, operations, and risk. This does not mean having programming skills, but it does mean being able to ask the right questions and understand the meaning of the digital insight.

Future leaders incorporate data-driven thinking into their decision-making processes, thus making sure that technology investments are not only in line with business goals but also with moral principles. Digital fluency allows leaders to take advantage of innovation while keeping control and trust.

teams, and shorter decision-making processes.

Agile management style brings the focus through the lens of the control function into the domain of the leadership support. The giving of instructions is replaced by the engaging in discussions. The leaders are the ones who keep the light of the way for the rest while taking for granted that the teams are quite capable to do the work. This trade-off makes it possible for the companies to be swift in their change and at the same time internally coherent.

Collaboration Across Boundaries The following ten years will be a period when executives will have no choice but to cooperate together, breaking the boundaries of organizations, cultures, and geography.

Difficult issues—from nature preservation to virtual business environments, can't be handled by one party alone.

Leaders skilled in creating partnerships, managing oppositional stakeholders, and exercising influence instead of power will be more successful. Thus, teamwork is seen not as a nice-to-have, but rather as a core strategic competency.

Building Organizational Agility Agility will set the bar for competition in the coming decade. The first challenge for the leaders would be to create such organizations that are able to shift very quickly without losing their inner peace. The changes in this regard may be made through less hierarchical structures, mighty

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