Biography:
What inspires me most about computer science and STEM education research is that it allows me to develop interdisciplinary skills and projects while reaching different groups of people. I appreciate that my research can act as a building block for future innovations, as well as solve issues that are important currently. I have a strong love for applying my academic knowledge outside of the classroom through lab work and outreach opportunities. Not only does it challenge my own understanding and proficiency in certain topics, it also allows me to be open and see real-world scenarios when receiving new information. As a student, I find that the best learning environments challenge me while providing me the best resources to complete any task, and I would feel a personal responsibility to provide this experience to my students after I obtain my doctoral degree and begin my career in academia. With computer science, I want to educate and inform children about the possible ideological struggles, policy, and augmentations they may encounter in the future, as well as develop new emergent technologies
Research:
“Artificial Skin: The Creation of Low-Cost, Replicable Polymer Sensors for Touch Augmentation”
The purpose of this research was to focus on the creation of novel, computationally-enriched “sensory extension” for educational purposes, the intent is to enable students to design and build their own sensory applications, and in doing so will learn about various computer science and neuroscience topics. The polymer sensor created is a low-cost solution for extending a sense using a resistive sensor and responding with a tactile output for the user. With the polymer sensor, we can map human senses onto hardware, effectively extending our senses in new exciting ways that will eventually lead to better understanding of how our body works, as well as how our brain is able to process and adapt to additional senses.
Research Faculty Mentor:
Anne Eisenberg, Director, Craft Technology Lab, Senior Research Associate, Cognitive and Computer Science departments,