Biography

I am proud to be a first-generation, transfer female undergraduate studying Computer Science at California State Polytechnic University. I am applying for this research opportunity because I am interested in using software engineering, including Artificial Intelligence, as a tool to contribute to scientific discovery, with the goal of improving the lives of current and future generations. I hold certificates in Introduction to Machine Learning from eCornell and the Kaggle competition.

Academic Status

Undergraduate Student - 3rd

Research Area/Department

Applied Mathematics; Computer Science; Machine Learning/AI; Mathematics

Major/Specialty

I major in Computer Science and minor in Mathematics. I work on projects in Java, C++, C#, and Python.

Degrees Earned or in Progress

I earned an Associate's Degree in Computer Science from Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, and then transferred to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, to complete my bachelor's degree. I am on track to graduate in Spring 2027.

Academic Preparation

I took two courses in Java and two courses in C++ at community college. I did two extracurricular projects in C# at Cal Poly Pomona. I also picked up Python when taking the Introduction to Machine Learning certificates. More information can be found on my Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngoc-chau-nguyen-cpp/

Research/Publications

I worked on two technical projects at my current school; both focused on Virtual Reality. In the first project (under Dr. Markus Eger), I programmed and helped transform a 2D game into a 3D virtual reality experience. In the second project (under Dr. Fatemeh Jamshidi), I collaborated with a team to develop a virtual reality application that gamifies electronic engineering content for students in the College of Engineering. Students stopped by and tried out both virtual reality products at the College of Science Symposiums. References are available upon request.

Research/Academic Interests

I believe software is a tool designed to solve problems, and it is essential for me to develop software that increases scientists' productivity while minimizing experimental errors. My goal is to become a software engineer and create meaningful software that advances scientific breakthroughs. I am excited to embrace the era of Artificial Intelligence, where many tasks can be automated, leading to a future where complex jobs are performed accurately and efficiently. I am interested in the intersection of computer science with medicine, economics, and materials engineering.

Computational and Data Science Areas

Applied Computer Science; Applied Mathematics; Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems; Basic Medicine; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Biophysics; Cell Biology; Chemical Engineering; Civil Engineering; Climate and Global Dynamics; Clinical Medicine; Computer Science; Ecology; Economics and Business; Educational Sciences; Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering; Environmental Biology; Environmental Biotechnology; Environmental Engineering; Health Sciences; Informatics, Analytics and Information Science; Infrastructure and Instrumentation; Materials Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Media and communications; Medical Engineering; Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking; Political Science; Psychology Sociology; Statistics and Probability; Training; Visualization and Human-Computer Systems; Organization

Motivation

I believe that humans can do great things when we collaborate and have the same goal. I recall my jaw dropping when I studied the complex system of computer networking, and I am grateful for the collective efforts of researchers who invented the Internet. As of today, I have noticed that we are heading towards a time when many significant accomplishments and discoveries can be achieved by teaming up and using the power of AI, and I hope to contribute my best to this movement. By participating in the Sustainable Research Pathway, I aim to become a professional software engineer and also nurture the connections I will form within the team to which I am assigned and the Sustainable Horizon Institute communities. My goal is to become a software engineer and eventually a machine learning engineer.

Lightning Talk Title

Using Computer Science to tackle Plastic and Electronic Waste

Keywords (Maximum 20 words)

software; machine learning; deep learning; reinforce learning; artificial intelligence; computer vision; math; education; biochemistry; genetic; materials; environmental; economics; mechanical; electrical