Recent graduate Thu Do ’21 wanted to do independent research because she believed it not only would extend her knowledge and skills, but also give her a great opportunity to apply what she learned in class to real-life situations. The mathematics and computer science graduate put her theory to the test—and proved herself right—after taking a class with Assistant Professor of Computer Science Ed Novak and later joining his research in mobile security.
“I think a valuable skill I learned throughout the research is how to approach a problem,” she said.
During research, she and her colleague, recent graduate Phyo Thuta Aung ’21, were faced with multiple obstacles. With Professor Novak guiding them, the two learned how to find possible solutions, weigh their pros and cons, rank them accordingly, and try them out to find the right paths to success.
“Being able to navigate through challenges is an indispensable skill in a career path or graduate studies,” Do said.
Do — who now works as a software engineer at Snapchat — said to students interested in finding research opportunities: “Do not hesitate to ask your professors if they’re working on any projects that you might be interested in.”
-
Thu Do '21 describes findings in her research to computer scientist Prof. Ed Novak in his research lab.
Image Credit: Deb Grove