Neural Network

The Neural Network: Mohsena Ashraf

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 18:40:23 +0000

The Neural Network: Mohsena Ashraf Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/27/2023 - 11:40

Neural Network Team

Mohsena Ashraf is a second year PhD student at CU Boulder working with Dr. Tom Yeh at the Center for the Brain, A.I., and Child (BAIC). Her research focuses on chatbots, neuroimaging and human-AI interaction, especially in regards to young children. Mohsena’s compassion for others shines through in both her professional and personal life; if you see her around campus, stop and say hi!

What was your path to CU Boulder?

Mohsena earned her undergraduate degree in Computer Science in her home country of Bangladesh from the Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology. She has always had a natural interest in teaching, and during her undergraduate studies, private tutoring high school students. After graduating, she joined her university as a junior lecturer, where she had the opportunity to work with students on multiple research projects, an experience she found very rewarding. This teaching experience helped her realize her passion for education and conducting research with global impact. To further pursue her interests, she reached out to Dr. Tom Yeh to discuss her research interests and soon realized that he was the ideal mentor to work with.

How would you describe your research to others?

Mohsena is currently involved in a project that evaluates chatbots like ChatGPT by measuring participants’ prefrontal cortex activation using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a portable, non-invasive form of neuroimaging. This project has two main components. The first one focuses on how well ChatGPT can support young and first-time parents, evaluating it on tasks like explaining how to change a diaper or recommending products for maternity leave. The other explores how ChatGPT can assist children with story creation. She is comparing participant enjoyment and fNIRS data from three protocols: children creating stories with ChatGPT, children creating stories with their parents, and children and parents working together to create a story with ChatGPT.

If not in academia, what other career path would you have chosen?

“Maybe, I would have been an astronomer or an astronaut … when I was in high school, I liked seeing the stars and also knowing about the constellations. I also participated in multiple Astro Olympiads and I enjoyed it.”

Who is someone who helped you in your career path?

Mohsena is deeply appreciative of the support and guidance she has received throughout her career journey. To express her gratitude, she would like to acknowledge the significant influence of a few individuals. First and foremost, her younger sister has been an unwavering source of inspiration and encouragement. Additionally, she owes a debt of gratitude to her graphics teacher during her undergraduate studies, who imparted valuable lessons on effective communication and teaching. Furthermore, in her professional life, she holds her supervisor in high regard for the invaluable mentorship and guidance provided.

What are three facts that people won’t be able to guess about you?

Mohsena's life holds a few intriguing facts that may not be immediately apparent. She takes pride in being the first in her family to pursue higher education, a journey she continues to this day. Surprisingly, she hasn't yet mastered the art of swimming or riding a bicycle, emphasizing that learning is an ongoing process. In a more creative sphere, she once operated a home-based cooking business in her native country and maintains a popular cooking YouTube channel, showcasing her culinary talents and passion for the culinary arts. She also creates educational videos in her native language, Bengali!

What are some of your favorite activities to do in Fall?

The autumn season holds a special place in Mohsena's heart, and she revels in the splendid display of fall colors. She finds immense joy in immersing herself in the beauty of nature during this season and enjoys visiting places where the fall foliage is at its most enchanting. What sets her apart is her philosophy of living in the moment, opting to savor the experiences rather than capturing them through a camera lens, which she believes enhances her connection with the world around her.

What advice would you share with people?

Mohsena shares this piece of advice: “Be good to your neighbors. We should be empathetic and friendly towards them to build a strong community.”

Mohsena Ashraf is a second year PhD student at CU Boulder focusing on chatbots, neuroimaging and human-AI interaction, especially in regards to young children.

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Orit Peleg

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 22:20:47 +0000

Orit Peleg Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/28/2018 - 16:20

Orit Peleg joined the Computer Science department and BioFrontiers in January and has since lit up the Engineering Center with her insightful research, humble demeanor, and kind enthusiasm. Her research lies in the intersections of biology, mathematics, computer science, physics, and engineering, through which she has gained an appreciation for bees and fireflies. Want to get to know her? Check out how to break the ice and start a friendship.

  What’s your path in getting to CU Boulder? 

Orit grew up in Israel and didn’t enjoy Computer Science until she joined the army in the air force computing unit. It was after this first spark of interest that she went on to college to study Computer Science and Physics, and then earn her MS in Physics. She moved to Switzerland to get her PhD in Materials Science at ETH Zurich, and then to Boston to do her postdoc at Harvard in first Chemistry and then Applied Mathematics. With her immensely diverse and interdisciplinary background, Orit has developed an impressive toolset with which to tackle groundbreaking research.  

How would you explain your research to a ten-year-old? 

Orit tries to understand how animals behave. “To do that I nudge them and poke their environment in a way that makes them behave differently.” Based on how the animals respond, she can deduce what made them behave that way. If she had to explain her research to a five-year-old? “I shake them [insects, honeybees] to see how they respond.”  

What are four improbable facts about you?

 Orit served for two years in the Israeli Air Force. She also used to be a very serious metalhead (she still listens, although she’s ditched the attire) and can play a Theremin (which, upon clarifying, is a geeky music instrument often used in science fiction films). “Is a salad made from tomatoes still a salad?” Orit often ponders this philosophical argument, saying that she could live on tomatoes and that she eats them like an apple.

What would you tell 15 year old you? 

When people found out Orit was studying Physics, they’d reply, ``Wow, you must be really smart,” to which now she says, “NO! It’s something I was passionate about! I didn’t know I would like it at first but I was determined and excited.” Orit would tell her young-self to value this importance of grit and determination in success, that people who cultivate grit can be even better than people who have a natural aptitude towards something, because you learn the value of hard work.

  What part of what you do makes you most excited? 

Orit loves the surprise aspect of a good brainstorming session—she loves being surprised by an idea or by the observed behavior of an organism that they had no idea about previously.  Who is someone instrumental in where you are today? Orit responded with no hesitation that her postdoc advisor, L. Mahadevan at Harvard, has immensely impacted her life. He taught her that it’s okay to be passionate about many different problems, and how to follow these seemingly disparate interests and create research problems from their intersections. In her day-to-day life she also often thinks of her PhD advisor who taught her to talk out her code debugging process out loud. “Whenever I have a bug in my code I imagine talking to him about it, and ask, what would Martin say?”  

In what way would you like to be more like a bee?

 Orit loves bees, and a bee-designed apparel and trinkets are a common gift for her. Of her favorite animal she says, “There is something nice and meditative about having a very fixed routine in life. This is something bees have and I can't seem to organize my time this way. I fit things in where I can but bees are rigorous—it must be nice.”

  Icebreaker Suggestions: 

Show Orit a picture of your dog! Don’t have one? She also loves talking about the recent winners of the Ig Nobel Prize.

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Bobby Schnabel

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Sep 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Bobby Schnabel Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 09/02/2018 - 00:00

Given the many titles and roles Bobby Schnabel has held in the Computer Science department, he is an extremely difficult man to introduce. Although he self-identifies as “Chief Maverick and Rabble Rouser,” Bobby is also the founding director of the ATLAS Institute, an external chair for the CS department, the co-founder of the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), the College of Engineering and Applied Science Faculty Director for Entrepreneurship, and the Campus Thought-Leader on Computing. Do you see Bobby around campus and want to get to know him better? He is extremely kind, eager to meet new people, and wonderful to talk to—just reach out and say hi!  

You've had a lot of different roles, what did you learn from each?

 Bobby says that he's learned two main lessons from his many different experiences. First of all, he's learned the value of working with a lot of people with a vision, particularly in academia. Furthermore, he's learned the value of listening to and learning from people who don't share that vision. Bobby has also learned the importance of working with external supporters of an idea: those who aren't directly involved in the vision or team, but who are involved through fundraising and spreading ideas. Bobby says that at the beginning of his career he never would have expected to have loved fundraising as much as he does. "Fundraising is about getting to hang out with interesting people who you otherwise wouldn't get to hang out with!" He has found unexpected joy in helping people support a cause they believe in, and how rewarding the resulting friendships have been.

  What are three improbable facts about you? 

Bobby was the student manager of Dartmouth Football’s famous 1970 season. He’s also the first US born person in his immediate family, with all of his other family members being born in either Vienna or Germany. Bobby also loves to cook and to create through cooking. When I asked about the most recent dish he created, he paused to wonder aloud, “what did we call it?” before happily describing a delicious concoction he and his wife call Egg Delight.

If you could make sure everybody in the world knew one thing, what would that one thing be? 

Bobby stressed the importance of learning how to balance family and health. Although this means different things to different people, Bobby has learned how important it is to practice the mantra to put health and family first. Bobby feels strongly about taking the time to pay attention to health. He pointed out that for most of us, taking the time to exercise feels like a luxury of time and is often the first thing to be sacrificed when we’re busy. The contradiction that Bobby has learned is that when you take the time to exercise and take care of your health, you’re able to do everything else better. These things are crucial. When Bobby answered this question it struck me as infinitely wise and true; the tranquility and pose with which Bobby speaks makes the benefit of this advice clear.  

What is important to you?

 Bobby admitted that the first things that popped into his head weren’t related to his career. Given how successful Bobby has been in his career, it’s heartening to know that he was able to succeed even while valuing other parts of his life more. “Time for family is so important; it can’t be gained back.” Bobby has learned that time spent with aging parents is unique and special, and the feelings and memories of being there for another person when they needed you pays you back for the rest of your life. This feeling is that which he’s experienced with his two children, as well.  Professionally, Bobby has learned how personally refreshing change is, and how important it has become to him. He’s learned to not be afraid of change, but to assess what’s truly the right decision to make regardless of the resulting change. It’s exhilarating to face change, to not be sure if you will succeed, and to be surprised by yourself. Change has helped Bobby learn a lot about himself that he wouldn’t have expected otherwise.  

Icebreaker Suggestions: 

Do you know of any good running trails around Boulder? Did you just go on a great hike that you want to share? Is there a secret bike route that you’ve been hiding? Bobby would love to learn about how you experience the beautiful Boulder outdoors! 

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Izzy Aguiar

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 16:25:35 +0000

Izzy Aguiar Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/28/2018 - 10:25

Izzy Aguiar started publishing The Neural Network when she arrived at CU Boulder from Colorado School of Mines last fall. She just graduated from the CS department with an MS and is now a Knight-Hennessy Scholar pursuing a PhD in computational and mathematical engineering at Stanford. Izzy is a shining light of a human being because she chooses to focus on awe and gratitude every day. We have been left The Neural Network to continue. This year, we will be including some interviews with members of the Mathematics departments on campus along with profiles from the Computer Science department because there are so many edges between all of our nodes, and we love math. Interview suggestions are welcomed. Stay tuned for more weekly interviews this year!

What is your path in getting to CU Boulder?

Izzy grew up in Wheatridge, Colorado, and her Mum started working in the admissions department at Colorado School of Mines when she was in middle school. Casually but consistently, her mother would answer a question Izzy might ask like “who times the traffic lights?” by saying “I bet an engineer did that.” These hints, after initially annoying teenage Izzy, were combined with encouragement and inspiration from great math teachers along the way and eventually led Izzy to study civil engineering at Mines. One day in a math class a professor mentioned something about number theory and Izzy thought ‘I cannot live the rest of my life without knowing more math,’ and switched her major to math. She also started doing mathematical research with Dr. Paul Constantine and came here to CU Boulder with him last fall to continue that research in the CS Master’s program.

What are three improbable facts about you?

(1) Izzy is a Maori princess. Her grandfather would have been the chief of the Ngati Porou Tribe, but his tribe was made to go to school by the white people. (2) Izzy once swam from Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco Bay, and (3) she smuggled a tea set under her gown at her undergraduate graduation from Mines to have a tea party during the ceremony.

What would you say to someone doubting their pursuit of a career in STEM?

“In mathematics, you don’t understand things, you just get used to them.” - John von Neumann. Izzy got this quote (relayed to her by her advisor Paul) tattooed on her forearm recently. It reminds her that nobody knows as much as we might think they know, looking in from the outside. She says, “I think it’s really intimidating to see someone and think they know everything, but really it’s just being immersed in something that makes someone know something that well. And they are still learning in that immersion.” She also recommends finding a group of friends of supportive friends.

Can you pinpoint a moment or person that has been instrumental in your academic or personal decisions?

In 5th grade, Izzy’s teacher Mr. Raizman told the class, “if you don't want to do this math, we can go out in the hall and I can teach you algebra” and Izzy went out into the hall to learn algebra. Mr. Raisman told the students they were learning high school math, which really boosted Izzy’s confidence.

If you could make sure everybody in the world knew one thing, what would that one thing be?

Everybody is suffering in their own way so have compassion... maintain the perspective to no think of yourself as the only person in the world.

What is one piece of advice you can give us?

One of the most scary and difficult, but also one of the 100% most worthwhile things in the world, is to be vulnerable, and to live with love through that vulnerability… but it’s [terribly] hard.

Reader Action Item

Pick a stranger and make up a creative story about their life beyond what you can see and smile at that person.

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Alexandra Kolla

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 15:45:10 +0000

Alexandra Kolla Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/01/2018 - 08:45

Alexandra Kolla is a brand new associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at CU Boulder, who joined our community at the beginning of the semester. She is a professor in our growing theory group and excited to help new students pursue paths in theoretical computer science. Introduce yourself and welcome her to the department next time you see her around, and use one of her icebreaker suggestions to start a conversation.  

What is your path in getting to CU Boulder?

 Alexandra was born in Greece and wanted to be an actress when she grew up, then changed her mind to be an astrophysicist, and eventually converged on mathematician. She completed her BS in Athens and her PhD in Computer Science at Berkeley. She then held a research position at the Institute for Advanced Study, at Microsoft Research, and at the Simons Institute. Of her time at the Institute for Advanced Study, Alexandra says “we would all live in the forest and walk around and prove theorems.” The we in her statement included John Nash, with whom she would often eat lunch. Prior to joining us in Boulder, Alexandra was an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  How would you explain your research to a 10-year-old?

 “Can I assume the 10-year-old knows what a computer is?” Alexandra studies the mathematics problems that lie behind the algorithms on which computers run. “As an example that is maybe inappropriate for a ten year old,” complexity theory examines how hard is it to solve a problem, how fast of an algorithm we can design to solve it. Within complexity theory are conjectures about what can and cannot be done by computers. One major open problem in Alexandra’s field is proving those conjectures which, if true, imply that the type of Artificial Intelligence we see in movies is impossible.   

What’s something you’re proud of? 

One of the hardest thing’s Alexandra has ever done was, following her PhD and a successful research career, quitting her job to follow her dreams. She sold all of her belongings to travel the world and become a full-time surf bum. She was broke, riding buses around the world, and traveling alone, without research or anything or anyone else. It was the hardest and best time of her life.

If you could make sure everybody in the world knew one part of your work, what would it be?

 The part of theoretical computer science that Alexandra is most excited about and wants to share with other people is spectral graph theory. “It’s a way to, instead of looking at a graph and working with it, listen to the graph like an instrument: a subtle linear algebra way to understand the graph with mathematics.”  

What are your hobbies? 

Alexandra is extremely athletic and loves surfing, climbing, and does competitive CrossFit and weightlifting. She even threatens bad students in her classes that she’ll back squat them. Alexandra loves surfing for many reasons. “It pushes your limit, pushes what's possible and not, and it’s up to you to overcome the fear. You have to switch something in your mind to do it.” Surfing doesn't discriminate either. No matter who you are the wave will crash you. Alexandra loves this more equal aspect of life.  

What part of what you do makes you most excited? 

Alexandra really enjoys advising PhD students and helping them prove things on their own. She loves searching for and finding problems that are accessible and good problems to help her students succeed. “It's more important that my students are successful at this point than it is for myself.” As far as Alexandra’s own work goes, she describes her relationship with it as similar to having kids. “When you think of a problem for ten years it’s yours. You don't have the option to leave it. You can send it way to camp but it’s a part of yourself. You become very emotionally connected.”  

What advice can you share with us?

 People don’t share much and tend to be selfish, even when it comes to research and work. “Our research society advances easier when we share. It’s better to put skills together for the greater good than to be selfish.”

 Icebreaker Suggestions: 

A question that will really get Alexandra talking is something along the lines of, “What’s the swell doing today? How are the waves?” Since we live in a landlocked state, instead ask her about mathematics, weightlifting, gymnastics, or climbing. 

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Chris Heckman

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 16:06:26 +0000

Chris Heckman Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/22/2018 - 09:06

Chris Heckman is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at CU Boulder who does research on robotic perception, autonomous vehicles, and machine learning. The first time I got to meet Chris was when he and his wife opened up their home to host the graduate student “friendsgiving” celebration last semester. As it turns out, this opportunity was the perfect exhibition of what Chris values and how he shares these values with the department. He is a joy to be around, and his outlook of realistic optimism about the world is energizing. Strike up a lively conversation with Chris by asking him about his radical transition between growing up in Orange County and going to school at Berkeley.   

How would you explain your research to a 10-year-old? 

“I work on building robots that can understand their world better and react to things going on around it.” More specifically, Chris is also interested in making these robots “do cool things,” and he lights up as he describes possible experiments to test what they might be capable of.  

Who is one person who has helped you in some way? How?

 Although Chris and his twin brother are really close now, they were very competitive with each other when they were young. Chris attributes this relationship to his competitive and playful nature, to his love of working outdoors and trying new subjects, and to his mentality to keep pushing and never stop learning. His brother has been willing to listen, encouraging of his pursuits, and provided great emotional support.   

If you had an alternative career, what would it be?

 Chris has always been fascinated by and interested in the ways that government organization solve problems like public transportation and policy issues. He loves that there is a familiar aspect of problem solving in approaching the question “how should we redirect this bike lane?” critically analyzing past approaches, generating new ideas, and quickly experimenting new ideas. This experimental approach to policy is similar to how Chris’s “political hero” FDR approached politics, and the connection between this philosophy and robotic experimentation is evident.

What’s your path in getting to CU Boulder? 

Chris grew up in Orange County, CA before moving to Berkeley for his BS in Mechanical Engineering. Nobody in his family had a college degree, let alone a PhD, so when people around him talked about research Chris had no idea what they meant. It wasn’t until he worked on a project with his favorite professor that he realized he loved research. The professor suggested that he go on to graduate school. Although Chris wasn’t sure he could do this at the time, he stressed that now he knows anyone can. He continued his studies in the applied mathematics department at Cornell in the theoretical and applied mechanics program. Chris did his postdoc at the Naval Research Laboratory in DC before becoming a research scientist at CU Boulder in the robotic perception group. Early in his job search for tenure-track positions, he received an offer for a position here and accepted. Lucky us!  

What part of your work do you wish everyone in the world knew?

 “Robots are not taking over the world anytime soon.” Chris is confident that, although things are changing and developing rapidly, this is not going to happen. “When it comes to where we are today, even the best robots can’t open doors.” Still worried? Chris suggests googling “DARPA robot fails” for heartening evidence.  

What about what you do makes you most excited?

 Chris loves and appreciates the research interactions he gets to have while talking with students, brainstorming, and thinking of new possibilities, while still being pragmatic about what they can accomplish. “I think it’s so easy in a competitive environment like school to forget that everyone is smart.” Chris points out that the team of people with whom we get to work with in academia is unique in that everyone is equally suited to tackle and solve a problem. “I feel so lucky my group can be filled with brilliant minds that I get to come to work and interact with every day.”

  What are three improbable facts about you? 

Chris plays the saxophone and he didn’t start programming until college (evidence that you don’t have to start young to succeed). For a period of three months between completing his PhD and beginning his postdoc, Chris worked at J Crew during the Christmas season.

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Jed Brown

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 22:22:02 +0000

Jed Brown Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/05/2018 - 15:22

When I asked Jed Brown, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at CU Boulder, how he would introduce himself, he responded by saying that he usually introduces himself by claiming not to be something. Around climbers, he’s not a serious climber; around computer scientists, he’s not a computer scientist. “It’s context dependent… my bio online says I was raised by wolves.” Jed is an extremely magnetic person whose energy and passion for mathematics, science, and life propagates enthusiasm in all those around him. He is kind, generous, and driven to make an impact on how we understand science. His stories are filled with exciting and quirky details, most of which I was unable to capture in this space—I encourage you all to ask him to tell you more! I had such a fun time getting to chat with him and am excited to share a snippet of his personality with you.  

Were you really raised by wolves?

 Jed grew up in Alaska, 100 miles away from the nearest road. When he moved to Fairbanks at 8 years old, his new friends would joke about the things he didn’t know. They would often say, “It’s like tag, Jed,” a joke that originated when he frequently misunderstood the rules of tag. He would chase the person who was ‘it’. The joke has followed him ever since.

  If you could make sure everybody in the world knew one thing, what would that one thing be?

 In our careers it’s very difficult to have confidence in the outcomes and effects of our work. Just because you have great preparation doesn’t necessarily mean you will be successful, just as a lack of preparation doesn’t mean you won’t be. There is so much randomness and uncertainty in every process. “Don’t take anything for granted and don’t be demoralized by failure…on some problems you’re going to fail a lot…that is expected and does not reflect who you are or your capability.”  

What are three improbable facts about you?

 In 2010 Jed was honored with the “Piolet d’Or,” an award he received for the first ascent of the north face of Xuelian Feng peak in China. Jed has also competed in ski races. His 7-month-old daughter, Joule, was indeed named after the unit of energy.

What’s your path in getting to CU Boulder?

 Jed laughed when I asked this question and replied, “fun and circuitous!” Jed spent his last few years of high school taking upper level classes in physics and mathematics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and upon graduating continued his undergraduate studies in the same subjects. He raced with the university cross-country ski team and when he got kicked off the team (ask him about it!), started alpine climbing instead. His junior year he spent on a study abroad at the University of Northern British Columbia, where mathematics became his priority. Upon returning to Fairbanks, Jed began working with a professor simulating ice sheets in West Antarctica. He continued this work for his Masters, parallelizing inherited Fortran code and enhancing the underlying physics and thermodynamics. During his last year he began applying to PhD programs when he received an email from a stranger asking, “do you want to go to Antarctica, all expenses paid, to put GPSs on unclimbed summits?” Around the same time, Jed stumbled upon the opportunity to do his PhD in Switzerland (also a great story!), which he did after working and researching in Antarctica and Greenland. While in Switzerland Jed began working as a developer for PETSc and after being funded through a proposal with the DOE, began a postdoc at Argonne National Labs. When he was offered a full-time position with the opportunity to work remotely, Jed moved to Boulder and got an "adjoint" appointment with CU. "Adjoint is like Adjunct, but more sensitive." When tenure-track positions opened up, he applied and officially joined the department three years ago.

  How would you explain your research to a 10-year-old? 

“I simulate physical systems and make inferences based on those systems, and we do that fast on parallel computers.”

  Icebreaker Suggestions:

 “What’s bull—?” Meaning, what’s an algorithm, technology, or method that’s widely respected, published, and cited, but shouldn’t be? This icebreaker is sure to start lively conversation.

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Jessie Finocchiaro

Anonymous — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 16:45:01 +0000

Jessie Finocchiaro Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/29/2018 - 09:45

Jessie is a first year PhD student in the “huuuugeee” (said with sarcasm) theory group in the Department of Computer Science at CU Boulder. Jessie is an unbelievably kind and attentive human being who goes out of her way to ask detailed and thoughtful questions of the lives of her peers and professors. Jessie is actively cultivating a community of warmth and acceptance in our department and does so while succeeding in her research and personal life. As is true of all NN issues, this profile doesn’t even begin to capture the amazing person that is Jessie. Get to know her yourself with one of her silly icebreakers!  

What is your path in getting to CU Boulder?

 Jessie started at Florida Southern College as a mathematics major. Halfway through her sophomore year a new CS professor convinced her to join the computer science department and she did, despite adamantly swearing off coding. He talked her into taking an algorithms class and it was in this class that Jessie had her first taste of what research could be. That summer she did an REU in computer vision, where she became increasingly interested in the theory behind machine learning. When the time came for Jessie to tour the CU PhD program, she interviewed with robotics groups who eventually told her, “you sound like a theorist—go talk to Raf.” She graduated with degrees in mathematics and computer science, and started working on research with Raf this past summer.  

How would you explain your research to a ten year old? 

“I study different ways of measuring error so that people will tell the truth.” Interested in learning more? Jessie does a great job of explaining what she does and how it can be applied.  

What are three improbable facts about you? 

When Jessie has two hours to herself and wants to relax, her “go-to” activity is to watch a musical.  Jessie has a cat tombstone on her undergraduate campus with her name on it. The joke comes from a long standing tradition to honor a graduating senior with a small tombstone-like addition to the “Honor Walk.” Jessie’s high school marching band won two national championships (author’s note: probably because of her participation).

If you could make sure everybody in the world knew one thing, what would that one thing be? 

“Aside from statistics?” Jessie wishes that everyone in the world knew how much they mean to someone else.   

Can you tell us about the tattoo on your arm?

 When Jessie was in high school her best friend since childhood moved to California and faced an immense amount of adversity, from depression, to Lyme disease, to finding black mold in her blood. The only thing that kept this friend from suicide was that she wrote “Choose Joy” on her hand every day. Jessie got these same words tattooed on her arm in honor of her friend and as a reminder to choose joy even when times get tough. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” For Jessie, “to choose joy is to remember to do your best, instead of comparing yourself based on others’ expectations.”  

What are your hobbies? 

Jessie loves to run—she ran her first half marathon this past October and plans to run a full this summer. She also plays on the CU women’s club soccer team, plays Dungeons and Dragons, and since moving to Boulder has taken up bouldering (how apt!).

  Do you have advice for other people in STEM? 

Jessie pointed out that, because of the Imposter Syndrome, we often look at those around us and think that they are excelling in their research, that they know more than we do, and that they have everything planned out and accounted for. “Other people probably look at me and think for some reason I have my life together.” We all are struggling and doubting ourselves in different ways; understanding this dimension of empathy will allow us to have confidence in ourselves while supporting those around us.

  Icebreaker Suggestions:

 “What’s your third favorite ___?” Jessie likes that this question forces one to think about their first two favorites first, and why the third favorite doesn’t beat them! As a runner up, “If you had to describe your life as a pair of socks, what would they be?" Jessie’s would be of a hedgehog eating pizza. 

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Liz Bradley

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:17:38 +0000

Liz Bradley Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/18/2018 - 09:17

Dr. Liz Bradley is a full professor in the Department of Computer Science, specializing in nonlinear dynamics, machine learning, and control theory. Liz shows her kindness and dedication to our department through her organization of weekly tea for her lab, through her willingness to support her students’ exciting PhD topics, and through her mentorship of a number of assistant professors in the department. Liz has played a significant role in shaping our department, and continues to do so as we grow and develop.  This interview was contributed by Julie Hayes, an incredibly enthusiastic and brilliant undergraduate in our department. Do you want to interview someone in the department? Get in touch with me!  

What is your path in getting to CU Boulder?

 Liz completed her BS, MS, and PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, only pausing her studies to compete with the US rowing team in the 1988 Olympic Games. Upon graduation Liz was on the job market and was offered a position in the Department of Computer Science. Liz jokes that CU offered the combination of people who were smart, but that you still wanted to spend time with. She noticed that the faculty also had more balance in their lives, something MIT was lacking. Liz has been here ever since, and absolutely loves it.  

What part of what you do makes you most excited?

 Liz finds joy and fulfillment in the research projects she works on with her students. She describes herself as someone in the department who is known to work with students who have ideas for projects that nobody else wants to advise. One of the most interesting projects she has advised recently used information theory to analyze ice cores with PhD student Josh Garland.  

What are three improbable facts about you?

 I keep bees (author’s note: these bees make delicious honey) 
My partner of over 20 years lives in Boston
 I speak a lot of languages: French, Swiss-German, Russian, German, Ancient Greek, Spanish, and bits and pieces of others.

If you could make sure everybody in the world knew one thing, what would that one thing be?

 The golden rule in all three major religions: treat others as you want to be treated.  

Can you pinpoint a moment or person that has been instrumental in your academic or personal decisions?

 As a teaching assistant at MIT Liz remembers the feeling of seeing a lightbulb go off in a student’s head, and the realization that she could make a significant difference in others’ intellectual path. Liz also explains that her father was a mathematician, one of Richard Courant’s students. Because of this Liz remembers learning and doing a lot of physics and mathematics as a child, “but my father didn’t call it that, he called it fun.” Liz’s “lefty socialist feminist activist” mother shaped who she is and what she loves as well. Her mom inspired and cultivated her passion for social justice, activism, and the need to be active on behalf of the causes about which she cares. “She had me out protesting the Vietnam war before I could even stand up.” Liz enjoys being able to blend her technical expertise with her activism, and some of her recent projects have been able to explore the combination of data science and ethics.   

What advice can you share with us? 

Follow your passions. That’s why we’re all here in academia… we don’t do this because it’s high-paid, we don’t do this because it’s easy. In academia, the money doesn’t flow; I make a third or a quarter what I could make in industry, but I have complete intellectual freedom.  

Icebreaker Suggestions:

 Want to strike up a conversation with Liz? Go talk with her about the question, “If you had an hour to think about something and no distractions, what would you think about?” Liz would think about her ice core work! 

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Paul Constantine

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:55:36 +0000

Paul Constantine Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/06/2017 - 09:55 Izabel Aguiar

Dr. Paul Constantine is an assistant professor and one of 19 new faculty in our growing department. Paul’s background is in computational mathematics and his research is in developing and analyzing methods that seek to identify exploitable low dimensional structures in complex computational science models. Paul is also my advisor, the best professor I’ve ever had, my strongest advocate, and one of my biggest role models. The words below are incapable of capturing Paul’s contagious enthusiasm and energy— we are beyond lucky to have his influence in our department.  “In mathematics you don’t understand things, you just get used to them.” - John von Neumann  

What is your path in getting to CU Boulder? 

It’s easy to create indestructible giants of our professors and mentors, to revere them as scientific prodigies who have always had their paths carved out. As a student this can be discouraging when we encounter doubts or struggles. Paul’s story helps shatter this unhealthy mirage. Paul had a spotty undergraduate career and dropped out to pursue his passions as a musician and travel Europe. Eventually he graduated with a BA in mathematics and a minor in music from the University of North Texas, and went on to work as an actuarial analyst and software developer. Paul then received his MS and PhD from the Institute of Computational and Mathematical Engineering at Stanford, worked as the John von Neumann fellow at Sandia National Labs, and was a postdoc at Stanford. Most recently Paul was an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the Colorado School of Mines, where he left (with me, his two PhD students, and his postdoc!) to join the wonderful department here.  

What are some of your hobbies?

 Paul loves music, plays the drums, percussion, and electronics, and is looking to join or start a band! Paul also loves embarrassing himself at karaoke, playing soccer, ping pong, and traveling.   

What are some improbable facts about you?

 Paul’s grad school band played with the musician K.Flay, who just got nominated for two Grammys. He went to high school with Jessica Simpson and his mom is a Lutheran minister. He also didn’t finish his first calculus class until the summer after his freshman year of college.  

If you could make sure everybody in the world knew one thing, what would that one thing be?

 Imagine the world if everybody knew how to think about problems like optimization problems, with objective functions and constraints. Everything from policy decisions to personal arguments would be more intentional and clear.   

What part of what you do makes you most excited? 

Paul is excited by finding low dimensional structures and developing methods for finding them. Equally satisfying is being able to interpret these structures in context of the problem, and his research allows him to work on problems across disciplinary lines. “Interdisciplinary communication is a euphemism for talking to people.” Paul loves working with people with different sets of interests and problems. He is excited to understand and help solve these problems with mathematics, statistics, and computation to make an impact  .

What advice can you share with us? 

Sympathize with those evaluating you: Everyone is going to be evaluated throughout their careers, whether it be for a fellowship, grant, paper, job application, or tenure. Understand what those evaluating you are looking for, what their constraints and objective functions are, and empathize with them.  Practice epistemic humility: Be humble about the degree to which one can really know things. Remember this in all discussions and interactions and understand that you might be wrong. 

Not all knowledge is scientific knowledge: There are things in the world that cannot be quantified. We sell technical degrees as teaching people how to problem solve. This is baloney, otherwise we’d see headlines everyday about mathematicians solving world hunger or scientists ending homelessness. Quantitative analysis is essential in solving in a problem, but it is not all of it. We must learn from and understand others’ perspectives and knowledge.

  Icebreaker Suggestions:

 How many dimensions is high dimensions? “Also, I would love if someone would send me a definition for artificial intelligence or machine learning.” 

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