GLASS Windows
The 5 GLASS Windows are principles used guide my experiences during my time in the GLASS program. To prepare for the program’s final deliverables, we engage in in at least 2 events, jobs, internships, courses, other programs, or extracurriculars related to each principle. Read more about my experiences with each below!
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Tutoring Computer Science at the Polytechnic Tutoring Center
Employment/Job
I’ve worked as a tutor at the PTC since Fall 2021. I tutor the introductory courses for computer science, which are Intro to Programming and Problem Solving, Data Structures & Algorithms, and Object Oriented Programming.
How it impacted me
Tutoring at the PTC has allowed me to share my love of computer science in new ways. Through this experience, I have helped to guide students’ understanding of computer science. I have demonstrated how the field can be exciting by delving deeper into topics which a lecture may not have covered, and by doing so I have reinforced and grown my own understanding of my field. Tutoring has also allowed me to lead by making mock exam videos. Being a tutor has been very fulfilling, and it encourages my passion to share knowledge with those around me.
Connection to UN Sustainable Development Goals/Grand Challenges
Tutoring computer science directly relates to SDG 4: quality education. I have been able to help many students grasp content and understand their work at a deeper level. I believe this could also relate to the engineering challenge to advance personalized learning, as it is helping me find the best methods to teach for various students, and to recognize that not all students have the same needs.
Flexible AI-Enabled Mechatronic Systems Lab
Research/Lab Work, Special Program
From Summer to Fall 2022, I was a member of the Flexible AI-Enabled Mechatronic Systems (FAMS) lab. The goal is to develop soft robots for commercial use, starting in the medical field. During this time, I was working on a solo project involving spatial awareness in robots, while in the contactless robots subteam.
Visual Self Modeling
I worked on a new project, solo. The project was inspired by work from the Creative Machines Lab, called visual self modeling. The premise is that robots can use machine learning to gain a “sense of self,” which is then able to be used to generalize movements to task-agnostic actions. This would mean a robot could control its movement closer to the way a human does, without needing controllers or having to think in terms of Jacobian matrices to move an arm to a precise point in space with a pre-planned path.
How it impacted me
This experience sparked new interests for me of robotics and, more specifically, the combination of robotics with artificial intelligence. Working with soft robotics and artificial intelligence together can give insights into natural intelligence, given that there are closer similarities than AI or robotics have apart. It can also provide benefits to the world with its applications in healthcare and the potential to perform complex technical tasks with greater ease than traditional robots. This promising field has inspired me to look further into robotics.
Connection to UN Sustainable Development Goals/Grand Challenges
Soft robots are an innovative improvement over current robots when it comes to human interaction and less-specialized tasks. The development of soft robots has benefits in a variety of fields, including healthcare. Because of this, the FAMS lab contributes to good health and well-being (SDG 3), and industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9). The goal of my project, specifically, was to look into visual self modeling. Part of the motivation for this is that people plan how to move based on an internal model of where they are in physical space; looking into how this is done could unlock some secrets of consciousness. This would relate to the NAE grand challenge of reverse-engineering the brain.
Research in VR
Research/Lab Work, Special Program
In Summer 2022, I worked as an undergraduate researcher with Dzung Luong on the project “Education Metaverse,” the ultimate goal being to create an accessible education system through virtual reality. I co-developed a virtual reality form of a materials science lab, focusing on a tensile strength testing lesson. I implemented the functionality for the universal testing machine and started working on networking, though I was unable to finish. The project has since developed into a Vertically Integrated Project.
How it impacted me
This project gave me more experience in the virtual reality realm. I learned ways to interact with VR differently than previous projects like the AIM Lab project. As the most experienced member of the team, I took on a leadership role in the beginning and worked with my teammates to make sure we were on track. While I struggled partly due to a lack of guidance from a professor switching research goals, I was able to learn from the experience and learn about how I work best.
Connection to UN Sustainable Development Goals/Grand Challenges
This project would enhance quality education (SDG 4) by providing expensive equipment to a wider audience and making it interactive. It would also help to advance personalized learning. The ultimate goal, along with teaching, would be to improve the accessibility of a materials science laboratory. Because of this, industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9) could also be considered as a long-term goal.
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Study Abroad in Abu Dhabi
Study Abroad
I spent a semester abroad in Abu Dhabi. I lived at NYU Abu Dhabi, and I was able to explore the Emirates during my stay.
Being abroad helped me to experience another culture and set of values. I learned a lot about the UAE and the Middle East.
How it impacted me
I learned a lot about the UAE and the Middle East during this trip. It helped me to see the importance of learning about people’s backgrounds when working internationally. During my time here, I was able to see many diverse perspectives, and I was able to diversify my studies by looking into psychology more. This experience validates my stance that interactions outside of one’s own bubble are important.
Connection to UN Sustainable Development Goals/Grand Challenges
Being abroad helped me to experience another culture and set of values. I believe coming together through international experiences helps us to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. Keeping in touch with people across the globe means that someone will always be there for you. It also means there will be greater awareness of peaceful ties between nations.
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Machine Learning Studies
Special Course, Data Science/AI/Robotics
In Fall 2021, I took a course on AI. This gave me a broad overview on how artificial intelligence works, what people have tried, and what is changing now. It introduced me to different kinds of AI, and allowed me to build my own AIs to solve reasonably complex tasks.
In Spring 2023, I took a course on machine learning, where I co-developed classification models used to identify hand motion using brain waves. Here are links to the report and slides.
In Summer 2023, I took a course about AI and society, where I learned about the impacts of current AI technologies in society today.
How it impacted me
This was a useful course to gain a base understanding of the field of AI as a whole. From here, I was able to look into where I could specialize to best aid my goal. Machine learning is a promising path, but it is not the only path forward; many AI tasks accomplish interesting subproblems that can be applied to other challenging areas, such as optimization of a computer architecture based on its most common operations. Also, this course helped me to find that I quite like building AIs, which validates my career decisions.
Connection to UN Sustainable Development Goals/Grand Challenges
Artificial Intelligence relates to the grand engineering challenge of reverse-engineering the brain. To do such a thing, it is useful to see what others have attempted in the past to create intelligence. Having a base knowledge of AI techniques also allowed me to consider how to augment some with biologically-inspired changes. For example, using neural networks as a simulation of the brain is not quite accurate; however, it is a good starting point, with room to add complexity such as interactions of nodes in a group. It also proposes certain challenges, such as whether one should simulate astrocytes in a simulation of neurons.
AIM Haptics Lab
Research/Lab Work, Emerging Media
In spring 2022, I helped to create a virtual reality classroom environment where a professor could interact with a student through touch. We wanted to achieve this using a prototype haptic jacket created by the AIM lab. My contributions included rigging and setting up the human 3D model for use with the Kinect SDK, and designing human models using MakeHuman.
How it impacted me
This experience helped me to appreciate the effort that goes into a project that combines media, coding, and virtual reality with haptic feedback. Some of this difficulty came from the outdated technology we were using, and a lack of alternatives. I intend to work with more mixed reality SDKs that will hopefully be more compatible with the modern state of VR. I might also be inspired to work toward a better alternative for today for things such as the Kinect SDK.
Connection to UN Sustainable Development Goals/Grand Challenges
This project has the potential to aid in advancing personalized learning. The goal is to allow students to interact with professors in a way that is not possible with traditional online courses. Students who do not get enough out of Zoom courses could be helped by a closer-to-in-person interaction, and in a live setting the instructor can gauge an audience response better than through a screen without camera participation. This project, if completed, could also enhance education quality (SDG 4), as another goal was to allow for recordings of the professor which the student could play back whenever they need.
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Tandon and the Bowery Mission
Volunteer Event
I helped to assemble Practical Care Kits for the clients of The Bowery Mission. These kits went toward the efforts to overcome homelessness and marginalization in New York. Each member of the event handled one portion of the kit in an assembly-line style. During this event, I was at the end of the line, and I helped by sealing and packing the kits. I also grabbed more boxes from across the street to place the kits in.
How it impacted me
This event showed me that even taking an hour out of my day can make a huge impact for a lot of people. Coming together and working on this task was fairly easy once we had enough people to form an assembly-line-style kit creation method. That helped to show me the importance of teamwork during these events. It also showed me how everyone, no matter their role, contributes to the success of a project like this.
Connection to UN Sustainable Development Goals/Grand Challenges
The Practical Care Kits aid in the mission for good health and well-being (SDG 3). It does so by providing health and hygiene kits to those who need it. This service also aims to reduce inequalities within the state. This is helped by providing these care kits to those who need it.
Earth Day at Fort Greene Park
Volunteer Event, Sustainability
I participated in a volunteer event for Earth Day at [Fort Greene Park] (https://www.fortgreenepark.org/) in Brooklyn. Activities at this event included plant, book, and clothing swaps; planting and creating seed bombs; and a number of other fun activities to involve the public in earth-friendly activities. An Earth Day event like this helps to promote sustainable activities. Trading items is a sustainable and community-building way to acquire new things.
I was stationed at the book swap table, where people would be able to pick up, drop off, or trade books. I helped to facilitate these swaps and keep the table organized.
How it impacted me
I really enjoyed volunteering. I was able to assist people and direct the organization of the books. I felt my decisions mattered, and were helpful to the cause I was volunteering to support. I would like to contribute more to causes I support in this hands-on way. This experience showed me ways to interact with the community I hadn’t known about before. It showed me the importance of doing so as well.
Connection to UN Sustainable Development Goals/Grand Challenges
This event contributes to having a sustainable city and community (SDG 11). It does so by promoting sustainable activities such as planting and trading. Planting and similar activities can demonstrate to the city how important the environment is and how easy it can be to contribute. Trading items like clothes, plants, and books, is more sustainable and community-building than buying these items newly-produced.
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Attending SHPE Conference
Details coming soon…
Attending SWE Conference
Details coming soon…
Podium Education: Digital Marketing Track
Special Course
In Fall 2022, I took the Podium Digital Marketing and Customer Acquisition courses. I attended live labs and built a website on Shopify using digital marketing techniques. I learned to work with a global audience in mind. See my site for a mock sunscreen company here.
How it impacted me
This course helped me see the world in a new light. Branding and marketing are all around us, and it would be advantageous to utilize it. I believe building a brand for myself will be an important part of advocating for my goals on a global level. The experience also showed me more ways that one’s world views can differ from my own, and ways to bridge those gaps and work with different types of people.
Connection to UN Sustainable Development Goals/Grand Challenges
The Global Tech experience is centered around providing modern skills to a wide audience of learners. It is for this reason that I believe the experience is connected to SDG 4, quality education. The experience also advocates for inclusion, and includes a series of lessons about handling interactions between different cultures within the workplace. This also connects to SDG 16: peace, justice and strong institutions.