Staff Spotlight: Jaya Kannan

Jaya Kannan is the Director of Technology for Curriculum and Research in the IT Department. Q: What is the specific role that you perform with IT? What is your daily routine like? A: My specific role is to act as the nexus between academic technology tools, pedagogy and research support for faculty and students. A large part of my work involves faculty development, that is, working with faculty to meet their digital teaching objectives. In terms of daily routine, I spend a lot of time doing m

Thoughts on Theses: Billy Jang

Billy Jang is a computer science and mathematics double major writing a computer science thesis on security in machine learning systems. His advisor is Assistant Professor of Computer Science Scott Alfeld. Q: Could you tell me about your thesis?A: At a high-level, my thesis is taking a look at security vulnerabilities found in a field called machine learning, which is pretty closely related to statistics. My thesis work focuses on whether a hypothetical attacker might be able to reverse enginee

Thoughts on Theses: Derek Schneider

Derek Schneider is a senior biology major writing a thesis on speciation in lycium australe. His advisor is Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Jill Miller. Q: What is your thesis about?A: My thesis is about investigating speciation in plants. My lab focuses on a species of plant called lyceum australe. It grows in Australia, as the name suggests. Some previous theses in my lab have noted some significant differences across its range, and there’s some specimen that have purple flower

Thoughts on Theses: Hapshiba Kwon

Hapshiba Kwon is an English major writing a thesis about the embodied experience. Her advisor is Writer-in-Residence Shayla Lawson. Q: What is your thesis about?A: My thesis is a work in progress. It’s a creative writing thesis in the English department. It’s going to be about the embodied experience of females, and it will deal with my personal experience as a female with a body. It will explore the relationship between the idea of soul and body, which are traditionally thought of as very sepa