Each year, the student organization Women in Computer Science (WiCS) hosts a research luncheon that connects students with university faculty. Their goal is to help undergraduates get involved with research early on and help them stay informed about research at Stony Brook, specifically in computer science.
This year, the WiCS luncheon took place on Monday, April 21st, with several dozen attendees. Students were able to network with faculty and learn about research opportunities in areas such as cybersecurity, machine learning, and AI. Although students at any point in their academic journey were welcome to attend, the event was targeted mainly towards undergraduates.
“We want to show that research is not only limited to graduate students,” said Adrianna Peng, the current chair of the WiCS event committee. “It’s important for people to get an early head start, so they can see what interests them in computer science and get their feet wet.”
The event was organized to allow students to connect with as many professors as possible during the allotted time. Ten tables, with a professor at each and a QR code linking to their university research pages, were arranged around the room. Students were allowed to choose which table to sit at, and after ten minutes at each table, students were encouraged to rotate to another table to hear from other faculty members.
Gloria Yip, a freshman computer science major, used the opportunity to not only hear from faculty members, but from fellow students as well.
“I wanted to come here to explore, to broaden my horizons, to try to see what people were going towards and what I should be going towards,” said Yip. “I wanted to ask everyone how they found out that they wanted to specialize in their specific field in computer science, because it is a really big field.”
Many students were already knowledgeable about industry trends and focused on chatting with faculty who were pursuing research in related areas. Samir Das, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science, also participated in the networking event and said he found the students to be engaged and curious about what research they could partake in over the summer.
The luncheon serves as a way for students to explore what avenues are available to them in computer science and begin to narrow down their interests. With the help of professors who are already making an impact in the field, students are presented with the opportunity to get involved early in work that matters in the real world.
Scott Stoller, a professor whose research includes cybersecurity, cyber-physical systems, and programming languages, expressed optimism for the research trajectories of students who participated in the event. “Many are early on in their studies and maybe not quite ready to start research, but they’re interested and motivated,” said Stoller. “This event helps point them in the right direction.”