Akhila A
- Research Program Mentor

MS at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC)

Expertise

Computer Science - Natural Language Processing

Bio

Hello! I'm an incoming software engineer at Capital One. I recently graduated with my Master's degree in Computer Science from UIUC. Prior to getting my Master's, I was a data analyst working on developing and designing data-driven products for the logistics industry. My primary research interest is natural language processing, conversational AI, and affective computing. I'm passionate about engaging students in computer science projects in my free time. I've been a mentor/teacher for 6 years both in and out of school. I love to cook, take walks, and try new restaurants in my free time. This fall I will be moving up to New York City and taking in all the great things "The Big Apple" has to offer.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Analysis of Sensory Language in Social Media

More and more interactive computing applications are entering the market and many of these applications rely on natural language processing to interface with humans. In order to create a positive interaction between computers and humans, a good understanding of modern language, human perception, and sensory language is necessary. We use all of these things in everyday life. For example, a tweet can convey happiness, sadness, horror, or glee through the sensory words it uses. Effective communication can be fostered by analyzing the sensory language we use in social media texts. In this project, the student will have the chance to learn natural language processing and linguistics skills. They will analyze the semantic sensory space of different social media platforms to help researchers facilitate successful conversational human-machine interaction.

Coding skills

Python, Java, Kotlin

Teaching experience

For four semesters, I was a teaching assistant, teaching undergraduate students introductory computer science at UIUC. Prior to that, I was a lead for Girls Who Code at my local library where I help students start small coding projects. During my undergrad, I taught middle and high school students about computer science through a student organization called Code Ignite. I also participated in Vanderbilt Student Volunteer for Science by engaging students in science-related classes.

Credentials

Work experience

Capital One (2021 - 2021)

Software Engineering Intern

GEODIS (2019 - 2021)

Data Analyst II

Education

Vanderbilt University

BS Bachelor of Science (2019)

Computer Science

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC)

MS Master of Science