At the end of 2010, I completed my Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Washington (UW). At the UW, the policy for dissertations states that the last page is the vita—a short biography of the student. I began mine with the sentence: "For the first 10 years of her life, Katherine N.
I've been interested in computers and computer programming since I was in high school. When I was a junior, I joined a program called Emerging Leaders through the College of Engineering at the University of Washington (UW). When I started the program, there were about fifty high school students in the program with me.
Hi, my name is Shaun, and I am a Ph.D. student at the Information School at the University of Washington in Seattle. The Information School is an interdisciplinary program that studies the relationships between people, information, and technology. My own research focuses on how everyday computing technologies such as laptops, keyboards, mice, and mobile phones can be made more accessible and help people be more independent in their daily lives.
Communication has always been a priority for me. So it isn't surprising that I have made it a major part of my adulthood to serve others with communication disabilities. When I was a young child, I was sitting at home with my parents, and I noticed that the first snowfall of the season starting. Just like any other kid, I was excited and wanted to tell my parents, but I had no means of saying, "Look, look, it's snowing outside!" I decided if I could point to the refrigerator and then to the outside window, I might get that point across.
My name is Vincent. I have been using computers and computing systems to solve accessibility problems for more than twenty years.
My name is Shaun. I'm an assistant professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County where I teach classes, mentor students, and conduct research.
My name is Samuel. I am studying information technology (IT) at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. I expect to graduate next year. IT is a mixture of hands-on experience with programming, database, and networking. I chose this major because I know it is good experience and will help me prepare for my career. So far, I’ve taken classes related to programming, databases, multimedia content, and Flash design. I am looking forward to take more courses to gain knowledge and skills. Last summer I interned at Cisco Systems in San Jose, CA for three months.
My name is Randy, and I’m a systems analyst. This means that I translate customer and company requirements for our products into specific language for software developers.
My name is Pamela. I grew up in St. Paul, MN.
