Student Spotlight: Zoey Beda

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Zoey Beda is from Wisconsin and still lives in Wisconsin. She has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in data science and an associate degree in accounting. Zoey decided to enroll in OMSCS because "I took a course in Machine Learning during my undergrad, and we talked a lot about AI ethics. Before that course, I had no idea of the harm that AI could cause through unintended biases. I majored in math and wanted to apply my math knowledge to something, so that course and the discussion of AI Ethics inspired me to pursue computer science. While researching programs, I found OMSCS and chose to enroll because of the focus of ethics in the program.” Moreover, Zoey loves the social element of OMSCS! "I’ve taken many online courses, and there were not many chances to interact in those courses in a way that felt natural, and I would often feel all alone in those courses. OMSCS creates such a natural, collaborative environment, and I always feel like I have the support that I need here.” In fact, Zoey has been so impressed with OMSCS that after graduation she intends on enrolling as a non-degree-seeking student and taking more OMSCS courses post-graduation before eventually pursuing a PhD: "I want to learn more about robotics and human-computer interaction and investigate ways to make robots and computers user-friendly and ethical in their actions.”

OMSCS creates such a natural, collaborative environment, and I always feel like I have the support that I need here.

Zoey loves solving problems. What really motivated her to study math was the ability to solve complex problems. "With computers, you can teach them how to make decisions, behave, and interact with people, which are complex problems in and of themselves. Computer science is an applied version of math where the problems can positively benefit society, so it is a wonderful discipline to study.” To Zoey, computer science is about understanding people and understanding how humans think. "Computer science is a way of expanding human potential and building a more advanced society for everyone.” Besides computer science, Zoey wants "to learn everything.” She is currently enrolled in multiple Coursera courses and is very interested in astrobiology and anything that relates to sociology and history. "For example, I’m taking a course about magic in the Middle Ages now.” Zoey also wants to learn more about the physical sciences and engineering since she did not get a chance to explore these subjects as an undergraduate. Furthermore, Zoey wants to one day work on research around human-computer interaction and/or human-robot interaction. "Right now, I'm very interested in the emotional effect that computers and robots have on us and on the ethics associated with creating intelligent, social agents.”

If Zoey could collaborate with anyone, past or present, it would be Dr. Ayanna Howard. Since Zoey is highly interested in human-robot and AI ethics, it is natural to pick Dr. Howard, who is such a prominent figure in those fields. "Recently, I’ve read several of her papers on robot deception, and it is such a fascinating research subject. Intelligent agents can have an emotional effect on us, and studying how to create intelligent agents in an ethical way is going to be an important field of study as more and more robots become part of our society. I would love to work with her on human-robot interaction and AI ethics research.”

Intelligent agents can have an emotional effect on us, and studying how to create intelligent agents in an ethical way is going to be an important field of study as more and more robots become part of our society.

Currently, Zoey is participating in a research project that is examining how online educational content and materials affect on-campus students to better understand the impact of online educational models. Additionally, Zoey just joined a NASA Rascal’s team that another OMSCS student started; they are either going to create a Mars simulation model or a model for an AI self-replicating probe.

So, what is Zoey’s favorite course thus far? Zoey contends that "all the courses I have taken so far have been amazing, but there are two that I rank equally as being my favorite courses. Those are CS 7638: Robotics: AI Techniques and CS 6750: Human-Computer Interaction. Both courses had very active instructors that would go above and beyond to help students, and I’m just obsessed with robots and our interaction with computers. So, both these courses are my favorite so far. "

An interesting fact about Zoey is that she self-taught herself how to play three instruments—guitar, bass, and piano—all through videos and books. Zoey also loves reading. "There is rarely a day that goes by that I don’t read something. I currently have a pile of books that are just waiting to be read. I just love learning about new topics and reading about fantastical worlds.”