Women's Technology Program
Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
Electrical
Engineering & Computer Science
WTP-EECS
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WTP-EECS Staff:
Summer 2006
Instructors
Three female PhD students in the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science design and teach the Women's Technology Program EE, CS and Math classes.
Anna Custo
Math Instructor
Hometown: Genoa, Italy
I'm
a 5th year PhD student in the Medical
Vision Group in
the Computer Science
and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) . My research focuses
on optical brain imaging, and I collaborate
with physicists and neuroscientists from the NMR Center (at Mass
General Hospital ) and from UCSD, in La Jolla (CA). What I love
about being a student at MIT is the well-rounded learning experience:
beyond my research-related topics, I have a chance to explore fields
like robotics, bio-technology, medicine, finance, management, etc...
When I manage to balance my research with my private life, I find
the time to travel around the world (back-packing style) and learn
and practice sports like sailing, ice hockey and coxing. I also
enjoy dancing, in particular argentine tango.
Sara Su
Computer Science Instructor
Hometown: Bellevue , WA
I am a fourth-year PhD student in the Computer
Graphics Group of the Computer
Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) . I study how computers
can improve visual communication. The goal of my research is to apply
knowledge from the visual arts and the field of visual perception to create
more effective and more compelling images. Outside of the lab I enjoy
baking, crafting, reading, and spending time outdoors. I am looking forward
to exploring CS with you and hope you'll enjoy your summer here!
Laura Waller
Electrical Engineering Instructor
Hometown: Kingston , Ontario , Canada
I am a I am a second year PhD student in the 3D Optics Group , where I work on tomographic imaging of fuel cell membranes. I have been at MIT for six years (three Degrees!) and this is my second year as the WTP EE Instructor. I grew up in Canada , I lived in England for a year, and I love to travel whenever and wherever I can. I play lots of sports (especially soccer), I hike and camp in the summer, and I downhill ski in the winter. I love learning languages, reading, and solving riddles. I can't wait to see you all this summer!
Tutors
Residential Tutors are female MIT undergraduate students
who assist the WTP-EECS Instructors in the classroom, and also live in
the dormitory with the high school students where they chaperone residential
life, create fun activities and field trips, and help with homework.
Mariela Buchin - EE Tutor
(Senior, EECS)
Hometown: Half Moon Bay , CA
Hey everyone! I can't wait to meet all of you this summer. Right now I am in my senior year in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I enjoy figure skating, boogie boarding, and playing volleyball and basketball. One of the things I enjoy the most is singing and playing the piano at my church and playing around with a guitar. I enjoy making things, whether it is cookies or circuits, and I like learning new skills and concepts that are neat and useful to the technological world.
Sharon
Chou - EE Tutor
(Junior, EECS & Biomedical Engineering)
Hometown: Great Neck, NY
Come to think of it, my experience as a WTP student in 2002 was a significant impetus in my being at MIT as an EECS major. Oh yes... good stuff, good times indeed. And I'll revisit as an EE tutor this summer, yay :-) Nowadays I divert myself with sketching, flute playing, creative writing, swimming, and occasional sunset-watching outside the 5th floor EE labs. I recently joined a research team to build a device that would perform PCR on Mars. (Little green m...microbes, perhaps?)
Shauni
Deshmukh - CS Tutor
(Junior,
EECS)
Hometown: Londonderry , NH
I love programming and I'm really excited to be tutoring Computer Science this
summer! I enjoy cooking and eating, dancing, biking, reading, traveling, climbing
trees, playing with clay, and just hanging out with friends and spending time
with family. I'm also a projectionist for the Lecture Series Committee and
we'll be showing a bunch of great movies this summer (for free!). Although
I'm from the area, this will be my first summer living so close to Boston so
I hope to do lots of exploring.
Jackie Hitchingham - Math Tutor
(Senior, EECS & Chemical Engineering)
Hometown: Roseville , MN
Although
I'm head over heels for computer science and chemistry, my first love
was math and I want to pass that love on to others. I enjoy anything
to do with the water, like swimming and diving and figure skating.
I like cooking for groups of people, because food is always better
with friends, and because then I have lots of guinea pigs when I try
something new (nobody has died yet!). I have a highly overactive imagination,
which I feed with regular doses of sci-fi, comic books, and anime.
Cassie Huang - EE Tutor
(MEng, EE)
Hometown: Plano , TX
I started my MIT career as a biology major, but saw the light after my sophomore year and became a EECS major, focusing on biological and biomedical engineering. This is my first year as a WTP tutor, and I'm looking forward to it. In what spare time I have, I read (19th and early 20th century children's lit, scifi-fantasy), watch anime, attempt to cook, and play with my 2 cats. I haven't actually left Boston for longer than three weeks since I came here as a freshman, so I've had plenty of time to explore the area and find all the good dessert and chocolate stores.
Katherine Klesch - CS Tutor
(Senior, EECS)
Hometown: Columbus , Ohio
This will be my second summer with WTP and I'm eager to meet this year's students! We had a blast last summer. I took a computer programming class in high school and fell in love, so I'm studying EECS here at MIT. When I'm not studying, I like to write, sing, and hang out with my friends. I'm also a projectionist with the Lecture Series Committee, so showing movies is second nature to me; last year I showed a lot of them in the dorm and I plan to do so again this summer. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you and helping you get a taste of Computer Science and life at MIT. See you soon!
QiFang
Liu - Math Tutor
(Senior, Math and Management
Science-Finance)
Hometown: Philadelphia , PA
Hi everyone, I am very excited about meeting you all, it is going to be so much fun! I really love our campus and the city, I am sure you will have a great time here. The walk along the river is my favorite. When I am not working, I spend time with my friends exploring the city. I also enjoy going to movies, watching anime, playing badminton, cooking and sewing.
Holli
Rachall - CS Tutor
(Junior, EECS)
Hometown: Dallas , TX
This will be my first summer with WTP, and I'm really excited to meet everyone. I
love creating things, be it programming, sewing, metalsmithing, sculpting,
beading, knitting, or bookbinding. I discovered my love of coding in
high school and have since discovered that I love all of EECS, and so I look
forward to helping you all to get a first taste of computer science and to
become incredible programmers and engineers. When I'm not coding or working
on schoolwork, I enjoy poetry, sculpture, and musicals. I'm really looking
forward to spending time with all of you this summer. It will be a lot
of fun.
Sharon
Zhang - Math Tutor
(Junior, EECS & Biology)
Hometown: Boca Raton , FL
Hi everyone! This is my first year tutoring math for WTP and I'm just as excited as you are. I really enjoy doing and teaching math, especially applying mathematical concepts to computer science. I love to play the piano, sing, draw, read, write, go shopping, watch anime, exercise in the gym, and cook yummy food. MIT/Boston is definitely an awesome place to spend your summer. Besides learning and building cool stuff, we'll be exploring Boston on the weekends. It'll be a lot of fun. I can't wait to meet you all! ^-^
Residential Director
The Residential Director is an MIT graduate student who lives in the dorm with the high school students and other residenial staff. She coordinates and supervises evening and weekend activities, the orientation weekend, and is a resource for WTP students and staff. She is assisted by three Residential Assistants.
Veronica Weiner
Hometown: Marlboro, New Jersey
Hi, WTP students. I am looking forward to meeting you and living in the McCormick dorm with you this summer. I am a first year PhD. student at MIT where I am currently part of the Center for Biological and Computational Learning. As a graduate student, I am researching computer models of human speech in order to understand how speech is processed in the human brain and to be able to generate artifical speech. I came to MIT as an undergraduate, so by now I know a lot about Boston and life at the Institute. Outside of lab, some of my favorite things are playing tennis, volunteer work, traveling (lived in France for 2 years!), cooking, and learning about music and history.
Residential Assistants
Residential Assistants live in the dorm and help with evening and weekend activities, but do not have classroom or tutoring responsibilities. These women students are rising sophomores who attended WTP-EECS when they were high school students.
Lauren Biscombe
(Sophomore, Mathematics)
Hometown: Norristown , PA
I remember being so excited Junior year in high school when I received my admissions
letter for WTP 2004. In fact, WTP was what drew me to apply to, and ultimately
attend, MIT. This past year I actually roomed with one of the girls I
met through the program, and as I approach my sophomore year, we plan on rooming
together again. As I soon have to declare my choice of major, I'm leaning
towards course 18, Mathematics, although I hope to take some classes in EE,
CS, biology, and a bunch of the other courses. When not in class, I like
to marathon tv-watch: Scrubs, Weeds, Project Runway, Saved by the Bell , Boy
Meets World, etc. (I have the latter two on DVD if you're interested.) I'm
a compulsive ice-cream eater, but I also enjoy running, lifting weights, bike-riding,
and generally being outdoors. I also like reading, logic puzzles, math,
and sleeping, and I can't wait to meet all of you!
Rachel Chaney
(Sophomore, Civil Engineering)
Hometown: Alexandria , VA
I went to WTP 2004. My attendance at this program encouraged
me to come to MIT this year. I am Course 1C (Civil Engineering), and
I am wishing that a Course 6 (EECS) minor existed. Outside of classes,
I am interested in attending concerts, cooking, watching movies, playing
sports (rugby, ultimate, volleyball, etc), and urban exploration… I like
pretty much everything. Since coming to school here, I have become a
big fan of Boston and Boston-related stuff. I am totally excited for
WTP this summer and I look forward to meeting you all.
Jennifer Doyle
(Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering)
Hometown: Oakland , CA
I was in WTP in 2004, and it was amazing; I'm really happy to be back! I'm
majoring in MechE, but I'm hoping to have time to learn some more EECS, too.
For a long time, I was planning to be an artist, so I'm into artsy things --
making greeting cards, drawing, knitting, etc. That's why I picked MechE; building
things seems crafty and creative to me. Besides academics, I run cross-country
and track, and I also play flute and piccolo. In my free time (or when I'm
procrastinating) I fold origami cranes (lots of them). I also enjoy sleeping,
eating, wasting time on the computer, and getting along/fighting with my twin
brother. Eating pie and memorizing digits of pi also top my list of fun activities
to do, though I don't necessarily do both at once!