2021 ASD Research
In 2021, I developed a HAPPY project for peers with ASD using Raspberry PI and other software & hardware tools. I started by researching ASD, its symptoms, and associated behaviors and found that facial emotions and sounds could help identify someone with ASD.
From this, I concentrated my work on developing an algorithm that would use input sensor data from the Raspberry PI to analyze facial expressions and verbal sounds to better understand the complexity of ASD emotions. This program would output vectors of emotions and a spectrum of feeling (how extreme the feeling/emotion). A useful application was aimed at social workers and school staff who worked with ASD children and could use the program to comprehend the thoughts and emotions of their students quicker and better.
2022 Arcascope Mathematics Internship
In 2022, I joined Arcascope as an applied mathematics research intern, an ongoing position. Since then, I have worked extensively on a variety of R-language apps. I developed Cos.R and Sleepstructure.R (natural harmonic oscillator simulator applications), created an MVP (minimum viable product) for a natural oscillations’ app using ODE (ordinary differential equation) solvers.
One of the main functions of such apps is to calculate times for optimal sleep for adolescents based on location and social constraints. An inspiration for these projects were noticing sleepy kids on my school bus and observing them struggling to manage their own sleep schedules.
2024 Economic Relations Paper
During the last trimester of my junior year, in 2024, I worked on a paper that detailed French economic relations with Africa and then put forward a normative analysis. I included research from both positive and normative economics and investigated the “fairness” of French economic policies in the Sahel and in West Africa.
I came to the conclusion that there were significant problems with the CFA currency, trade, and political interests, along with other elements of the Franco-Africa economic relations. I interviewed Professor Oleg Zamulin and Professor Joshua Cole from the University of Michigan LSA Department of Economics and LSA Department of History, respectively. With them I covered topics of historical animosity in Africa towards France, imperialism, currency issues, reserves, and other important topics that pertained to the lack of parity in the relationship between France and former colonies.
I rigorously studied the information at hand, conducted the interviews with deep curiosity, and attempted to approach the project from an economical, political, and historical lens of view. I had the chance to present the finished project to my Writing Center advisor, Mrs. Alaina Feliks.