University of Minnesota Twin Cities: Gopher CSE (Computational Science and Engineering)

On November 2nd, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities hosted Gopher CSE, an event co-run by the College of Engineering, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and the office of admissions. My friend and I both applied to Minnesota for STEM majors, me for computer science and her for computer engineering, so we decided to go together.

All of the girls gathered in the Coffman Memorial Union and we went into the auditorium where we got to listen to two presentations from two professors at the university, Dr. Victoria Interrante and Dr. Maria Gini. Dr. Interrante discussed the research some of her students have been doing involving measuring how humans interpret spaces in virtual reality. Dr. Gini talked about the different uses of artificial intelligence including robots that can be used to help kids with autism interact with others.

After the presentations, we walked to Bruininks Hall where we got to eat dinner. My friend and I sat down next to three other girls who were students at the university. We got to ask a lot of questions about what the classes were like and what kind of projects they were working on. Then, we walked over to the mechanical engineering building where we got to see a laser cutter and made picture frames. While we worked, we got to socialize with the other girls. There were a wide range of interests from computer science to environmental science, and I got to meet another girl who is also on an FTC team.

I had never toured Minnesota before Gopher CSE, so the event gave me a feel for the campus while also giving me insight into the particular field I was interested in.

​This blog was written by Georgia from FTC Team Vertigo (FTC 6287). If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

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