My intrepid intrigue in science has always been complimented by a sympathy for the human condition. Simply put, engineering is just that: where science creates solutions. This, coupled with my broad interests across the sciences, led me to try to explore everything under the sun which lends itself to creating potential solutions—from building better ways to grow food to synthesizing a better way to manage trauma wounds. As a result, I’ve already experienced firsthand how unexpected breakthroughs can be made when wildly different pursuits intersect and how a diverse community of collaborators and peers lends itself to learning from every angle.

This summer, as part of a project studying how diabetes affects brain cells at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Center (VTCRI), I began designing a computer simulation of oxygen diffusion through the brain. The approach was to model each cell as a tiny leaky “bucket” and determine the movement of oxygen from bucket to bucket using the laws of physics.

Later that summer, I took a leave from VTCRI to work at NASA Langley Research Center. While I was there, I was ecstatic to learn that our approach already existed, and was extensively used in structural engineering simulations (though it had a name a bit more sophisticated than ours: finite element analysis.) Though I didn’t need it for my own work at NASA, it was an integral part of my department’s research, and I dedicated an afternoon to learning about finite element analysis. I excitedly wrote to my collaborators back home to share what I’d learned.

Simultaneously, one of my main responsibilities was developing a computer vision (essentially, highly specialized artificial intelligence designed for image processing) algorithm used to detect and count the distance between microscopic cracks in electron microscope scans.

When I returned home, I discovered a multi-lab collaboration at VTCRI, which immediately made me feel like I was back at NASA. The collaboration’s objective was seemingly simple: digitally reconstruct neurons from electron microscope scans of mouse brains. There was only problem. Each individual neuron took a staggering amount of time to reconstruct, since they were all done manually by undergraduate students.

I was absolutely astounded by the applicability of my work at NASA, despite coming from an entirely different field. I immediately pitched the idea of using computer vision to automate the task. Now, I’m working on a computer vision approach to digital reconstruction of neurons. It’s been an fantastically rewarding challenge so far, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

Through my experiences this summer, I’ve discovered the power of computing and artificial intelligence, and they’ve excited me for the immense role computer science will play in our future. Beyond that, these experiences also helped define my college search as I entered my final year of high school.

Cornell Engineering’s collaborative teaching initiative means group work and small discussion groups, but more importantly, it means being able to learn closely from a diverse set of classmates. This, coupled with inter-departmental research institutes focused on specific problems rather than academic fields (meaning collaboration is not just a buzzword, it’s a necessity), means that at Cornell, there won’t be any limit to the number of ways I can approach my interests.

Beyond academic programs though, Cornell Engineering’s intense student-led project teams scream interdisciplinary. As a member of the Cornell Data Science team, I’ll be able to combine my passion for coding with applications of big data in not just undergraduate competitions, but also to help tackle the greatest challenges of our time. They’ve already taken on algorithm-driven stock trading and recommendation engine optimization, and I’m eager to take part in their future. In the end, this is what really drew me to Cornell: not only do Cornell’s academic programs envision opportunities for learning from everywhere, so does Cornell’s heart and soul: its community of students.