Sonia Cromp MS’23, PhDx’25
Hometown:
Fairfax, Virginia
What motivated you to study computer science?
Computer science is such a fast-evolving area: Especially in machine learning, you never know what breakthroughs are going to happen in the next twelve months that could completely change the state of the field. I am fascinated to watch how the relationship between society and machine learning will evolve over the course of my lifetime.
Why did you come to UW–Madison?
UW–Madison’s computer science program and faculty are top-notch, allowing the department to be a serious contributor to the global research community. Also, Wisconsin is beautiful: camping under the northern lights and ice skating on the frozen lakes are unforgettable experiences!
What is your area of interest/research? Are there courses or projects that you’ve particularly liked, and why?
I specialize in machine learning, particularly for scientific applications. In my first year here, I worked on a project to enhance the quality of images taken underwater. This was one of the first projects where I made all the key design decisions myself, and it was so satisfying when everything worked out to reveal hidden details and vibrant colors inside the murky images.
What are one or two things you’re doing at UW outside of your classes (clubs, study abroad, employment, conferences, internships, etc)? How do these benefit your education, and/or your life?
This semester, I am interning at NASA for the third time. I use machine learning to improve hurricane forecasting, as well as make predictions of global climate change. The research and presentation skills I’m developing at UW–Madison have been instrumental for getting into and performing well at NASA.
Do you have plans for after graduation? If so, what are they?
I am primarily interested in careers at government research labs.
What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy playing violin, ice skating, hiking, and working out at the gym.
What’s something about being a CS student that non-CS friends never understand?
I don’t know how to fix their laptop 🙂
What’s the most unexpected career path you’re considering with your CS degree?
I never expected I would have the chance to work on climate change! I applied to my NASA internship on a whim and was surprised enough to even be offered an interview. Now, I love researching such an important topic and would be thrilled with the opportunity to continue working on this area after graduation.