Where am I from?

I grew up in a small rural town in central Mississippi named Thomastown, MS. I attended Thomastown Attendance Center a K-12 public school which lies outside of Carthage, MS. I attended this school for Kindergarten, Elemenetary, Middle, and High School. Thomastown is a small rual town and was once famous for rocking chairs.

Why Computer Science?

My interest in computer science stemmed mainly from my interest in mathematics. Although, I was not a terrible math student, my preferred subject was reading. It was not until around my 7th grade year that I began to grow an interest in mathematics. The higher level courses seemed to challenge my thinking and this was something I enjoyed. Around my freshman year of high school, I began researching possible career choices and majors for college. I looked for areas that would allow me to combine my interests - mathematics, computers, art, music, and teaching. I came across computer science, and the more information I found the more I considered it as major for college.

My one concern was that although I had some familiarity with computers - I would use the computers at school for graphic design projects - I had really no idea what a career in computer science entailed. Our school had desktop publishing and keyboarding classes, but in order to use a computer during recreational time, I would have to travel to the library 14 miles away in Kosciusko, MS. As an Upward Bound student at Tougaloo College, I was introduced to basic computing applications and the idea of programming. I created my first database through this Upward Bound and was later exposed to programming through one of my classes. As a student in this program, I took a Basic Programming class that introduced some introductory programming. At that time I did not really understand the details of programming or exactly what I was doing, but I knew that I did like what I was doing. At the end of my Junior year of high school my family purchased its first computer. As I tinkered around, and did more research, I finally decided that although I did not much have experience with programming or any of the other areas listed for CS majors, I would enroll in college as a Computer Science major.

Why a Ph.D.?

Tougaloo College is a private HBCU in Tougaloo, MS. Tougaloo means the land between two rivers and this was my home away from home for 4 years. Upon entering Tougaloo, my plans were quite different. Attending Tougaloo helped to foster my desire to pursue a Ph.D. My freshman year at Tougaloo, my professors exposed me to the possiblity of pursuing a career as researcher and professor. I have always enjoyed teaching and mentoring. At a very young age, I would play "school" with students on the school bus. I was the teacher and I gave assignments and homework. Therefore, I knew that being a professor would be a career that I enjoyed. As I began taking higher level computer science classes, I was introduced to research by my faulty mentors in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. Through on campus and off-campus research programs, I was exposed to research. I found that I enjoyed research. To me research allows for creative thinking, the opportunity to work collborativley with others, the opportunity to add to the field on knowledge, and most importantly for me, the chance to work on something I am passionate about while also benefiting society. So, early in my tenure at Tougaloo College, I decided that I wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science.

Why HCI?

HCI or Human Computer Interaction is an interdisciplinary field. My journey to HCI began with a research internship at the University of California, Berkeley where I worked on a project realted to metaphors for social service applications. This was my first introduction to HCI. Later while at UAB in Birmingham, I had a chance to briefly work on a project related to Spoken Language Systems. My interests with the area of HCI are diverse because of the types of projects I am interested in pursuing. I am interested computers and computing for all, hence the various areas of interests within including accessibility and spoken language systems. I also enjoy art and design, so the field of HCI allows me to explore all my interest.