The Dare to Discover campaign showcases student and postdoc researchers, scholars, and creators from across the University of Iowa. You’ll find them honored on individual banners with their portraits that hang throughout downtown Iowa City.
The Department of Computer Science is proud of its two students, Vinay Pursnani, an MCS alumnus/Informatics Ph.D. student, and Meredith Onions, an informatics undergrad, who were both recently celebrated by their own Dare to Discover banners.
Vinay Pursnani’s research centers on building AI to improve flood management.
“I began working at the intersection of hydroinformatics and AI as a graduate research assistant in early 2023. Seeing the rapid advancement of AI alongside the largely underapplied methodologies in hydroscience sparked a real passion in me. I saw a massive opportunity to use my computer science background to solve critical environmental challenges, which eventually led me to pursue my Ph.D. focusing on optimizing end-to-end hydrology research workflows using AI,” says Vinay.
Vinay appreciates how much his master’s degree in computer science from UIowa helps him today: “The MCS program provided the balance of academic rigor and the encouragement to explore ‘uncharted’ questions. The advanced coursework gave me a solid technical foundation, while the research environment at Iowa honed my ability to tackle complex, unsolved ideas. It truly prepared me for the transition into my PhD and the interdisciplinary work I do today.”
Meredith Onions is an informatics undergrad, whose research centers on ethical virtual technology for children.
“I have always been interested in how technology affects people and how people interact with that technology. This is one of the main reasons I chose informatics as my course of study,” says Meredith.
“Virtual technology for children is an emerging concept, that I find particularly interesting. I also believe that for a new technology to make the world a better place, it is fundamental to understand the potential impact that technology could have on vulnerable populations. Due to these reasons, I felt that applying my informatics knowledge to this area of research would be a fulfilling experience for me – and I was absolutely correct about that!"
Meredith credits her undergraduate studies in informatics for giving her an advantage, not only in her research project, but also in on-campus volunteer work, and in her analytical skills.
“I developed my own portfolio website to learn more about responsive design and to give myself a valuable asset for job applications. I also volunteer at the Food Pantry at Iowa, and last spring, I helped them with analyzing their client data. This gave me a valuable experience that showed me how a larger dataset looks in a real-world context. Finally, I have noticed myself being more analytical regarding the interfaces I view every day. My skills in human-computer interaction have given me a new eye for development and design.”
Congratulations, Vinay and Meredith! We hope the Dare to Discover program continues to inspire creators and researchers within the informatics and computer science community , paving new discoveries for the future!