UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Erica Mi, who earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree from Penn State in 2022, recently received the Computer and Information Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (CSGrad4US) from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Mi is using the award to pursue a doctoral degree in computer science at the University of Chicago.
The aim of the CSGrad4US fellowship and mentoring program is to increase the number of domestic graduate students pursuing research and innovation careers in computer science, computer engineering or information science, according to the NSF website.
Mi graduated magna cum laude in 2022 with three degrees: a bachelor’s degree in information sciences and technology with a concentration in integration and application from the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST); a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications and media industries from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications; and a master’s degree in informatics, which she pursued through Penn State’s integrated undergraduate-graduate (IUG) program. As a student, she completed internships with Johnson & Johnson, Novaris Consulting, IBM and EY-Parthenon.
After graduating, Mi did an internship in the Cyber Operations and Analysis Technology group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where she worked with a defense agency to strengthen its cybersecurity systems. She then returned to EY-Parthenon as a full-time consultant in the Deal Tech group. In that role, she identified system vulnerabilities across the oil and gas, health care, and aerospace and defense industries.
Now, in her first year at the University of Chicago, the CSGrad4US Fellow and doctoral student is focusing on human-computer interaction of social and organizational informatics.
“I look to combine social sciences with computational and participatory methods to analyze social phenomena and influence artificial intelligence ethics and policy, impacting the design thinking across technology, business and society,” she said.
Mi credits her Penn State adviser Fred Fonseca for supporting her return to academia. Fonseca is an associate professor in the College of IST’s Department of Human-Centered Computing and Social Informatics.
“After I entered industry, I found it difficult to find mentors who had worked in industry and then decided to return to academia,” Mi said. “Dr. Fonseca always reminded me that school would be there whenever I felt ready to return.”
According to Mi, the CSGrad4US program provides her with financial flexibility to conduct research, one-on-one mentorship with faculty in academia, and a community of peers navigating the same career pivot.
“Having been removed from research for a couple of years, I am grateful that this fellowship gave me the resources and support I needed during the application process and the opportunity to continue doing research today,” Mi said.
According to Fonseca, Mi is an excellent example of how a top student can do well at Penn State.
“Erica used all the resources Penn State offers students wanting to learn and explore,” he said. “She was a Schreyer Honors Scholar, took advantage of the IUG option, and was a learning assistant. She also taught a class as part of Penn State’s Students Teaching Students program. Erica made us all feel that the dedication and work we put into making Penn State a great learning environment is worth it.”