2022 Computer Science and Engineering Award of Excellence: Eman Sherif

 

Every year, six outstanding undergraduate students who made significant contributions to their academic department and the Jacobs School of Engineering community are celebrated with department Awards of Excellence at the Ring Ceremony event for graduating undergraduates. 

The 2022 Computer Science and Engineering Award of Excellence was awarded to Eman Sherif. Learn more about her background and future plans in this Q&A.

What do you enjoy about computer science and engineering, and why did you decide to pursue this field?

 What I enjoyed most about CSE is how flexible the degree is. The responsibility of choosing a major when you are 17 years old that will dictate what you can do for the rest of your life is really daunting. So I wanted to make sure I chose something with the most amount of options. With a computer science degree I knew I could enter basically any field whether it is education, government, healthcare, etc.  

Were you involved in any activities/groups/clubs/research labs on campus that were impactful during your time at UC San Diego?

 I was involved in the Early Research Scholars Program (ERSP) during my second year which was really important in giving me experience outside the classroom and helped me discover my love for research. Without participating in ERSP I probably would never have continued doing research in computer science education and would not have decided to pursue a PhD in computer science. I was also involved in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) which helped me feel more comfortable in engineering and gave me the ability to connect with my peers who look like me and share a common interest in engineering. 

 Do you have any advice for current or future engineering students?

 My biggest piece of advice for future computer science students is to explore all the different career options computer science can bring to you. A lot of times students only focus on software engineering, which can be great for a lot of students, but a computer science degree can bring you so many other careers as well. 

 What will you do next year?

 Next year I plan on starting my PhD program in computer science at the University of Washington, Seattle. I will be advised by Dr. Amy Ko and my research focus is on computer science education. 

 Anything else that's important to know about your time and experience at the Jacobs School?

I really loved my experience at the Jacob’s school! The faculty and staff are amazing and really made my time here memorable.