Professional Statement

My name is Tatyana Matthews and I am from Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a freshman Computer Information Science major with a scientific concentration here at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. I found the basis for my love of science learning about the solar system as a young child. At no point in time did I think in my collegiate years that I would major in the field. However, it was not until that defining moment when a representative of NASA opened my mind to the wonders of the Computer Science field that my curiosity was triggered.

Today, I am on the journey to obtaining a master's and later doctorate degree in Computer Information Science. Here at ECSU I am involved in the Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research (CERSER) program, directed by Dr. Linda Hayden. The goal of this program is to develop and implement innovative and applicable education and research collaborations centered on ice sheet, coastal, ocean, and marine research. While being engaged in this program I have learned a number of skills which will serve me well as I venture out and participate in internships as well as research opportunities.

During the spring of 2014, I participated in research at ECSU investigating HUBzero under the leadership of mentors Je’aime Powell (Old Dominion University) and Justin Deloatch (ECSU). The title of the research was “Configuring and Customizing the HUBzero Experience”. The project explored how HUBzero elements are applied for scientific collaboration, education, and research. Primarily, the focus was to learn how to utilize the database component of HUBzero as well as the process of publishing the hub so that it could be viewed publicly. The data that was used for the database component derived from information collected by the 2013 Research Experience for Undergraduates Pasquotank River Watershed Team, who completed tests of five tributaries and the river itself. Upon conclusion of the research, my team and I successfully created and titled a hub named CERSERhub, uploaded the water quality data to the database component, and gained as well as comprehended knowledge of HUBzero. In regards to further research, the team will fully install the CERSERhub on to a computer server so that it can be viewed publicly, make the database component of the hub interactive using an alternative hub tool, and further customize the hub, plus make it more user-friendly.

For the future, I have the goal of further educating myself by obtaining a master’s and a doctorate degree in the Computer Information Science field.With this aspect in mind, I have the hope of working in green energy, putting my computer science skills to work, and moving the world towards more efficient renewable energy. Specifically, I plan to focus my attention on wind energy, geothermal energy, or hydroelectricity.