Hello, my name is Nigel Pugh and I am from Ahoskie, North Carolina. I am a Computer Science major with a concentration in Information Systems. I am a freshman attending Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. My plan is to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree and then continuing my education by going to graduate school to obtain Master’s Degree. I was introduced to the Computer Science field when a family friend invited me to his place of work. I have been intrigued by the profession ever since. I first realized that I wanted to teach after I was presented with the opportunity to tutor multiple students in high school Mathematic courses.

During the summer of 2013 I got the chance to take part in a five-week summer program called Vikings Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (VESTEM). During this program I had the opportunity to conduct research. The research I chose was: The Biosynthesis of Ethanol under my mentor Mrs. Shanta Outlaw. Ethanol is a renewable source that is found in plenty of our everyday products, and is used as an alternative burning to gasoline. My group formulated three different mixtures of different sucrose and forms of yeast to see which mixture produced the most amount of pure ethanol.

I was accepted into the program Central Excellence of Remote Sensing Education and Research (CERSER) under the principal investagator of Dr. Linda B Hayden. In the CERSER program, I have had the opportunity to learn valuable skills that will assist me with my career. My future goals are to obtain a Master’s in Computer Science followed by a Doctorate. My ultimate goal is to acquire a Computer Science teaching position at the University level.