Advantage for Students Pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Fields

Advantage for Students Pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Fields

MIT Students Kevin Guo and Erin Hovendon, Majors in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering Respectively, Leverage Political Science and Public Policy Minors for Research and Career Success

Cambridge, MA - MIT students Kevin Guo and Erin Hovendon are traversing distinct territories, with Guo focusing on computer science and Hovendon delving into mechanical engineering. However, their lives intersect in one vital area: their political science and public policy minors supply indispensable insights for their research and future careers.

Guo's encounter with the intersection between computer science and policy stemmed from his work at MIT's Election Data and Science Lab. Initially, he had wanted merely to learn coding and data science, but he discovered a fascinating junction where technical skills could directly shape democratic processes.

Hovendon, on the other hand, is engaged in sustainable methods for addressing climate change. As part of an extensive, multisemester research project at MIT's Environmental Dynamics Lab (ENDLab), she is developing monitoring technology for marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR). For Hovendon, the success of her research hinges on understanding its societal impact, which her academic track in policy ensures. As she elaborates, "When you're developing a new technology, it's crucial to consider not just its technical aspects but also how it will be applied. This requires understanding the policies required for scaling it up and the best means to convey its value to the public."

Interdisciplinary Approach Yields Real-World Solutions

Guo, originally from Andover, Massachusetts, was drawn to MIT by his parents' expertise in semiconductors and computer science. Despite his natural affinity for math and computer science, Guo held a keen interest in geopolitics. He enrolled in class 17.40 (American Foreign Policy), his first brush with MIT political science, which he praised for its examination of historical episodes he wished to learn more about, including World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam.

Guo further immersed himself in classes on American Military History and the Rise of Asia, engaging in intellectual discourse with graduate students and active duty U.S. military officers. These encounters provided him with unique insights and fostered individualized, small-seminar-style learning experiences.

From Coding to Elections

It was in class 17.835 (Machine Learning and Data Science in Politics) that Guo recognized his potential to connect his computer science and math abilities with the humanities. The course provided him with significant political science datasets to analyze, offering an intriguing application of his skills from his major.

Guo's work in the Election Data and Science Lab evolved from his experiences in this class. "The hardest part was data collection," he recollects, "especially for an election audit project that examined significant differences between original vote counts and audit counts in all states at the precinct level." The data analysis abilities he honed in the lab have since proven valuable in the professional realm, where he is currently training as a quantitative financial trader.

Engineering Environmental Solutions

A native of North Carolina, Hovendon came to MIT determined "to do something related to sustainability with a direct application in the world around me." She initially gravitated towards environmental engineering, but she soon realized that various majors encompass multiple approaches to the topic. Drawn to the hands-on aspects of the field, she opted for mechanical engineering.

Parallel to her design, manufacturing, mechanics, and materials courses, Hovendon supplemented her education with energy and environmental policy classes. In 21A.404 (Living through Climate Change), she explored the potential for technological and policy solutions to effectively combat climate change, earning valuable insights into the importance of considering both technology and policy implications.

Hovendon currently contributes to research at ENDLab on marine carbon capture and fluid dynamics. She is helping develop verification methods for mCDR at a pilot treatment plant in California, which aims to remove 100 tons of carbon dioxide directly from the ocean by enhancing natural processes. Should this technology be scaled up, it could potentially enable oceans to store significantly more atmospheric carbon, contributing to cooling the planet.

However, Hovendon acknowledges that innovative advancements with significant impact cannot materialize solely on the basis of technical efficacy. She is mindful of the public's response to her research, recognizing that there may be resistance to new technologies that impact public spaces and resources. For instance, placing mCDR facilities in water would necessitate negotiating public opinion and approval.

She credits class 17.30J (Making Public Policy) for instilling in her the importance of both economic and social analysis for successful legislation, such as the Affordable Care Act. "I think technological and engineering breakthroughs should be evaluated not just based on their technological prowess, but also on their successful implementation for general societal benefit," she says. "Understanding the policy aspects is vital for improving accessibility for scientific advancements."

Preparing for the Future

As Guo prepares to embark on a career as a quantitative financial trader, he attests to the indispensable role his political science background will play in his success. With his expertise in data cleaning and analysis at his disposal, he believes that other skills will be equally important, such as understanding foreign policy and its impact on other regions. Macroeconomic changes and politics, he explains, affect trading volatility and markets, emphasizing the importance of being aware of the global political landscape.

With one year remaining, Hovendon contemplates graduate school in mechanical engineering, with potential plans to design renewable energy technologies. Regarding her future career aspirations, she expresses a fervent hope for working on something that she finds genuinely passionate about, something with broader purpose. In considering the intersection of politics and technology, she expresses a desire for at least some government research and development to continue focusing on climate-related initiatives. As she puts it, "Given the urgency of the challenges we face, I'm certain there will be an urgent need for such research and development in the future."

1. Guo's political science and public policy minors offer essential insights for his research and future career, particularly in the intersection between computer science and policy.
2. Hovendon's research on marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) requires an understanding of its societal impact, which her academic track in policy ensures.
3. Guo, drawn to MIT's examination of historical episodes like World War II and the Korean War, enrolled in MIT's American Foreign Policy class.
4. Matthew Guo's work at the Election Data and Science Lab was initially influenced by his experiences in the Machine Learning and Data Science in Politics class.
5. Hovendon's education in mechanical engineering is supplemented by energy and environmental policy classes, such as Living through Climate Change.
6. The success of Hovendon's research at MIT's Environmental Dynamics Lab (ENDLab) necessitates understanding the policies required for scaling up her technology and conveying its value to the public.
7. In class 17.30J (Making Public Policy), Hovendon learned about the importance of economic and social analysis for successful legislation, such as the Affordable Care Act.
8. Guo's skills in data cleaning and analysis are valuable in the professional realm, where he is now training as a quantitative financial trader.
9. For Guo, understanding foreign policy and its impact on other regions is equally important in his future career as a quantitative financial trader.
10. Hovendon aspires to work on something genuinely passionate about, potentially designing renewable energy technologies in graduate school.
11. Guo's parents' expertise in semiconductors and computer science fueled his interest in attending MIT for his majors in computer science and mechanical engineering.
12. Hovendon's research on marine carbon capture and fluid dynamics could potentially enable oceans to store significantly more atmospheric carbon, contributing to cooling the planet.
13. In considering the intersection of politics and technology, Hovendon expresses a desire for at least some government research and development to continue focusing on climate-related initiatives.

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