CIE Researcher of Distinction, April 2022
Josue Nassar
Each month, the Center for Inclusive Education showcases the outstanding research being conducted by one of our talented scholars in our Research Café series. In addition, we recognize this scholar as a Researcher of Distinction and share the details of his/her journey to becoming an accomplished scholar. This month's Researcher of Distinction is Josue Nassar Ph.D., Electrical Engineering. Nassar presented their work, ‘Maximising Exploration in Unknown Dinamical Environments with Potential Attractors.’ on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.
JOSUE'S PATH INTO RESEARCH
I learned about research during my senior year of undergrad via my senior design project. I then decided to pursue a Master where during the masters my co-advisor gave me the opportunity to do a Ph.D. here.
Cole's Current Research
Describe the work you presented for your Research Café.
Biological agents, such as animals and humans, have been exploring their environments
for millions of years. The ability to explore an unknown environment is important
as it prevents agents from converging to suboptimal solutions. In contrast, it has
been very hard to get artificial agents to explore. In this work, I present an algorithm
that allows artificial agents to explore unknown environments.
What was the deciding factor for you to come to Stony Brook for your graduate studies?
The deciding factor for me was my co-advisor Monica Bugallo. She gave me advice about pursuing a Ph.D. and took a risk by offering me a spot in the program.
Are there any other projects, beyond your Research Café work, that you are currently working on?
Throughout my Ph.D., I have been fortunate to work on a variety of different projects. Currently, I am working on new machine learning algorithms for generative models and new approaches for analyzing neural data.
What are your future goals?
To be happy and help people.
What do you enjoy most about research?
Learning from your mistakes and the thrill of discovering something cool!