Episode 78 – More Degrees than a Thermometer
Hosts: Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullen
Guest: Dr. Gloria Katuka
Connect on social:
IG: @asheeyah11
http://www.gloriakatuka.com/
Episode Description:
Join hosts Kyla and Jeremy as they welcome Dr. Gloria Katuka, an applied scientist at Microsoft from Zaria, Nigeria. Gloria shares her remarkable journey through academia, achieving four degrees in eight years, including a PhD in computer science. Discover her experience transitioning from Nigeria to the U.S., her passion for computer science education, and her impactful work in developing AI services. Gain insights into her unique career path, the challenges she overcame, and her current role at Microsoft, crafting AI solutions for customers.
Key Takeaways:
- Dr. Gloria Katuka’s journey from a private school in Nigeria to applied scientist at Microsoft reflects resilience and dedication.
• Overcoming gender and cultural barriers, Gloria secured four degrees in eight years, demonstrating academic excellence.
• Her current work at Microsoft involves innovating in speech-related AI services on the Azure platform.
• Gloria emphasizes the importance of community and mentorship in achieving professional and personal goals.
• Transitioning to a professional environment, Gloria finds balance and fulfillment through work that bridges AI technology and customer needs.
Gloria’s Bio:-::
Dr. Gloria Katuka is an Applied Scientist at Microsoft, where she develops and evaluates speech-related AI services on Azure AI platforms. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Florida (UF), where she conducted research on collaborative dialogue analysis, focusing on natural language understanding. She investigated approaches to improve dialogue act classification using state-of-the-art language models. She also holds an M.Sc. in Computer Science, an M.Sc. in Information Systems and Operations Management, and B.Sc. in Information Systems, all from UF. She is very passionate about broadening representation in the STEM, CS and AI careers. Prior to completing her Ph.D., she contributed to several CS/AI education projects, designing and developing engaging and collaborative learning experiences for youths in both formal and informal settings. She also had the opportunity to intern at Symantec (now NortonLifeLock), Intel, Coursera, and Microsoft. In her free time, She enjoys sci-fi, action, and comedy TV shows and books, including The Expanse, Reacher, and Abbott Elementary. She also loves watching basketball, football, and soccer.