Featured Fellow
College:
College of Engineering
Program:
Computer Science and Engineering
Fellowship:
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Emily Dolson, a graduate student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Department of Ecology,
Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, is among the 2,000 NSF awardees this year. Dolson’s research interests are in
computer science, evolutionary biology, and ecology.
“The projects that I'm currently working on have two primary thrusts: extracting information from high-volume time-series data in order to make better decisions, and studying the eco-evolutionary dynamics of resource use. For the former, I am developing an algorithm for detecting errors and rare events in real-time data from an ecological sensor network, as well as working on a project on detecting emerging breast cancer in series of mammograms taken over time.”
Continuing, she said, “For the latter, I am doing a series of digital evolution experiments on the effects of spatial resource heterogeneity on diversity and evolutionary potential, the results of which will have implications for both biology and computer science.”
Originally from Ben Lomond, Calif., her early interests were in marine ecology.
“I maintained this focus until my first year as an undergrad at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, at which point I discovered computer science and its many fascinating synergies with ecology and evolutionary biology. During this time, I was able to get a variety of interesting research experiences in both fields, and determined that I ultimately wanted to combine them. With the BEACON Center for Evolution in Action and the interdisciplinary program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, MSU proved to be the perfect fit for my interests.
“The projects that I'm currently working on have two primary thrusts: extracting information from high-volume time-series data in order to make better decisions, and studying the eco-evolutionary dynamics of resource use. For the former, I am developing an algorithm for detecting errors and rare events in real-time data from an ecological sensor network, as well as working on a project on detecting emerging breast cancer in series of mammograms taken over time.”
Continuing, she said, “For the latter, I am doing a series of digital evolution experiments on the effects of spatial resource heterogeneity on diversity and evolutionary potential, the results of which will have implications for both biology and computer science.”
Originally from Ben Lomond, Calif., her early interests were in marine ecology.
“I maintained this focus until my first year as an undergrad at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, at which point I discovered computer science and its many fascinating synergies with ecology and evolutionary biology. During this time, I was able to get a variety of interesting research experiences in both fields, and determined that I ultimately wanted to combine them. With the BEACON Center for Evolution in Action and the interdisciplinary program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, MSU proved to be the perfect fit for my interests.
