Kayla Stevenson has career aspirations that are out of this world. A junior from San Diego, California, Kayla is majoring in Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI) with plans to pursue a career as a robotics AI engineer for NASA. Kayla originally came to the University of Tennessee to study computer science but switched to the AAI degree in the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies because there was room to customize her degree.
“I’ve always wanted to explore the application of AI to robotics engineering,” she says. “When I found out that the new AAI major and CECS was opening up, I loved that there was room to customize your degree with lots of project-based work to gain experience in your chosen field.” She also found a network of peers she didn’t expect, and together, they are learning how to collaborate on real-world problems, just like they will do after graduation.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know other classmates who have similar interests as me, but from different backgrounds,” she says. “I think it’s great that I can meet people from healthcare, business, STEM, or finance majors and see how they’d like to apply AI into their career. My favorite course so far is AI 202, Human AI Interaction and Experience Design. Learning about UI/UX design for AI while doing hands-on activities has been a great opportunity to apply what we’re learning and develop problem-solving skills.”
Kayla, who also serves on the CECS Student Advisory Council, has diligently been working towards her goal of working for NASA through internships and other hands-on opportunities. She has worked as a robotics and mechatronics engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and has been a member of space robotics teams such as NASA Lunabotics. Kayla credits CECS for helping her not only find internships but build her personal brand and network.
“The professors and faculty members at CECS have helped me with internship searching, building my resume, and building my experience through courses that have improved my knowledge in technical and humanities topics,” she says. “Career-related programs such as RISE or just fun events such as CECSgiving has helped me network and make invaluable connections with everyone in the college.”
Kayla’s advice to students considering a CECS degree is simple: go for it!
“It has been an amazing experience. The degree plan is flexible, and I love being able to get more customized instruction from teachers and getting to know classmates and staff more. Be sure to take advantage of the extra programs and events they have. It will help you build your professional community and make new friends in your major!”