Mary Gates Research Scholarships<\/a> are intended to enhance the educational experience of undergraduate students at the UW while they are engaged in research guided by faculty. The scholarships reduces the financial burdens of students and allows them to focus their attention and time, deepening their inquiry into a discipline or project. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBefore coming to UW Bothell to study, Cho had been incarcerated for several years. He used his time behind bars to obtain his associate degree and to reflect on what he wanted his life to look like when he was released. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Computer science and software engineering were topics that he had been interested in since childhood \u2014 and that he could still see himself pursuing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI felt like there could be a space for me in that field, even with my record. I heard that tech companies focus more on an employee\u2019s technical skills, and I was confident I could meet their standards,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prison education system, however, did not offer STEM classes. If he wanted to learn about computer engineering, he knew he would have to do it on his own. Cho would often spend days reading books on software engineering from the prison library and would write out code by hand. \u201cI was determined to make a better life for myself,\u201d he said. \u201cNothing would stop me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Discriminatory algorithms <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now, as a Mary Gates scholar, Cho is researching machine learning. \u201cTraditional machine learning \u2014 commonly used to find patterns in data \u2014 is inherently biased due to a lack of representation of people of color within the training data,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To combat this, he focused his attention on federated learning, the decentralized form of machine learning. \u201cIt allows anyone to use the software and train their devices independently,\u201d he said. \u201cGoing back to the example of facial recognition, with federated learning anytime a user takes a picture of themselves it trains their device to perform better. It puts the user in control.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is not, however, just facial recognition software that is problematic. Word embedding algorithms also contain bias and reflect common stereotypes, Cho said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWord embedding is a popular, natural language processing tool that can associate words like \u2018U.S. currency\u2019 and \u2018dollars,\u2019\u201d he explained. \u201cBut previous versions of this machine learning tool exhibited unfair representations, like commonly associating \u2018doctor\u2019 with \u2018man\u2019 and \u2018nurse\u2019 with \u2018woman.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cho said the research has been extremely eye-opening, even as someone who has spent time in the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never realized how our prejudices and stereotypes are reflected in the technology that we design and build,\u201d he said. \u201cThe software reinforces a lot of negative stereotypes and misconceptions that will be passed down to younger generations. My goal is to help illuminate these problems in technology and research potential solutions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recognizing the problem <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Afra Mashhadi, assistant teaching professor in the School of STEM and Cho\u2019s faculty mentor, said, \u201cMichael\u2019s work is truly shaping some of the new research paradigms in AI. I believe his commitment to his core values, his vision and his integrity will make him successful in his future career.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the process of making a better life for himself, Cho is also trying to make the world a better, fairer and more equitable place. The research he is doing with his Mary Gates scholarship is working to remove racial bias from software that can be used by law enforcement and other agencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cho has already published articles on his research and has presented at a number of conferences, including the National Diversity in STEM conference (presented by the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos\/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) and the International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt has been such a rewarding experience,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s given me a lot of confidence in myself to know the work I am doing will benefit others.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coming full circle <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Set to graduate in spring 2022, Cho will do his final presentation at the UW\u2019s Undergraduate Research Symposium in April. \u201cI am really looking forward to forging important connections and relationships with other students, colleagues, professors and professionals,\u201d he said. \u201cI am so grateful to the Mary Gates Scholarship program for making that possible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cho also participates in McNair Scholars Program, which is designed to prepare underrepresented undergraduate students for doctoral studies, and he has already begun applying to graduate school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThrough academia, I aspire to keep building the knowledge and skills to become an effective researcher, teacher and mentor,\u201d he said. \u201cA graduate degree would also give me a stronger voice in the community to affect positive changes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His long-term goal is to become a professor in computer science and teach behind bars. \u201cComing from being incarcerated and seeing how transformative education was in my situation, I feel like I have an idea of how I could help people out of that cycle,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want my academic journey to empower and show others in similar circumstances that these accomplishments are possible and that we can regain our voice and stake in the community again.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Michael Cho, STEM student at UW Bothell, was awarded a Mary Gates Research Scholarship to explore topics in artificial intelligence that could have lasting effects on fair and equitable technology. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202,211,200,214,204],"tags":[],"school":[421],"class_list":["post-21416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-campus-news","category-honors-and-awards","category-profiles","category-research","category-students","school-school-of-stem"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"Contact Us","email":"test@uwb.edu","phone":"(206) 999-1234","box":"Box 358500","address_line_1":"18115 Campus Way NE","address_line_2":"Bothell, WA 98011-8246","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\n
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