Trinity Bissahoyo, a sophomore computer science major, placed third in the Undergraduate Research Poster Competition within the engineering category at the 21st Annual Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) Research Conference.
“Winning the competition means that the effort and work I put into my research is impactful. I often do not get to see my impact on it because I am only there for a short period. I do not see the long-term impact,” Bissahoyo said. “Winning third place when I thought I was not even going to place or no one was going to come to my poster was, in a sense, liberating.”
The TLSAMP Research Conference is an event for students and professionals to share their work, explore trends in STEM education, and collaborate with each other. The conference focuses on empowering underrepresented voices and inspiring, educating, and illuminating the path forward in STEM.
Bissahoyo’s poster, “Automating Image Selection Based on Image Assessment for 3D Reconstruction,” is about developing an automated image selection system used to sort through crowdsourced photos from online databases based on image quality and how much structural data a photo offers. The purpose of her research is to create a tool that is affordable and fast for those who do not have access to aerial pictures.
“Because this was my first research symposium that was judged and I was competing with so many intelligent people, like students from Vanderbilt and Tennessee Tech, I was so nervous,” said Bissahoyo. “I thought they were going to think ‘this research makes no sense,’ ‘what did she even do,’ or ‘it was a waste of time.’ But when people came up to my booth and were engaging in questions and conversations, I saw that people were truly interested in what I did.”
Bissahoyo does research at the User-centric Security and Engineering Research Lab in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. This semester, she is the merchandise chair for Alpha Sigma Kappa, a sorority for women and non-binary in STEM. Bissahoyo is also a member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
“If you are scared to approach professors or apply to do research, that is ok. I think most people are. But research is all about asking questions, so I would say don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, ask for opportunities, and see what is available,” Bissahoyo said. “Your mentors are there to help you as much as you are helping them. Most people want to see you succeed and will work around your schedule and interests. A plus side is that research offers many opportunities for not just experience, but also funding if you are looking for financial assistance.”
Contact
Lilly Tran (tce@utk.edu)