Computer Vision News - February 2019

22 Women in Computer Vision Computer Vision News Women in Science Of course, being at Stanford and working with Fei Fei has given you a lot of visibility at conferences and on the internet. Do you like that exposure, or sometimes do you think it’s too much? To be honest, as a PhD student, my goal was both figuring out myself as a researcher and getting to the end of my PhD. In some sense, I feel like I kept my head down and was just very focused on these goals. I’m not sure that I was thinking about that aspect of things too much. At the same time, I think that as a researcher it’s important to, not only come up with and demonstrate your research ideas, but to also share them with others. I think dissemination and communication are also an important part of research. It is extremely important to have an advisor like Fei Fei who has been very helpful with that. You are going to teach at Stanford. Is it important for you to teach the new generation what you have learned? Over the course of my PhD, I started to have some experience working with younger students. This is also something Fei Fei encouraged me to do. I really enjoyed it. I think it’s really fun to work with people. A lot of the students are super enthusiastic and eager to learn. They come from very diverse backgrounds and perspectives. It’s been really fun to just be able to help shape a little of their growth. That’s something I look forward to doing more of once I transition to being a full-time faculty at Stanford. Can you already see what your generation of teachers should take from the previous one? For me, it’s realizing that every person is different. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, strengths, interests, and perspectives. One important aspect of being a teacher is to recognize what is unique and special about each student and try and nurture that. Like Fei Fei does! Yes, exactly! Would you like to tell us one specific thing you’ve learned that stands out? A lesson for life? A lesson for life? Hmm… I’m not sure that this is necessarily about being a teacher. In general, Fei Fei really taught me to believe in myself and not to get discouraged. Believe in what you are passionate about even if it’s something that may not come easy. In the short term, it may seem like you are struggling. My PhD work, especially with AI in healthcare and trying to implement new technology in hospitals was not something where you could see a lot of quick and early gratification. She was helpful in encouraging me to be patient and keep on working toward what you believe in. I guess this means finding gratification about yourself and your own conviction that you did something right.