annotators. People who annotated data should be included from different countries and different income levels because we see that images look different. Even images from very common household items, like a toothbrush or refrigerator, we’re used to seeing a certain image of that in Western countries, but they vary depending on demographics. Do you like being a researcher? Yeah, for sure. I really enjoy it. I gradually got here. Back in Romania, I worked a bit in industry. Like a software developer, but still focused on research applications. I really enjoyed that because you never know what you’re going to get. It’s research. It’s work in progress. It’s for discovering new things. That’s what I enjoy. It’s not predictable. How long have you been in the States? Quite long now. Already six years. Out of everything you do, what is one thing that you would not be able to do if you were still in Romania? That’s an interesting question. I think there are much more opportunities here in the US. I can see the university is on board with any activity I propose to do and sponsor it. I feel like things are moving much faster here. Like people are really open to investing time and money in projects. Maybe in Romania, it’s a bit more difficult to do that because the budget is stricter. There’s more paperwork to do. Also, I find the optimism of people here is much more encouraging. When you have an idea, usually, people are open to it. They want to try it and are excited. That excitement is contagious, and I think leads to projects having more success and making more progress. Is there a chance you will go back to Romania one day to work? [Oana laughs] I’m constantly thinking about that, yes. Actually, when I started the PhD, I started with the thought in mind that I will come back after the PhD and teach, be a professor, and also collaborate with industry because I’m in the middle. I like the application side of industry and the fast progress, and I also like the research side, the academia side, where you’re open to think of diverse problems. Now, I’m not sure. I want to stay a bit more in the US to explore more and have more opportunities, but I want to also collaborate with students from Romania, with professors from Romania, so I’m looking for that. If one day you go back to Romania, Romania Women in Computer Vision 16 DAILY WACV Friday
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