A Computer Science Major Aims for Maximum Social Impact

When it comes to her classes, Alia, who declared three minors (Interactive Media, Political Science, and Sound and Music Computing), chose ones that allowed her to explore the many possibilities of her Computer Science major. For example, Politics of Code changed the way she thought about technology as well as many of the issues of daily life. “The class was incredibly eye-opening. It was where I started learning more about things like how automated decisions could be biased and the possible negative effects of facial recognition technology.” In Alternate Realities, an interactive media class that teaches students how to develop their own VR applications, Alia realized how broadly she could apply her computer science education. “It showed me how to bridge my computer science learning with a lot of fun, creativity, and experimentation,” she says.

Alia credits much of her success to the supportive community she’s surrounded by at NYU Abu Dhabi. She says, “The Mozilla project grew out of my Politics of Code class, where I met my teammates, and the continuous support of our professor. I appreciate a lot about my time here, but I appreciate nothing more than the chance to learn from so many inspiring people.”

Alia’s postgraduation plan is to continue exploring the ways in which technology intersects with social issues. “I either want to work on technology that advances a cause I care about, like economic development or accessibility, or contribute to academic research on the relationship between politics and technology,” she says. “I believe technology is a powerful tool, and the way we use it doesn’t necessarily reflect what the technology is but who we are.”