Steve Mussmann

Ph.D Student, Computer Science

Stanford University

What was your major/minor at Purdue and when did you graduate?

While at Purdue, I completed 3 majors (Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science) and 1 minor (Physics).

What was your most compelling class and why?

I liked Real Analysis (math 440) which taught me how to think mathematically.

What are you currently working on?

I'm currently working on machine learning, which is an approach to artificial intelligence. In particular, I study how to annotate data efficiently.

What drove you to pursue your current career path?

I really enjoy research and I think a PhD is the best way to start a research career.

Did you pursue internships/co-ops, research experiences, volunteer, or join student organizations while you attended Purdue?

While at Purdue, I did two research summer internships (at Purdue and at UCF), one industry internship at Bloomberg, was president of math club, and worked on research with Dr. Jennifer Neville. Together these enabled me to be accepted into Stanford's PhD program.

Are there any special accomplishments you've achieved after college that you might not have been able to do without your college experiences?

I've been able to publish multiple papers and I am getting close to graduating with a PhD degree from Stanford, which would not have been possible without the research experiences and classes I participated in at Purdue.

What advice would you give to prospective or current Purdue students about how to make the best use of what Purdue offers?

Take full advantage of the research opportunities and variety of classes at Purdue. There is so much to learn and discover in the world. Always view yourself as an uncompleted project, with more to learn and grow.