Statement of Purpose (CS)

by Sherman Leung

My reasons for continuing my studies at Stanford through a coterminal Computer Science degree can be summarized into one overarching mission statement, two main learning objectives, applied towards three main goals.

Mission Statement

To apply insights from data and design towards high-impact problems in fields like education and healthcare.

Learning Objectives

  1. Data Science: To learn how to process and make meaning of large datasets.
  2. Interface Design: To learn how to design and build effective and user-friendly mobile and web interfaces.

Data Science

From oncogenomic trials to deeply connected social graphs, our world today is being rapidly transformed by data-driven insights. My work with the Visual Genome Project under the direction of Dr. Fei-Fei Li and Dr. Michael Bernstein has shown me the power of data-driven insights. Working closely with PhD student Ranjay Krishna, we made efforts to build and curate a knowledge base for visual learning. Last quarter, we took data generated by the crowd and began applying machine learning techniques to generate relationships between objects, adjectives, and the pictures that hold them. My work has inspired me to take further steps in the field of data science and better understand the essence of learning from large data sets. Towards this direction, I want to take:

  • CS 124 - To understand how deeper understanding and interesting data points can be drawn from text
  • CS 246 - To scale more effective approaches to large datasets
  • CS 229 - To recognize patterns and build insights from data itself
  • CS 262 - To apply computational approaches to genomic data
  • CS 145 - To learn how data is stored and organized in modern systems today

Interface Design

In a modern world where interfaces race to catch up to dizzying increases of use cases, design has become paramount in the worlds of web and mobile. Industry and personal experiences have given me direct lessons in building web interfaces - learning by doing.

From CS147, I learned what it means to design intuitive interfaces with the user in mind. In CS142, I learned how to implement those interfaces and design fuller and more substantive applications. In CS 210A, I've learned tremendously from the hands-on experience of learning from and designing for the end user.

I hope to continue an education in design through the courses:

  • CS 247 - To apply human-centered design to build interactive interfaces.
  • BIOE 273 - To prototype and design mobile-focused applications towards Mobile Health.
  • CS 193P - To learn how to effectively program iOS applications for the mobile user.
  • CS 144 - To learn how the internet is structured and how modern interfaces use it effectively to connect machines and people.
  • CS 376 - To apply teachings towards substantive projects.

Goals + Applications

  1. Education:I wholeheartedly subscribe to the concept of a growth mindset and believe in fostering it as a student and a teacher. My experiences as a CS106 Section Leader, a CS42 Course Assistant, and a CS1C Course Instructor, has allowed me to discover amazing ideas and build an appreciation for knowledge and curiosity that drives my own learning.
    As a master's student, I hope to continue my love of teaching and collaborating with students to discover and explore our intellectual boundaries. I've had the great fortune of receiving support and mentorship from many great teachers so far in my career, and I hope to reciprocate that exchange as a master's student.
    I'm currently exploring an independent project to build a better knowledge map for learning. We're working closely with Chemistry professors as a starting point but hope to scale and generalize to other subjects over the course of next quarter. I'll also be joining forces with Khan Academy as a Summer 2015 Intern to continue building tools to foster learning and the growth mindset.
  2. Healthcare: I strongly believe that healthcare needs more attention and that resources, talent, and interest is being diverted from a field where the barrier for entry is high and prove too challenging for many. With health++, I’m building a forum at the intersection of different perspectives to equip students to more fully explore healthcare and better understand it as a space for innovation.
  3. Making: I consider "learning by doing" as one of the primary avenues that I've taken to reinforce and further my understanding from classes. In this vein, I've worked closely with groups like BASES and TreeHacks here on campus to provide opportunities to learn and build on campus. I've thoroughly enjoyed project-based opportunities to tailor my Stanford experience within a bias towards action. And I hope to continue experiences that I've enjoyed in CS 147 and CS 210 to extend my education into applications and projects.