After two years of hard research for her Carleton PhD thesis, Dr. Anu Thomas thought she had a great solution to her research problem. But someone in Australia had beaten her to it as they had already discovered the exact same solution.
After the initial disappointment wore off, she and her supervisor, Chancellor’s Professor John Oommen decided to delve deeper into the area.
“Things turned upside down when we discovered some unexplored “territory” and thus basically “invented” a new paradigm for pattern recognition,” says Thomas. “After that, every day was exciting and was like exploring a new continent.”
Thomas said that, while researching her thesis, she worked with Dr. Oommen on a daily basis. “Not only did he support me with the technical and scientific supervision needed to do world-class research, but he also, by his life, taught me lessons concerning the fundamental qualities of life like generosity, kindness, loyalty, patience, responsibility, humility and courage,” says Thomas.
The alumna also credits the support and encouragement she received from her family as having helped her through the PhD process. “They were very understanding and accommodating. They adjusted and worked around my busy schedule comprising of studies both during the week and the weekends, and which often extended late into the night.”
Thomas graduated with her PhD in Computer Science at the June, 2013 convocation. Today, she is a Software Designer, R&D, with Blackberry.
Says Thomas: “It can be hard for people to create and remember multiple usernames and passwords. I sometimes have problems remembering my own. My job at Blackberry involves developing a strong authentication system which changes the very nature of authentication by allowing our global customers to easily and securely use the device without entering the identification information multiple items.”
Thomas says that working in the field of machine learning at Carleton under an established and well-known researcher gave her a competitive edge in the workplace.
For current grad students seeking non-academic careers, Thomas says: Try to network as much as possible. Keep contacts with professors, colleagues, and friends. Use networking websites like LinkedIn and sites like monster, workopolis etc. The dream career may only be a chat away.”
You can read other stories in this series by going to our Alumni Success Story archive.
Monday, December 16, 2013 in Alumni Success Stories
Share: Twitter, Facebook
