ASU STEM students prepare for local careers in tech
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Sushmitha Reddy at the Smart City Cloud Innovation Center. Photo: Courtesy of ASU
Thousands of freshly minted college graduates are about to test their employment luck in this strong — if not uncertain — economy.
State of play: We checked in with two ASU students in the tech field to see how they're preparing to take on the real world and whether they plan to keep their talents in Arizona.
Sushmitha Reddy
Major: Information technology
Zoom in: Reddy, a graduate student from India, has been working as a cloud developer through the university's Smart City Cloud Innovation Center, a partnership with Amazon Web Services.
- She recently collaborated with a team that developed a machine-learning tool to detect gunshots for the Phoenix Police Department.
How it works: Reddy and her team installed microphones on light posts in high-crime neighborhoods. When the devices pick up the sound of a gunshot, it triggers a system that alerts police, decreasing the time it takes for officers to get to the scene.
☀️ 1 lesson learned: Even microphones melt in the Arizona sun.
What's next: Reddy graduated earlier this month and is deciding between two local job offers — one as a data scientist and the other as a systems engineer.
Aira Daniella San Agustin
Major: Computer science
Zoom in: San Agustin, a graduate student who grew up in Phoenix, says she's right where she wants to be: developing new education technologies.
- She's been working with the university's Learning Futures program to create new tools for teachers and students, like a scavenger hunt app to help freshmen navigate campus.
One metaverse thing: Last semester, she was part of the new Zoom Innovation Lab. She combined Zoom functionality with a virtual reality system and helped host a hackathon to see what other developers could do with the tool.
- She told us one hacker designed an interactive office space that helped remote work feel more collaborative.
What's next: San Agustin plans to graduate in December. This summer, she's interning at GoDaddy as a backend developer.
- She said she's 50-50 on whether to stay in the Valley. Her biggest complaint: that microphone-melting heat. 🥵