Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) is proud to announce that undergraduate student Satvik Tripathi (BS computer science, Pennoni Honors College) was selected as a 2022 Nina Henderson Provost Scholar.
Launched in the fall of 2021, the annual Nina Henderson Provost Scholars Program provides 12 motivated Drexel students with the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills and play a hands-on role in shaping the Drexel experience. Drawing on their diverse backgrounds, disciplines and perspectives, Nina Henderson Provost Scholars work alongside Drexel University’s Provost and senior Provost’s Office leadership to advance key priorities of the Drexel 2030 Strategic Plan and collaborate on strategic projects. The program is made possible by support from Nina Henderson, Chair of the Academic Affair Committee of the Board of Trustees, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Drexel alumna.
In his first year at Drexel, Tripathi pursued research in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, and recently returned from a summer fellowship program at Harvard Medical School’s Summer Institute at the Department of Biomedical (SIBMI). He is serves as vice president of Drexel Society of Artificial Intelligence and student officer at the Medical Intelligence Society, and as a research assistant at both the CONQUER Collaborative Lab and SPARSE (SPiking And Recurrent SoftwarE) Coding Lab. He is the author of two book chapters and published his first book chapter, “Artificial Intelligence: A Brief Review,” at the age of 15. He also serves as a reviewer at IGI Global. His second book chapter, titled "Fairness and Ethics in Artificial Intelligence-based Medical Imagining," is now published in Ethical Implications of Reshaping Healthcare with Emerging Technologies (2021).
Tripathi's main research interests include artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, computation and quantitative neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience and psychoanalysis. He has experience in neuroradiological imaging and developing as well as implementing Deep Learning techniques for clinical use. He also has experience in utilizing medical imaging modalities such as MRIs, CT, PET and X-ray scans and applying modalities such as fNIRS, EEG, DTI and fMRI to analyze brain activity. Recently, he received a grant from Drexel Undergraduate Research Fund and Pennoni Honors College for his project titled “A Turing Test Inspired Method for Analysis of Biases Prevalent in Artificial Intelligence Based Radiology Devices and Models.”
Read on to learn more about Tripathi and how the 2022 Nina Henderson Provost Scholarship will support his future academic and research goals:
CCI: How does it feel to be appointed as a Nina Henderson Provost Scholar?
ST: It is an absolute honor to be a part of the Nina Henderson Provost Scholar cohort. I never imagined that I would be working at the Office of the Provost with Provost Paul Jensen himself. Honestly, this is one of the biggest opportunities I have got, and at the same time, it’s a lot of responsibility as well. As Provost Scholars, we are expected to represent the student body and give suggestions from our (students’) perspective on the present and developing University policies.
CCI: What do you hope to accomplish through this scholarship?
ST: Being an international student and working in the intersection of computer science, biology and medicine, I would bring a very diverse point of view to the table. I hope to work with the leadership to build a better scientific community here at Drexel and at the same time have a focus on inclusivity. I feel this is a really great opportunity for me to flourish both as a leader and learner, understanding the current policies and strategies but at the same time leading a vision for the Drexel 2030 Plan.
CCI: Tell us about the project that you’re developing with your cohort. What is it about and what is your role?
ST: I am working with [Vice Provost of Institutional Research, Assessment and Accreditation] Dr. Sujoy Das on the Qualitative Analysis of Student Survey Data project. This project aims to explore qualitative feedback gathered on centralized student surveys conducted by Drexel’s Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Accreditation to understand ways to enhance the Drexel student experience and outcomes while laying a sustainable path for analyzing future survey qualitative data. We will analyze the open-ended comments, organize the data into themes, and suggest possible action items, bringing their perspectives on interpreting the findings and partnering with relevant units that may benefit from the recommendations. I am utilizing my expertise in AI to come up with and implement some Natural Language Processing (NLP) models/techniques to automate the process of comprehending open-ended questions.
CCI: How has your time at Drexel prepared you for success as a Scholar?
ST: I have been working with [CCI Associate Professor] Dr. Edward Kim at SPARSE Coding Lab since the first week of my freshmen year, and I have learned and grown a lot during this period of time. I have worked on several projects and grants, and have also published several articles. All of these skills have helped me to excel in various areas including research, leadership and cultivating interdisciplinary ideas. Drexel has definitely changed the trajectory of my academic career and I am grateful for it. Drexel CCI and the Pennoni Honors College specifically have always been really supportive in all of my endeavors and have always celebrated my achievements!