August 2023 was a life-changing month for CCI first-year PhD student Jessica Medina.
Early one morning, she opened her email to discover the National Science Foundation, through the Computing Research Association, had awarded her a Computer and Information Science and Engineering Graduate (CSGrad4US) Fellowship. Through the initial $53,000 toward an eventual total of $159,000, the fellowship gave Medina the go-ahead she needed to enroll in a PhD program at CCI and work full-time on her research.
Medina recently reflected on applying for the fellowship and her PhD program, their impact on her research work for people living with epilepsy and advice for prospective doctoral students when applying for fellowships in this interview with CCI.
CCI: What inspired you to apply for the CSGrad4US Fellowship?
Jessica Medina: “I knew that I always wanted to go to grad school. I just wasn't sure what was going to be the best path for me at the time.
I completed my bachelor's degree at [the University of Central Florida] in computer science, and I thought maybe I need something a little bit more to propel me forward into the program that I hope to be in for my PhD. I have worked closely with some PhD candidates at the time when I was an undergrad who have become professors, such as Afsaneh [Razi, PhD, CCI assistant professor of computer science].
I heard from word of mouth that this [fellowship] might be an amazing opportunity for me to look into specifically, since I knew that I wanted to go and do my PhD, but when you apply to PhD programs, a lot of the constraints [are] funding.
[This fellowship] is amazing in the sense that you're not necessarily tied to a specific research project. It gave a lot of liberties. That helped alleviate a lot of the upcoming stress of finding the perfect fit for program funding and everything.”
CCI: When did you apply for the fellowship and when were you informed you were selected?
JM: “I applied for the fellowship, I believe, in May 2023.
I found out in August of 2023 that I got it. It was like one in the morning. I was working on some research that I was doing in the free time. And then I just checked my email. I just saw [a] congratulations email. And I literally cried, like, I cannot make that up! I cried. I was so excited, I called my friends and families.
I couldn't contain my excitement. It was the highlight of my month, I would say, and I just remember thinking I can't believe I have such an amazing opportunity to be able to pursue my PhD.”
CCI: You've been working in the fellowship program for how long?
JM: “It's one [year], because after you [hear], you do your first year. So, I found out in August, and in September you get paired with a mentor, and from September until December you're going through the whole application process of applying to PhD programs. And then, after you're done with the application process, your mentor also helps you, talks with you through your decision, of which program or whatever the case is.
I got paired with, actually, Helena Mentis [PhD, head of CCI’s information science department and professor]. She helped me feel more prepared in my applications, reviewed my essays, gave me amazing feedback, and I applied by December. I heard by late January/early February some of my decisions, made my decisions by April 2024.”
CCI: Your PhD advisor, Dr. Razi, provided this description of the research work you are conducting together:
“Jessica Medina and I have been working on the line of research on understanding the sociotechnical needs of underrepresented populations, such as people living with epilepsy, and how they seek support and receive support online under [my] supervision. Her first work resulted in Ms. Medina’s being the first author of a poster called ‘Exploring Online Support Needs of Adolescents Living with Epilepsy,’ published at ACM CSCW 2024. We are continuing this research project to contribute to improving the quality of life of people living with epilepsy.”
JM: “Yes, my research really is about understanding socio-technical needs of underrepresented populations. Specifically, right now, my work has been looking at people living with epilepsy, and how they seek support online, how they discuss their topics and challenges, and how they receive support online. And I did have a first-author poster publication called “Exploring Online Support Needs of Adolescents Living with Epilepsy.” And, we are continuing this research. We are currently collaborating with others at Brown University to start understanding the needs of older adults who have epilepsy or who may experience seizure disorder [and their caregivers]. I'm definitely passionate about that. I think that that's a good start.”
CCI: What has drawn you to this research topic?
JM: “I was diagnosed with epilepsy at 15, so I understood firsthand a lot of challenges that came along with it. One thing that always fascinated me was that, statistically, it's very likely that a person would experience at least one seizure in their life. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions where, statistically, according to the CDC about 150,000 people in the United States develop epilepsy every year.
But, I never felt like there was a huge public awareness around it, and a lot of the concerns that I learned from my research [were] that people sometimes don't know how to mitigate this, because it's considered an invisible condition. I may present very healthy looking, but I struggled a lot in my undergraduate years. If I would have a seizure, I have to miss class.
Since I know firsthand this experience, I think that I wanted to help others like me because I understood; it was a really hard journey for me. I would like to thank my family, friends, and partner for their endless support as well as recognizing Shay (my service dog) for aiding through the really challenging times with my health.
So that's kind of where I started. Someone suggested to me that if you're starting research, and you don't know where to start, start with something that's close to home, and you'll find that you're more passionate about it, and it doesn't feel like work to me.”
CCI: Where do you see your research going next?
JM: “I do want to continue this line about understanding online support and social support, and how to basically help people living with epilepsy in that way. I want to expand it to caregivers of people living with epilepsy, because I know that it must be very difficult, especially for caregivers of children.
And I hope that my future career will allow me to expand it to other underrepresented chronic conditions. I'm very interested by other neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis, things that may not appear as obvious, but that people struggle with internally.”
CCI: What advice would you give to someone considering applying for the CSGrad4US Fellowship? And, can you share any tips or strategies that helped you during the application process?
JM: “I want to encourage anyone that wants to apply.
I would prioritize the personal statements, because that's the way you can let someone know what you want to do. I think that a lot of us thought or think we need to write very eloquently, or have already our whole career plan set up, and I don't think that that's necessarily the case. The most important thing when applying to programs like this is to show yourself in a way that's like: this is why I want to do this — be true.
One thing that Helena did recommend to me was that when you are writing personal statements is get to the point — essentially, say what you want to say.
I would also just take the time to really consider what it is that you want out of your PhD program. That can help facilitate personal statements and saying, ‘Okay, I know that I want to be in academia, and I know that this program can help me for X-Y-Z reasons.’
Get a reference letter from someone who can speak to your character, and why they know you'd be a really good fit for research for pursuing a PhD program. Either they could speak to your research experience or your passion to address a specific area.”
CCI: How has your time at Drexel and CCI been going so far?
JM: “I really am happy being here at Drexel and at CCI.
This is really what I wanted to do, I am very happy to do it, and yes, it's hard work, it's time-consuming. But, I feel very supported by the faculty and through classes. And my advisor —she's amazing. I feel validated and understood, and I feel like [it is] one of the first times, where you can present ideas or research interests and not be necessarily concerned about not being heard. For whatever reason, you know, I truly feel [as if] the relationship I've experienced with faculty is colleague-like and I really appreciate that.
I'm very happy that I chose to come to Drexel, and that I was able to continue working alongside with Afsaneh.”