Brief Bio:
Born in Russia, I moved to Canada when I was 8 years old. I attended the University of Toronto Schools from grade 7 through 12. In 2012, I completed a B.Sc., joint in Computer Science and Statistics at the University of Toronto in Canada; and am currently pursuing my graduate degree at the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the field of computer vision (at CSAIL).

Interests:
You can read about my views on education, communication, and research in the: Computer Vision News, Dec. 2016 issue.

Education: I have a deep interest in learning and education. I am a fan of the online educational movement (e.g. EdX). I was on Google's Anita Borg Alumni Global Planning Committee for improving education and female representation in computer science. I was a member of the MIT Graduate Student Committee on Digital Learning (GSDL). I was part of the 6.mitx initiative (summer 2013), supervising a team of undergraduates to build a video annotation tool.
Science Communication: I am also passionate about science communication, especially breaking streotypes about scientists and engineers. In 2015, I organized the MIT CS-visit day for high-school students to experience the excitement and energy that is computer science. SciEx was my 2-year (2014-5) video contest initiative (affiliated with the Cambridge Science Festival) to make cool and promotional science and engineering videos. In 2010, I started the Undergraduate Artificial Intelligence Group and Artificial Intelligence Day at the University of Toronto to introduce undergraduate students to subfields of Artificial Intelligence, which have since taken off.

Hobbies:
I like to get my creative juices flowing! My free time is mostly spent drawing, cooking, and dancing (activities involving the right side of my brain, to give the left one a break). I also really enjoy writing! For samples, check out a short science fiction story, my blog, and my responses on Quora. Preferred vacation spots include mountains - for long, thought-filled, hikes. See also my post about staying sane in grad school.

Shoutouts:
My husband is a quantum physicist who shares many of my own interests and hobbies.
My dad is my software engineering role model. See his Quora answers! He taught me that a minute not spent learning is a minute lost!