Student Spotlight: Jiaxuan Wang

Thursday, December 5, 2024

This week, we shine a spotlight on OMSCS student Jiaxuan Wang. Keep reading to learn more about Jiaxuan's background, computer science interests, hobbies, and more!

What is your academic and/or professional background? If you're currently working, what do you do?

I am a Ph.D. student specializing in quantum optics. My research focus is quantum metrology, where we use quantum light to achieve high-precision sensing of subtle signals, such as phase shift, absorption rate or temperature.

What is/was your favorite course or professor in OMSCS, and why?

During my time in OMSCS, I’ve found so many courses to be fascinating and inspiring, but my absolute favorite has been CS 6603: AI, Ethics, and Society! This course struck a personal chord with me, as I’ve faced challenges trying to protect some elder relatives from scams—like being phished into purchasing overpriced dietary supplements that lack clinical proof of their benefits. These fraudsters exploit the natural desire of older adults to improve their health, using manipulative tactics to make money. As a researcher, I rely on tools like Google Scholar to critically evaluate claims by investigating the actual evidence behind various ingredients. Unfortunately, teaching these skills to my grandparents is not realistic. However, CS 6603 offers wonderfully accessible explanations about how deceptive data presentations and fake impressions can be crafted to manipulate audiences. The course material is clear, approachable, and perfect for those outside of academia to grasp the basics of statistics and recognize fraud. Best of all, I’ve been able to share some of these insights with my grandparents, helping them better understand how to spot red flags and protect themselves. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the real-world impact of what I’ve learned in this course!

What do you love most about working with computers?

I love how modern computers handle repetitive and procedural tasks, freeing humans to focus on more creative and intellectually demanding work. The key lies in understanding what tasks computers excel at, delegating work to them in a way they can process, and then interpreting the results to uncover new insights. In this sense, we all act as managers with powerful computational "employees". For instance, in my research, I frequently solve equations to explore the characteristics of complex systems. In the past, such calculations were done manually, consuming significant time and effort. To make the problems manageable, extensive simplifications and assumptions were often necessary. Today, with computer simulations, we can obtain numerical results quickly and can systematically validate them step by step. This allows us to evaluate the validity of our assumptions and better understand which factors have the greatest impact on system behavior. With computers, we the human beings can focus on the critical aspects of a problem rather than getting bogged down by tedious details.

What is your favorite way to relax after a long day of debugging?

I absolutely love dancing, walking my dog, or practicing martial arts! Fun fact: I’m usually the smallest girl in an adult class, and it always surprises new friends when they find out I’ve earned a brown belt in karate. It’s such a fantastic way to let go of stress and connect with others. I also compete in international Latin and standard dance, which might sound a bit more on the “elegant” side compared to martial arts—what can I say, I’m a mix of both! Art forms like dancing or painting are my way of expressing feelings and turning emotions into something beautiful. I also love hiking with my dog. Being out in nature, especially surrounded by trees, makes me feel so connected to the world. Standing next to towering trees, ancient stones, flowing rivers, or vast mountains and oceans reminds me of how small I am in this big, incredible world. It puts my stress into perspective and fills me with awe for the beauty and endless experiences life has to offer.