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Contrary to popular belief, STEM majors like to have fun just like everyone else—and Ava Flanigan is proof of that. A sophomore completing a double degree in computer science and engineering at Spelman College—a historically black women’s liberal arts college in Atlanta—Flanigan learned the importance of maintaining her identity and authenticity in her field
“I feel like people think that anyone in STEM, especially computer science and engineering, is kind of boring and introverted,” Flanigan says. Glamour. “But I would describe myself as a more outgoing person. I like to have fun. I like to dance and sing and just do a lot of creative things. You don’t have to put yourself in a box just because people expect you to be in a box” .
Flanigan’s ability to express himself unapologetically was nurtured by his school and classmates at Spelman College. She says Glamour“As a Black woman, if I was in a space that was predominantly people who didn’t look like me, they might not be looking for me. But when you go to a place like Spelman or Howard or Tuskegee, they’re looking for you. So being in a STEM discipline, not only do they look for me in STEM. It makes me feel like what I do matters, who I am, and I feel seen.”
And her work and interests are as unique as she is. In his first year he won third place in a university competition for a smart dog collar he created with a friend, which allows dogs to assign a specific aroma to their homes (which is still in development). He recently completed a three-month internship at tech giant Nvidia. And she is very passionate about bringing her own perspective as a Black woman to technology; for example, “the sensors on the automatic soap dispensers don’t always recognize that my hand is under them,” she says, “and I wonder what data sets were used when these sensors were being developed. They were people with darker skin in the room while the test was being done?” Ava Flanigan argues: “It is essential for different perspectives like mine to contribute to the development of new and unimaginable technologies.”
Glamour: : What is one invention or innovation you hope to see in the future that you think could transform the STEM field?
Ava Flanigan: With the existence of AI and machine learning, it would be great if we had some kind of internal bias detection in AI. So if we had some kind of internal way to analyze this bias without having to use humans, that system would be of great assistance because AI is not likely to go away anytime soon. And so, when we see it more and more on display in different technologies, it will be very important to make sure that there is not a lot of bias in the technology.
So basically you want to create an AI to check the AI?
