Q: Why did you choose your major?

Segear: I decided to major in computer science because of a computer science class I took in high school that I really enjoyed, as well as a Hackathon I attended in high school. Along with my interest in computer programming, I also have interests in biology and medicine, so I decided to concentrate in bioinformatics.

Q: What has been your favorite course or instructor? 

Segear: One of my favorite courses was software engineering with Dr. Austin Cory Bart, which I took last year. I thought it was really cool to get to work on a larger-scale project compared to what I’d done in previous computer science classes, and to see this application come together throughout the semester.

Q: Have you done any summer research on campus? If so, what did you work on?

Segear: I’ve worked in the Human-Computer Interaction lab under the mentorship of Dr. Leila Barmaki the past two summers. My research has focused on developing and testing virtual and augmented reality applications with medical purposes, specifically balance and lower limb rehabilitation. The specific project I’ve been working on is a balance training and rehabilitation system implementing virtual avatars controlled by real people through body tracking cameras.

Q: What’s your favorite hang-out or study spot on campus?

Segear: Perkins student center! It’s a great place to study, get food, and I seem to run into friends every time I’m there.

Q: How do you spend your time outside of class and research?

Segear: I’m on the club figure skating team and am a member of Alpha Omega Epsilon, a social and professional sorority for women in engineering and technical sciences. Additionally, this is my second year as the treasurer of the Association for Computing Machinery’s council on Women in computing. This year, I’ve also started working as an ambassador for the College of Engineering.

Q: What is your dream job?

Segear: Something in the field of bioinformatics or computational biology, using computer science and math to analyze biological data. I would love to have a career that merges my interests in computer science and medicine.

Q: What has been your favorite Delaware or Newark experience outside of college?

Segear: During the summer, I really like going to the Delaware beaches, especially Rehoboth beach. Another Delaware experience that sticks out was going to Firefly in 2021, as that was my first time going to a music festival and it was super fun!

Q: What advice would you have for an incoming freshman?

Segear: Explore all your options! Even if you think you know exactly what your interests are and what you want to do, try taking a class or joining a club outside of what you would typically go for – you may learn about something new that you really like!