Nancy Wang

Year in School
Freshman

Major
Computer Science + Math

Research Interests
Programming Languages, Formal Methods, and Software Engineering

Research Mentor
Reyhaneh Jabbarvand

Research/Engagement Experience
This is my first research experience but I’m very excited to start. In terms of engagement, community involvement has always been very important to me and in the past, I have been involved with my local food pantry and served on a peer jury.

Interests
Math, Scientific Computing, Programming Language, Formal Methods, and Software Engineering

Project Title
TBD

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
I got interested in computer science when I took an introductory course over the summer of my junior year of high school with Kode with Klossy. I really enjoyed how I was able to be both creative and analytical when it came to coding and how I basically had the world at my fingertips. The following year, I took AP Computer Science A, and it was so fun to solve problems, think analytically, and adjust my logic/reasoning to how a computer would operate.

What social interests matter to me?
Women’s Rights, Sustainability, and Climate Change

What is my most impactful college experience?
I’ve only just started college, but I would say my most impactful experience so far would be eating alone in the dining hall. Before college, the idea of eating alone in public was really stressful to me but after eating alone at the dining hall, I realized that no one cares. I feel like this experience was really reflective of me growing up and becoming more independent. Now, I really enjoy taking time for myself and appreciate being able to be alone.

These are a few of my favorite things!
Matcha lattes with strawberry syrup, sleeping in, Gilmore Girls, live music, the color purple, and my friends, family and cat.

Research Description
This semester, I will be working with Professor Jabbarvand and the Intelligent CAT Lab on understanding and interpreting language models. Language models are machine learning models specifically used for code-related tasks - for example, ChatGPT. This semester, I will learn about the theory behind these models and the techniques used, as well as assist in testing and evaluating tools and algorithms.

Biography
I’m Nancy Wang, a freshman studying Mathematics & Computer Science at UIUC. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, but I have also lived in China and Tennessee. In my free time I like to go to coffee shops, listen to music, and go on walks.