Michelle Ru

Year in School
Junior

Major
CS + Chemistry

Research Interests
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Programming Languages, Formal Methods, and Software Engineering

Research Mentor
Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider

Research/Engagement Experience
High School, Undergraduate academic year research experience

Interests
Software engineering, data science, & computational biology.

Project Title

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
I first became interested in computer science after taking a foundational CS course in high school. Despite it being just a graduation requirement at first, I soon found that computers were actually really interesting to me, and I wanted to learn how to write more advanced code that could do cool things like making websites or visualizations. I also became super interested in the applications of computer science to fields like biology and chemistry. Pursuing an interdisciplinary major in computer science and chemistry at Illinois has further piqued my interest, and I'm constantly in awe of how quickly this field is advancing.

What social interests matter to me?
I'm passionate about increasing the accessibility of quality education as well as supporting women in STEM.

What is my most impactful college experience?
While moving away from my home in Virginia was probably one of the hardest things I've done, it has also been one of the most impactful experiences of my life. Being an out-of-state student has made me step out of my comfort zone and put in extra effort to meet new people and build new friendships. Every single person I've met here is so hard working and enthusiastic about everything they do, and being surrounded by such dedicated people has pushed me to become the best version of myself every day. I have met so many incredible people and have made lifelong friendships that I wouldn't trade for anything. I love how tight knit the community here is at Illinois and I'm proud to call it my second home.

These are a few of my favorite things!
Some of my favorite things include journaling, trying new cuisines, going to coffee shops, movie nights, watching football, and hanging out with friends!

Research Description

Biography
Hi! I'm Michelle Ru and I'm a CS + Chemistry major with a minor in statistics. I'm originally from Northern Virginia but I came to UIUC because I wanted to pursue an interdisciplinary major and the CS+X program was exactly what I was looking for! I'm super interested in software engineering as well as applying computer science to different fields like biology and chemistry. My personality type is ENFJ, and I love to meet new people and make new friends.