Maya Swaminathan

Year in School
Junior

Major
Computer Science + Linguistics

Research Interests

Research Mentor
Lawrence Angrave

Research/Engagement Experience

Interests
Accessibility Software

Project Title

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
Around three years ago, I began translating Japanese songs into English out of a desire to make Japanese music more accessible to the general public. At first, I used machine translators to check my work, but quickly realized that certain elements of the language, such as intent and context, were often handled poorly by the translator. Lyrics that required a deep cultural or specialist knowledge wouldn’t parse correctly and would often bug out completely, with the translator returning a completely unrelated sentence. Curious to find out why machine translators often failed at their job, I began developing an interest in computer science and machine learning. While machine translation have improved by leaps and bounds since then, translation still inspires me today to explore new horizons of learning, whether that be through language or computer science.

What social interests matter to me?

Why did you choose Illinois?
I chose Illinois for the CS + Linguistics program.

What are your passions outside of computing?
I've been learning Japanese for over seven years now and have N2 proficiency! I also work for the Japan House, where I assist with cataloging and translating materials.

What has been one of your favorite experiences at Illinois that you would like to share with prospective students? (For Continuing UIUC Students)
One of my favorite experiences was picnicking at the Japan House in spring.

What has been one of your favorite experiences as a CS STAR? (For Returning CS STARS)
Getting to hear talks from researchers across various fields.

What is my most impactful college experience?

These are a few of my favorite things!
Trying out new cafes, listening to music, cooking

Research Description

Biography
I'm a junior from San Jose, CA majoring in CS + Linguistics. I'm interested in ML and how computers interact with language.