A Personalized Experience Inspires a Family Tradition
By Janet Egiziano, Director, Thousand Oaks Campus, Associate Director, MBA Program
When both your parents are computer scientists and you read computer science books just for fun, you just might be destined for a career in computer science. That鈥檚 the story behind Kathy Macropol who earned an MS in Computer Science from CI in 2007, and who today is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Arcadia University.聽
Macropol鈥檚 journey began with an Associate degree from Ventura College and a UCLA undergraduate degree. Shortly after graduation she received a mailer announcing CI鈥檚 new graduate degree in computer science. Macropol, a Camarillo native, had heard about the new CSU campus right in her own backyard. She visited, loved what she saw, and was encouraged by the program鈥檚 professors to apply to the program.
鈥淭hroughout the program,鈥� Macropol says, 鈥渕y CI professors were encouraging and inspiring. The classes prepared me well for my Ph.D. and for my work.鈥� At Arcadia University, Macropol combines an undergraduate Chemistry degree, an MS in Computer Science degree, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science to conduct research in data mining, bioinformatics, and machine learning. 鈥淚鈥檓 in the field of Network Science where we work to discover common principles, algorithms and tools that govern network behavior, 鈥� says Macropol. 鈥淲e are developing techniques that can integrate and analyze data from multiple sources and models efficiently.鈥�
One of Macropol鈥檚 greatest pleasures as a professor at Arcadia, however, is teaching. 鈥淢y experience at CI taught me how much influence a professor has and how inspiring a professor can be. CI鈥檚 graduate program was a personalized experience 鈥� like family. I try to model that inspiration everyday.鈥�
That inspiration extends to Macropol鈥檚 own family. Her younger sister is now a CI computer science student. 鈥淢y sister watched me and saw that CI provided a wonderful experience that prepared me academically and professionally. CI鈥檚 Computer Science program has become a family tradition.鈥�