Cecilia Mauceri, a PhD student in the Autonomous Robotics and Perception Group, will be one of just 200 young researchers from across the globe in attendance at next week’s Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Germany.
The forum gives a select group of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers the chance to interact with recipients of some of the most prestigious prizes in math and computer science, including the Abel Prize, Fields Medal, Turing Award and Nevanlinna Prize. The laureates give plenary talks, then lead small-group discussions with their younger counterparts.
“I’m looking forward to meeting Yoshua Bengio, one of the seminal researchers in neural networks, but also to meeting other young researchers from around the world and learning about what excites them about the future of computing,” said Mauceri.
Assistant Professor Chris Heckman, who leads the ARPG, said he’s very excited Mauceri is getting the opportunity to attend the forum.
“Cecilia is particularly well suited to participate,” he said. “She's exceptionally brilliant in her own research on human-robot interaction, a demanding field requiring interaction between many disciplines. The types of exchanges she'll have at the forum will certainly provide her broader insight into the future of her own work."
Mauceri’s attendance is sponsored by Oak Ridge Associated Universities, which is sending four young researchers to the event.
“The Heidelberg Forum is really an opportunity of a lifetime for young researchers as they will make connections that will help bridge the gap between the generations of experienced computer science and mathematics researchers,” said Jennifer Callais, who manages the 2019 program for ORAU. “For an entire week, students get a chance to interact with mathematics and computer science experts, which is an invaluable experience that will hopefully encourage these aspiring researchers to continue in STEM careers.”