As University of Pennsylvania (Penn) President Amy Gutmann stated in her Penn 2020 Compact address, “The most challenging problems cannot be addressed by one discipline or profession.” I admire Penn’s advocacy of study that transcends traditional boundaries between disciplines. I want to study computer science and its intersections with statistics, healthcare, and the social sciences. My goal is to draw from across these disciplines to tackle challenging societal issues like HIV/AIDS prevention and homelessness. Penn will help me achieve these goals. Through my research at USC, I’ve become fascinated by the enormous potential of networks to mobilize societies, disrupt archaic systems, and improve human life. Penn uniquely enables me to pursue this interest through the Networked & Social Systems Engineering (NETS) program, which will also cater to my interests in computer science, economics, and sociology. Learning from experts …show more content…
I can take a variety of courses in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and database management to gain the technical expertise necessary for my research and career aspirations. Besides my specialization, I can pursue my broader interests across the different schools, taking classes in statistics, sociology, economics and humanities; including unique courses like Social Choice Theory and Technology and Society, which will allow me to explore connections between these fields and with computer science. I understand that in pursuit of technology solutions in the real-world, an understanding of social, economic and cultural implications is as important as the solutions themselves—something reinforced by my research at USC. This type of comprehensive knowledge can only be pursued at a place like