I think the most important thing is to choose a course that you will really enjoy.

What have you been up to since graduating?

Since the start of the year I've been working as a machine learning engineer at an American company called Intradiem, which provides intelligent automation for call centres. My biggest interest is AI, so I'm continuing to pursue that by working on personal projects and researching the field.

Tell us more about your dissertation which the paper sumbitted to MABS 2022 was based on.

The project title was Re-Implementing and Building upon an Agent-Based Model of Food Web Evolution. For my dissertation I looked at methods for accurately simulating the evolution of species of animals over time, to produce realistic food webs. To achieve this I used a spatial agent-based model, based upon an original design that my supervisor, Emma Norling, had worked on a few years ago - with further experimentation to make the model more accurately reflect real world ecosystems, and therefore produce more realistic results.

What made you decide to submit your work to MABS 2022?

I had a lot of fun working on this project with my supervisor and co-author Emma Norling, who recommended that we submit our work to MABS 2022. I think it is important to share work at workshops like this, not only to benefit the research community, but also to receive some constructive feedback on work, so we can continue to learn and improve.

What are you looking forward to most about attending the workshop?

I am very excited to attend the workshop, both to share what Emma and I have worked on for our paper, as well as learn about the great research that the other attendees have been working on. One of my favourite things about events such as this is that they provide the opportunity to hear from experts in fields that you may not usually have a direct interest in - allowing you to learn about a wide variety of topics in a short space of time.

What made you want to study at Sheffield in the first place?

I fell in love with the city when I visited for the first time, and experiencing the university itself on a couple of open days really set it apart for me from anywhere else, with its excellent facilities and engaging staff.

What was your favourite thing about studying here?

My favourite thing about studying in Sheffield was having the opportunity to meet and interact with like-minded people who shared similar goals to myself. This made the studying and social experience of university great fun and highly beneficial to my personal development. 

Any tips for someone thinking about coming to university?

Firstly, I think the most important thing is to choose a course that you will really enjoy. Studying will, of course, make up a significant portion of your time at university - so doing something that inspires you and engages you intellectually is absolutely key to having a great time! I would also highly recommend getting involved with extra-curricular activities/societies, as these provided a great opportunity to meet new people and do some fun stuff.