Sophia Abraham

What is your hometown?

Orlando, Florida

What were you doing prior to enrolling at Notre Dame?

I was completing my bachelor's in mechanical engineering and exploring job prospects.

What obstacles did you overcome to attend Notre Dame?

I am an Indian woman in STEM and have been incredibly privileged to have a family who supports me endlessly. Most of my struggles remained internal when I realized the sparsity of women in the field and had a difficult time finding female mentors in STEM.

What do you research?

I develop optimization methods for neural networks

Do you live on campus or off?

off campus

What do you like to do in your spare time for fun? What hobbies do you enjoy?

Baking, painting, drawing, reading, procedural generation

How do you unwind after a long day of work?/How do you practice self-care?

I enjoy having a cup of tea and reading a new book

After you graduate, what would you like to do?

I'd like to use machine learning to combat agricultural and biodiversity issues in the US and open a community bakery/tutoring center.

Why did you choose Notre Dame?

There was a peace that resonated when I came here and visited campus even in the bitter winter which I was unaccustomed to. I was amazed by the sincerity of my interactions with the professors here and the mental health of the students I interacted with in the lab.