KENNESAW, Ga. | Jul 22, 2024

From crochet to calculus, and much more in between, Mercy Olaniran’s interests seem unlimited.

But the rising Kennesaw State University sophomore said she is certain her career interest lies in computer science, which is her major in the College of Computing and Software Engineering.

In the summers before and after her senior year at Jonesboro High School, Olaniran worked as an intern on biological research projects at the University of Georgia’s Griffin Campus.

“I was planning to major in biology, and then I thought, do I really want to do this for the rest of my life?” she said. “And I think with computer science, I enjoy it because coding is just really relaxing for me. I said to myself that I could do this all my life and be happy with that choice.”

In computer science there are endless opportunities for work that positively impacts the lives of people, and in just one year of college, Olaniran has already been immersed in two such projects.

Through KSU’s First-Year Scholars Program, Olaniran worked with Assistant Professor of Computer Science Xinyue Zhang and other student researchers on improving cybersecurity in the rapidly evolving area of machine learning, by better safeguarding the personal information of individuals contained in large databases.

Now, in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program, Olaniran is again working with Zhang, who is collaborating with associate professor Modupe Adewuyi from the Wellstar School of Nursing, as well as other students to develop a smartphone application to help the family and friends – informal caregivers – in the lives of people suffering from dementia. The objective is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to provide caregivers answers to questions on how to best help the person in their care.

“The thing about dementia is that it's not only detrimental to the person who has it, but also to the person who has to take care of them, especially if they're not a professional,” Olaniran said. “That can lead to caretakers having anxiety and just a decreased quality of life.”

Olaniran is working on the user interface of the app, the icons that users tap to navigate its features.

Zhang said Olaniran has stood out as an undergraduate researcher in several ways. But one in particular is how she digs into the topics the team is researching. Unlike most students who are digital natives, Olaniran goes beyond online sources and spends hours in the library voraciously reading volumes of previous research in print.

Olaniran also displays an eagerness to advance the group’s research project.

“When we have our group meetings, Mercy is always enthusiastic and likes to start first in sharing to update us on her experience that week,” Zhang said.

Much like high school where Olaniran was captain of the chess club, competed on the math team and started a crochet club, she makes time at KSU to indulge her varied interests. In addition to the enriching programs in the KSU Journey Honors College, Olaniran has joined KSU's Aerial Robotics Competition Team.

“I’m their machine learning specialist,” she said. “We program drones to be able to operate and land without much assistance.”

Olaniran expects to make the most of her time at Kennesaw State to learn and experience all she can.

“I’ve always enjoyed learning about and trying a wide variety of things, so Kennesaw State has been great for me,” she said. “I’m always ready to see what’s next.”

– Story by Gary Tanner

Photos by Judith Pishnery

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.