Dishan Otieno
June 28, 2024
My Academic Adventure at DSAIL
Introduction
Life often offers uncertainties and unpredicted events that shape our character physically, socially, spiritually, and career-wise. One such transformational moment has been my career journey at the Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAIL), filled with captivating events that have helped me grow and build my career space. The ability to work on research projects, attend technical sessions and events, and interact with the team was an immense experience for me.
Joining DeKUT for Mechatronic Engineering
In my quest to further my studies right from high school, I joined DeKUT to pursue my degree in Mechatronic Engineering, a 5-year program offered at the university. It was captivating as I joined the institution to commence the degree which was so exciting by its name although its course content was unclear to me. It will be a story to tell how it went by.
Early Learning Experience
While at DeKUT, I started learning different subjects and gaining new knowledge and skills to position myself in our competitive, fast-growing world. I began learning Python programming, which introduced me to new matrices that seemed complex to solve but were manageable. As I learned, I realized there was a lot to be done with this knowledge. I progressed from Python programming to data science and machine learning, aiming to gain additional skills alongside my Mechatronic Engineering studies. It was a new adventure filled with uncertainty about how I would use these skills, but the excitement of transforming businesses and organizations with data kept me motivated.
Opportunity at DSAIL
The adventure turned out to be positive as I gained knowledge which I applied to my personal project. This helped me secure an Undergraduate research assistant opportunity at DSAIL during my fourth year of study. It was incredible to be a student and simultaneously work to learn, practice, and implement what you have learned in the class. The opportunity also came with compensation directed to my school fee account, a great relief during my campus studies.
Working on Real Projects
At DSAIL, I worked with Research Interns on various projects, such as water level monitoring, bioacoustics, and Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR). I was attached to the project that was aimed at detecting faults on an electric fence. My role involved supporting data collection of pulse signals for experimental analysis in developing the device. It was a new experience learning about signal sampling and processing, which helped me appreciate the importance of this field. Thanks to Gabriel for providing such exposure.
Tackling Real-World Challenges
DSAIL taught me the importance of research and the need to study a problem, develop hypotheses, explore different approaches, and find solutions. One such scenario is when a farmer approached our Director with a challenge related to determining the level of oxygen in his fishpond. I was tasked with developing a customized oxygen sensor to help the farmer. This led to the development of DSAIL PondLive (v1) a fish pond water quality monitoring system that measures turbidity and temperature. Version two(v2) of the system was to include a custom-designed dissolved oxygen sensor and a camera for monitoring, restocking and increasing fish production (was at research stage). It was a great learning experience in developing the device from research to circuit development, assembly, and deployment. Shout out to Gabriel and Jason for their technical support.
Internship at Safaricom PLC
Two months before completing my coursework in Mechatronic Engineering, I secured a 6-month internship at SAFARICOM PLC. The skills and experience I gained at DSAIL, especially the soft skills, played a crucial role in helping me obtain this opportunity. The ability to interact effectively with colleagues, share ideas, and navigate professional environments was instrumental in my success at SAFARICOM PLC. This internship provided practical industry exposure in the field of telecommunication engineering which further enhanced my skill set.
Securing an Internship at SurgeonsLab
The knowledge, skills, and the research experience I gained from DSAIL helped me secure a 1-year internship at SurgeonsLab company in Switzerland. An opportunity I applied for through IAESTE DeKUT club which helps in exchange of students for internships in over 70+ countries across the world. It's been a month since I joined SurgeonsLab to work on the design and development of embedded electronic products for healthcare applications.
Soft skills and Team Dynamics
I also learned the importance of soft skills in any working environment. I learned how to interact with colleagues, share ideas, handle concept disagreements, and discuss solutions. There were also many funny moments in our office after a day of work.
To wrap up
DSAIL has significantly shaped my career, teaching me how to handle research work and drive projects to achieve meaningful results and develop systems for real-world use. It has allowed me to make decisions, receive feedback, and identify areas for improvement. Thanks to the great supportive team at DSAIL and the mentorship from Prof. Ciira, Director at DSAIL. I look forward to growing my hard and soft skills and using them to build solutions that benefit society.
