2022-02-16: Tarannum Zaki (Computer Science PhD Student)

Hello everyone! My name is Tarannum Zaki, and I am an international student from Bangladesh. I have started my PhD program in the Department of Computer Science at Old Dominion University in Spring 2022. Presently, I am a member of the Web Science and Digital Libraries (WS-DL) research group. My PhD advisor is Dr. Michele C. Weigle. I am currently working under the supervision of Dr. Michele C. Weigle and Dr. Michael L. Nelson on disinformation misattribution on different social media platforms and web archiving.

 

I have completed both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Military Institute of Science and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh in December 2016 and February 2021 respectively. Before coming here, I was appointed to the faculty position of a university lecturer for more than four years where I had been involved in conducting computer science and engineering courses ranging from basic level to advanced. I also co-supervised undergraduate students for thesis and capstone projects. My research interests primarily involve but are not limited to Human-Computer Interaction, Data Analytics, Internet of Things, and Cognitive Science and Technology.

During my educational period, I got the opportunity to perform research at the intersection of computer science and human behavior and cognitive science. My undergraduate thesis ‘Security Threats for Big Data: A Study on Enron Email Dataset’ was published in the conference proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Research and Innovation in Information systems (ICRIIS’17), with an extended version in the International Journal of Information Communication Technologies and Human Development (IJICTHD), and is concerned about how human behavior manipulates mass phishing that can destroy large organizations. This preceding work can perhaps be considered as the basis of Microsoft Exchange Server data breach in 2021.

A notable project is an alphabet learning tool for preschool autistic children through a tangible interface to promote social interaction that received the best project award in the faculty of Electrical and Communication Engineering (ECE), MIST as well as secured a third position in the International Humanitarian Technology Project Competition (IHTPC) in 2017. A conference paper was published by me along with the project team related to this project (6th International Conference on Informatics, Electronics & Vision - ICIEV’17) as well. My co-supervision on the capstone project ‘Towards developing an IoT based gaming application for improving cognitive skills of autistic kids’ was published in the conference proceedings of the Asian Conference on Intelligent Information and Database Systems (ACIIDS’20) and an extended version has been accepted in the Journal of Educational Computing Research (IF: 3.088).

As for research on UX, ‘Exploring and Comparing the Performance of Design Methods used for Information-Intensive Websites’ and ‘Exploring Design Issues in Developing Usable Mobile Application for Dyscalculia People’ are two of my published research works. Furthermore, my Master’s thesis presents a vast research work regarding UX that reveals the influence of user emotions inferred from human psychophysiological attributes while playing a serious game. An extensive background study in this aspect is published in Computer Science Review (IF: 7.872). A conference paper was also published by me in the 20th International Conference on Intelligent Systems Design and Applications (ISDA’20), focusing on the experimental study. Also, I received a grant (300,000 BDT) for higher education and research in ICT from the ICT division, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (Jan’20-Dec’20) to support my MSc thesis.

A book chapter on SWOT analysis regarding ICT interventions to contain the pandemic caused by the novel Coronavirus is a recent addition to my research profile. I have also been awarded for ‘Best Paper Presenter’ in the conference proceedings of the 12th IEEE Annual Information Technology, Electronics and Mobile Communication Conference (IEMCON’21) as per the session chair’s choice for presenting the research paper ‘An IoT-Based Complete Smart Drainage System for a Smart City’ which is an article from one of my Master’s courses. I have also received an award for quality publication for the year 2021 from my former institution.

These varieties of works and inquisitiveness towards investigating different concerning issues have eventually given rise to a versatile research profile of mine. I have always been enthusiastic about the teaching profession as well as research and aim to establish myself in academia's esteemed position to outspread my strong belief of gaining and spreading knowledge.

Apart from my education and professional particulars, I am very much into paper crafting and power yoga. I am a pet lover and keen towards microgreens gardening. My other topics of interest include cartography and human psychology. During my leisure hours, I often explore these topics to gain valuable insights.

It is a privilege for me to work with the WS-DL research group. I find this group extremely interactive and well-organized where both faculty and students share their incredible thoughts and experiences on a variety of research areas regularly. I have just started the first semester of my PhD program and looking forward to having a very pleasant journey ahead!

Thank you for reading my post.

--- Tarannum Zaki