Natural Language Processing X Human Rights Violations

; Introduction

Location: HiLT Lab at the University of North Texas

Dates: 09/07/2022 ~ Present

Publication?: Conference-submitted, pending!

Description: Using Natural Language Processing on a dataset of Telegram posts in order to detect Human Rights Violations within the Russio-Ukrainian War.

Page last updated April 23rd, 2023.

; Timeline

Not my singular project, so I'd feel irresponsible if I were to share so many technical details on a website anyone can access. I have, however, been doing aplenty reading on Human Rights Violations—more specified below!

; Thoughts

I promise I'm not trying to get dramatic, but working on this project is what largely inspired my passion to connect AI/Computer Science with the field of Philosophy. CS is a field that spawns as many ethical issues as it attempts to solve, and I believe the two have an insanely interconnected relationship (though you could very easily argue, and receive concession from myself, that all STEM fields are connected to a Humanities this way).

Digressing briefly here; as interdisciplinary research regarding ethics—or, at least, research involving two seemingly disconnected concepts; read on Arthur Koestler's Theory of Bisociation if you really want to tie this back to tangentially-related Phil.— proves itself more and more popular, so does the significance of fully understanding both fields before engaging with the topic. I'm not bashing on the theoretical scientists, nor am I committing the tragic sin of unreflective instrumentalism (a life-changing article; jump to "In 1991"), but I do try to advocate for utilizing the specialized knowledge one accumulates to improve the general quality of life. Plato's Cave & Republic right?

Anyway. The awareness that I know so much about STEM but have roughly next to none about how this applies to the rest of the world, was one of my driving reasons in selecting Philosophy as my future, primary, major; Hey, I'm pretty fluent in 'CS Major' already, what about the other side?

The project is also teaching me far more about Machine Learning in a far quicker time than I could've imagined. I still need to sit down for a formal education on it at some point, but the concepts and guidance I'm receiving is something I remain infinitely grateful for. Overall, I'm highly excited to be a part of it.

Machine Learning Tree Segmentation

; Introduction

Location: Geospatial 3M Lab at the University of North Texas

Dates: 05/22/2023 ~ 07/28/2023

Publication?: Not Applicable

Description: Identitfying trees in Denton Country through LiDAR data with the penultimate goal of assessing pollution by calculating biomass with specifically with Dr. Liang & Ph.D. candidate John South. As part of the AI/CS Summer Program 2023 hosted by Dr. Mark Albert & Dr. Ting Xiao.

Page last updated May 25th, 2023.

; Timeline

05-25; You can tell the universe works in strange and mysterious ways because one moment I'm utterly bent on researching ethical inquires into AI, and the next moment I'm counting trees in Denton. A lovely learning curve for Python, PyTorch, LiDAR data & working in an active in-person research team. Very excited!

04-23; Currently, the most work I'm doing for it now is reading Existentialism, trying to understand Sartre & free will, and brushing up on my admittedly inchoate sense of epistemology. Oh, and finding a summer roommate. That's proving to be the most difficult part, frankly.

The Subdivison: Identity Politics and Dialogue

; Introduction

Location: N/A

Dates: 02/24/2023 ~ Present

Publication?: Looking at journals/conferences!

Description: A paper assessing the issue white victimization through the lens of stereotype, specifically pertaining to minority experiences and what mutual connections can be drawn. Ultimately promotes dialogue on all fronts.

Page last updated May 25th, 2023.

; Timeline

05-20; It's been a while since this happened, but I've been so atrociously busy with post-schoolwork that I couldn't update immediately. I finished the paper at ~3k words and submitted to get a 100. The feedback I received is pretty warranted, so I'll be incorporating that once I re-join the grind. I'm contacting people who may be able to assist with giving it a read-over or something along those lines, though I'm not too certain if this is conventional.

04-23; Neck-deep in introduction! I'm trying out different methods and approaches into a topic that seems like a horse so dead that it's been cremated four decades ago (seriously, there's so much excellent literature out there), so that took a moment, but I think I've got it.

; Thoughts

As it stands, this project is the first I've begun working on that I can wholly and entirely call my own. It holds a special place in my heart, especially because the topic matters discussed within are so intimately connected to my development of personal philosophy.

The working topic involves Identity Politics and Polarization, sure, but the ideas discussed within connect to so much more. How should we combat stereotypes? How much empathy and understanding can be spared towards the 'other' when that other presents itself as a threat? To what extent is the other a threat, and how can we tell?

There's a certain amount of apprehension I carry towards the paper, too. I worry my conclusions are too hasty, or too unrefined, or have already been discovered about ten years ago and I'm just late to the party—like the wonderful medical researcher who re-discovered integration.

I guess that's the fun part about research, though? And after having professors and mentors read through my paper, if I still happen to put something truly asinine out there, it only gives me material to improve on the next time I tackle a Humanities project (copium).