Posted on July 1, 2021 by College of Sciences
#FacultySpotlight
Mimi Xie, Ph.D., Department of Computer Science
What did your journey to UTSA look like?
Before I joined UTSA, I had my interdisciplinary training on research areas spanning across energy harvesting embedded system, non-volatile memory, and in-memory computing as a research assistant at University of Pittsburgh, which prepared me for doing research and mentoring students. In 2019, UTSA had a posting for an open position of assistant professor on AI and IoT which matches my research background perfectly well. So, I became a tenure-track assistant professor at UTSA.
What are some of the notable research projects that you've been involved in?
My early research projects focused on software/hardware co-design and optimization of energy harvesting embedded system with emerging non-volatile memory technologies. Those projects are driven by next-generation IoT applications such as smart health and smart transportation. Currently, one of the on-going projects further extends the previous projects to resource-aware deep learning implementation on energy-harvesting IoT devices.
What do you enjoy most about your area of study?
What I enjoy most about computer science is that it can be applied to areas all over the world, and thus benefits the well-being of society from different aspects. What I enjoy most about AI on IoT and energy harvesting is that we can connect all battery-less smart things together and create a more intelligent and connected future that can benefit all human beings.
How do graduate students benefit by earning an MS degree from the Department of Computer Science?
The MS degree from Computer Science can help differentiate graduate students and prepare them to be competitive in the job market or get ready for PhD program.
What do you hope that graduate students gain from your classes and coursework?
Except for gaining better skills of analytical thinking and independent study, I hope the graduate students can gain more interest and enthusiasm in the subject from learning.
What is your proudest moment with the College of Sciences?
Within the past two years since I joined UTSA, I have had many proud moments. It was the moment when my students got the acceptance decision of decent papers, when a student in my class was able to master the subject, and when the students' confidence and competence grows.
What do you enjoy most about being a professor at UTSA?
I have the privilege of teaching and interacting with students from a variety of cultures and the opportunity to work with a diverse group of interesting and smart people.
How would you spend your ideal Saturday?
My ideal Saturday would be hiking at one of San Antonio's parks with my family and my dog in the morning and working in the garden in the afternoon.
What are your book recommendations?
Although I have not had time to finish it yet, my family recommended "One Hundred Years of Solitude."
— College of Sciences
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