Sushma Anand Akoju

Sushma Anand Akoju

PhD Student in Computer Science

Natural Language Understanding | Neurosymbolic Methods | Reasoning | Multimodal AI | Cognitive Science | Neuroscience

sakoju2014@gmail.com

View Resume/CV

I believe everything is a symbol—whether audio, image, text (word/s or sentence/s), or video, they're all different flavors of the same meaning. This lens, shaped by my longterm mentors over the years, guides how I create, study, design, and communicate.

🍣 Symbolic

Documentation Purpose: This timeline documents verifiable achievements and contributions across multiple universities. These accomplishments represent sustained dedication, technical expertise, and research contributions spanning over a decade in academia. Reference

Research Intersection

Core Research Areas

Self-Directed Learning/Mentor-Recommended Learning: 36+ courses completed independently without formal enrollment, as these specialized topics were not offered at the universities attended. List of courses by year


Learning Philosophy: My learning from different mentors draws the analogy to Princess Ida in Monument Valley - knowledge passes as torches/clues between mentors and students. I maintain open, safe conversations with students for mutual learning. This reasserts that intellectual domination is only an illusion.



On Intellectual Humility: Despite being at the risk of sounding presumptuous, out of fear of sounding overconfident or out of fear of being ostracized or a social taboo even in 2025, I would like to share that my long-term mentors and my parents always suggest to follow this philosophical saying, which I sincerely follow: "I know that I know nothing." - Socrates


A Note on Attribution: The work showcased here is the product of significant intellectual effort, extensive research, expert guidance and peer review, and unwavering dedication. Every minor achievement /minor success documented on this site has been earned through intensive, relentless effort and persistent dedication—never by accident or luck or by chance. My heartfelt eternal gratitude to all my teachers for the guidance.


Intellectual Property Statement: Please contact me for written consent before using any works or intellectual property from this website.


Learn more about me in my Recognizing Individual Uniqueness.

Research Projects & Publications

Research and studies spanning Natural Language Understanding, Neurosymbolic Methods, Multimodal AI, Cognitive Science, and Neuroscience Reference Material

Natural Language Understanding Research
  • Natural Language Understanding Research Project (2025-Present) Launched January 2025, under NLU/NLP expert review at University of New Hampshire Reference Material
  • First First-Author Publication SICCK dataset accepted at Natural Language Reasoning and Structured Explanations (NLRSE) Workshop, ACL 2023 Reference Material
  • SemEval 2022 Task 4 Achieved #1 rank globally on leaderboard for Patronizing and Condescending Language Detection (Fall 2021) Reference Material
  • NLP Course Project SemEval 2022 Condescension detection project, University of Colorado Boulder Reference Material
  • Text Retrieval & Web Search CSC 583 research project, University of Arizona Reference Material
  • Introduction to Language, Logic, Proofs, Theorem Provers and Tactics, Spring 2025 Reference Material
  • Brief Introduction of Theorem Provers, Formal verification Theoretical Introduction, Sep 15th 2022. Reference Material
  • Formal verification for Language : Theory, Oct 7th 2022. Reference Material
  • Natural Language to First Order Logic, Sep 29th 2022. Reference Material
  • Visualizing Deep Learning Models for Natural Language Processing tasks: INFO VIZ 5602 Project Report. Reference Material
  • Theorem Prover using Entscheidungsproblem and Microsoft Z3 Solver and Prover Reference Material
Knowledge Representation & Reasoning
  • Data Mining Project Knowledge representation and reasoning using Abstract Meaning Representation (AMR), Q&A systems, Logical Neural Networks (LNNs), BEAM search. Mentored by Profs. Di Wu, Tom Mitchell, Martha Palmer, Dr. Peter Clark (Fall 2021) Reference Material
  • Markov Logic Networks Statistics project exploring probabilistic logic (Fall 2021) Reference Material
  • NLP Reading Group Presentations on "Towards Teachable Reasoning Systems," "Reasoning Like Program Executors," "On the Paradox of Learning to Reason from Data" (2023) Reference Material
Neurosymbolic Methods & Formal Logic
  • Science Communication Project:First Order Logic for Everyday Reasoning (Spring 2025) Reference Material
  • Logical fallacies, Liar's paradoxical traps in Legal and Ethical Dimensions of Logical Fallacies: A Theoretical Framework and Policy Interpretation Analysis Reference Material
  • Lean Programming Language Project:Completed formal verification project (December 5, 2024) Reference Material
  • Theorem Prover:Big Data Architecture project using Microsoft Z3 Solver (Spring 2022) Reference Material
  • Natural Logic Group Presentations on Theorem Provers, Formal verification, Natural Language to First Order Logic (Fall 2022) Reference Material
  • Never Ending Learning Seminar Framework using first-order logic and grounded predicates with Prof. Tom Mitchell, CMU (2018) Reference Material
  • Symbolic Logic CSC 501a, University of Arizona (2023) Reference Material
  • Theory of Computation CSC 573, Prof. Roberto Giacobazzi, University of Arizona (Spring 2024) Reference Material
  • Self-Directed Study 50+ topics in Neurosymbolic Methods, Deep Learning Architectures, Theoretical Logic, Theory of Computation Reference Material
Multimodal AI & Computer Vision
  • Object Detection Using YOLO and Mechanical Turk annotations for Robotics project, CMU (2021) Reference Material
  • Robotics - Computer Graphics Satellite image classification project (2020) Reference Material
  • Mechanical Turk Annotations Image Detection and Classification task helper (2020) Reference Material
  • Information Visualization Visualizing Deep Learning Models for NLP tasks (Spring 2022) Reference Material
Study of OCR Scanned Handwritten Slave Trade Volumes, Text Extraction & Named Entity Recognition
  • Independent Study with Prof. Henry Lovejoy Study and design of Named Entity Recognition & Text Extraction from OCR (Optical Character Recognition) scanned Handwritten Slave Trade Volumes (Summer 2022) Reference Material
Machine Learning & Deep Learning
  • Adaptive Machine Unlearning Foundations for unlearning methods for editing LLM representations (Spring 2024) Reference Material
  • Machine Learning Theory CSC 488, University of Arizona (Spring 2024, Audit) Reference Material
  • Advanced Machine Learning CMU-10715, Prof. Nina Balcan (2018) Reference Material
  • Neural Networks INFO 557, University of Arizona (Fall 2023, Audited) & completed Deep Learning textbook by Ian Goodfellow, Yoshua Bengio, and Aaron Courville Reference Material
  • Statistics Projects Comparing Statistical Regression with Neural Network models (Spring 2022) Reference Material
  • ML Department Project Regression analysis and Polynomial Equations Parser using Sympy, CMU (2020) Reference Material
Cognitive Science Research
  • Cognitive Science Colloquium COGS 595, University of Arizona (Fall 2022, 2023) Reference Material
  • Self-Directed Study Cognitive Science approaches to AI Reference Material
  • Research Focus Intersection of Cognitive Science with Natural Language Understanding and Neurosymbolic Methods Reference Material
Neuroscience of Language
  • Self-Directed Study Neuroscience of Language and Reasoning - comprehensive study of neural mechanisms underlying language processing and logical reasoning Reference Material
Research Assistantships
  • SKEMA Project Research Assistant Neologisms from COVID language study, extending Abstract Meaning Representation (AMR) to document-level structures, University of Arizona (Jan 2023 - July 2023, Fall 2022) Reference Material
  • HubMAP Project Imaging Mass Spectrometry analysis, Computational Biology Department, CMU (2019-2021) Reference Material
Publications
  • Synthetic Dataset for Evaluating Complex Compositional Knowledge for Natural Language Inference: SICCK dataset - Natural Language Reasoning and Structured Explanations (NLRSE) Workshop, ACL 2023 (First first-author publication) Reference Material
  • "Socially-Aware Animated Intelligent Personal Assistant Agent" (2016) Paper
  • "Nlsc: Unrestricted natural language-based service composition through sentence embeddings" (2019) Reference Material
  • "An Efficient Mobile-Based Middleware Architecture for Building Robust, High-Performance Apps" (2019) Reference Material
  • "Adroitness: An Android-based Middleware for Fast Development of High-performance Apps" (2019) Reference Material
  • "The human body at cellular resolution: the NIH Human Biomolecular Atlas Program" (2019) Reference Material
Research Philosophy

Research focus on the intersection of Natural Language Understanding, Neurosymbolic Methods, Multimodal AI, Cognitive Science, and Neuroscience. The goal is to evaluate AI systems that can reason, understand, and communicate more like humans by combining neural networks with symbolic reasoning, formal logic, and insights from cognitive science and neuroscience. This interdisciplinary approach helps to understand AI systems better. Reference

Research Approach

I am committed to transparency and authenticity in research. All work presented here represents my direct contributions, and I maintain detailed documentation of my research process. My research expertise centers on identifying a research problem, problem understanding, experimental design, and proof-of-concept development. I specialize in research-oriented programming for prototyping and evaluation, with a focus on advancing scientific understanding. Reference

Personal Reflection on Career Trajectory

Due to my extremely unique career trajectory, it is exceptionally challenging for others to reconcile my appearance, career achievements, my hard work and my values - all put together in one person. I acknowledge this with mindfulness, empathy and responsibility.

CIRTL Certifications & Teaching Experience at University of Arizona

Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning - Advanced Teaching Certifications & Comprehensive Teaching Assistant Experience Reference

About CIRTL and University of Arizona

The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) is a network of 45+ universities committed to enhancing STEM graduate education and undergraduate teaching through a focus on evidence-based teaching practices. CIRTL certificates are nationally recognized credentials that demonstrate commitment to quality teaching and learning. CIRTL Network

Certification Progression
  • Associate Level (Fall 2023 - Spring 2024) Completed foundational training in evidence-based teaching practices at University of Arizona. Requirements included workshops on pedagogical practices, diversity and learning science, teaching philosophy statement, and classroom observation Reference Material
  • Practitioner Level (Spring 2024) Advanced training including Teaching-as-Research course, presentation at UCATT Teaching Exchange Symposium, and continued pedagogical development. Demonstrated ability to develop and implement evidence-based teaching strategies Reference Material
  • Scholar Level (Spring 2025) Highest certification level achieved at University of Arizona. Demonstrating expertise in teaching pedagogy, research-based instructional methods, and advancement of teaching and learning through formal presentation and implementation of Teaching-as-Research projects. I am grateful for the guidance and support from Dr. Kristen Winet and Dr. Byron Hempel Reference Materials upon request
Teaching as a Research (TAR), University of Arizona
Teaching Assistant Experience

University of New Hampshire (2025)

  • Machine Learning Teaching Assistant (January-May 2025) Developing comprehensive grading rubrics, supporting diverse programming languages, and assisting students with complex CS concepts Reference Material

University of Arizona (2023-2024)

  • CSC 473 Automata, Grammars and Languages (August 2023 - May 2024) Led discussion sections, created practice problems, held office hours, and provided one-on-one tutoring for students. Volunteered additional time to help students with conceptual understanding beyond regular duties TA Work Summary

University of Colorado Boulder (2021-2022)

  • MSBC 5190 Artificial Intelligence & Neural Networks (Spring 2022) Graded assignments, held office hours, assisted students with AI and neural network concepts Reference Material
  • MSBC 5180 Machine Learning in Python (Fall 2021) Supported students learning machine learning algorithms, Python programming, and model evaluation techniques Reference Material
Guest Lecturing & Curriculum Development
  • Guest Lecturer - BIOL 950 and BIOL 902 (March 2025) Delivered lectures on AI for Academic Writing to biology graduate students, focusing on autonomous content development with analogy-based learning methodologies Lecture material and Analogy based interactive lecture for AI for Academic Writing
  • Foundational Teaching Materials Development (Fall 2024) Created comprehensive instructional materials on proof systems, logic, automata, formal languages, and theorem provers Reference Material
  • OpenAI Educational Licensing (Fall 2024) Facilitated OpenAI Educational licensing for university AI courses, enabling enhanced learning opportunities for students Reference Material
Teaching Philosophy & Pedagogy
  • Developed comprehensive grading rubrics that provide clear, constructive feedback to students
  • Created supplemental instructional materials to support diverse learning styles
  • Implemented evidence-based teaching practices focused on active learning and student engagement
  • Emphasized inclusive teaching strategies to support diverse learners from various backgrounds
  • Utilized Teaching-as-Research methodology to continuously improve teaching effectiveness
  • Fostered learning communities where students collaborate and support each other's learning
Research on Teaching
  • Teaching-as-Research Project (IA 699, Spring 2024) Case study analyzing the impact of Supplemental Instruction Sessions on student stress levels and homework completion time in the era of Internet solutions and advanced AI tools. Presented findings at UCATT Teaching Exchange Symposium Reference Material
  • Independent Study - Teaching Writing Across the Curriculum (Fall 2023) Explored WAC methodologies for STEM education and strategies for integrating writing instruction into technical courses Reference Material
  • Learning Assistant Quick Start Program (Fall 2023) Completed training program and actively supported students in Automata theory courses through peer-assisted learning Reference Material
Additional Teaching-Related Activities
  • BIOL 950 Science Communication (Spring 2025) Completed graduate-level course focused on effective science communication strategies
  • BIOL 905 Science Writing (Spring 2025) Advanced training in scientific writing and communication
  • Student Assistant - Coursera Specialization (Summer 2022) Worked with Dr. Jane Wall and Kaitlyn Rye on Coursera Specialization for Pathways, mentored two team members, and analyzed student engagement in online learning platforms
  • Student Proctor (March-July 2022) Student Testing Center, University of Colorado Boulder
Teaching Impact & Recognition

Through progressive CIRTL certification levels and extensive teaching assistant experience across multiple universities, demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching and continuous professional development in pedagogical practices. Teaching philosophy centers on evidence-based instruction, inclusive learning environments, and student-centered approaches that support diverse learners. Reference

University of New Hampshire (2024-Present)

PhD Student - Computer Science, Natural Language Understanding & Neurosymbolic Methods Course project/mini project reports and code

Spring 2025
Fall 2024

University of Arizona (2022-2024)

PhD Student - Computer Science, Natural Language Understanding Course project/mini project reports and code

Spring 2025
Spring 2024
2023
Fall 2022

University of Colorado Boulder (2021-2022)

Masters in Data Science Course project/mini project reports and code

Summer 2022

Carnegie Mellon University (2016-2021)

Research Programmer - Machine Learning Department, HCI, Language Technologies Institute, Computational Biology & Robotics Course project/mini project reports and code

2019-2021
2016-2018

University of Pittsburgh (2014-2015)

MS in Information Science Course project/mini project reports and code

2014-2015

Continuous Learning & Public Initiatives

Ongoing Research Focus
Learning Philosophy

My learning from different mentors draws the analogy to Princess Ida in Monument Valley - knowledge passes as torches/clues between mentors and students. I maintain open, safe conversations with students for mutual learning. This reasserts that intellectual domination is only an illusion.

Public Initiatives (2025)

Public Initiatives (2025)

Open initiatives addressing critical issues in education, professional development, and social discourse Reference

Communication & Logic
  • First Open Initiative Open invite to transform communication to prevent/overcome regretful communication View Initiative
  • Second Open Initiative Introducing First Order Logic as a tool for daily life View Initiative
Professional Development & Education
  • Third Open Initiative To introduce rejection training, as a pro-active approach to rejection View Initiative
  • Fourth Initiative Crisis in International PhD Education: Urgent Policy Intervention Needed, to avoid massive Investment losses View Initiative
  • Ninth Open Initiative Navigating complex Professional terrain, under unexpected and extenuating circumstances View Initiative
  • How success comes with extreme challenges while navigating complex professional terrain View Presentation
Health & Workplace Education
  • Fifth Open Initiative Women's Health Education at Workplaces View Initiative
  • Eighth Open Initiative Awareness of behavioral changes and impacts from Drug use View Initiative
Online Discourse & Social Issues
  • Sixth Open Initiative On Online Harassments, Addressing Misuse of Clinical Terminology in Online discourse View Initiative
  • Seventh Open Initiative On Online Harassments, Addressing Hate-based discourse from perceived deprivation of resources by in-group against out-group View Initiative
Prebunking & Misinformation
Initiative Purpose

These public initiatives represent a commitment to addressing systemic issues in academia, professional environments, and online discourse. Each initiative is backed by research, personal experience, and a dedication to creating positive change through education and awareness. Reference

Advocacy & Volunteering

Commitment to community service, student advocacy, and social justice initiatives Reference

Current Role
  • Community Educator - UNHSHARPP Volunteer educator for awareness on Consent-based communication at University of New Hampshire Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program (2024-Present) Social Post
University Advocacy
  • Voluntary Advocacy at University of New Hampshire (2024-Present) Active advocacy for academic integrity, and safe campus View Details
  • Voluntary Advocacy at University of Arizona (2023-Present) Student advocacy addressing systemic issues and promoting equitable treatment of international students View Details
Community Education Programs
Lifetime Volunteer Work (2000-Present)
  • Highlights of Volunteer Works and Public Causes/Initiatives Comprehensive overview of volunteer activities, community service, and advocacy efforts spanning over 25 years View Highlights
Areas of Focus
  • Sexual Violence Prevention Education on consent-based communication and prevention of sexual harassment and assault in academic settings
  • Student Rights Advocacy Addressing systemic barriers faced by international PhD students and advocating for policy changes
  • Institutional Accountability Working to ensure transparent and equitable treatment of all students regardless of immigration status or background
  • Community Education Facilitating workshops and training sessions on communication, conflict resolution, and social awareness
  • Social Justice Promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion through education and advocacy initiatives
Impact & Recognition

These advocacy and volunteer efforts represent a sustained commitment to creating positive change in academic universities and communities. The work addresses critical issues including student welfare, campus safety, institutional transparency, and equitable treatment of all community members. Reference

On Advancement

Advocacy for Basic Human Decency

Yet this should never be the standard. I advocate for consent-based communication not as an advanced ethical principle, but as basic human decency. Respecting "no," honoring boundaries, and conducting professional relationships without retaliation are minimum expectations, not exceptional behavior.

On Civilizational Progress and Gender Equity

Our civilization has not advanced in terms of respecting female for her intellect (especially heterosexual females i.e. cis). As a heterosexual (straight) woman in academia, I have experienced firsthand how she can be insulted for having an opinion and intellect, while giving her leadership roles - suggesting "crowns" for her intellect/dire need to insult her, as an outlet. Coincidently - both Intellect and Insult starts with an "I", the "Ego" (refer to my Learning Philosophy). Rather, we find ourselves needing to resort to being under the wings of someone who can protect such females without exploitation. This brings constant challenges though technologically we may be advanced and have achieved significant milestones. The contrast between our technological achievements and our failure to create environments where women can pursue intellectual work without requiring protection reveals a fundamental deficit in our societal progress.

Context: The Growing Threat of AI Misuse and Deepfakes

As someone working in AI and natural language understanding, I am acutely aware of the dangerous misuse of these technologies. Current statistics from 2025 demonstrate the urgent need for ethical AI practices:

  • 179 deepfake incidents in Q1 2025 alone—surpassing all of 2024 by 19%
  • $410 million in fraud losses in first half of 2025 (vs. $359M for all of 2024)
  • 3,000% increase in deepfake fraud attempts since 2023
  • 47 celebrity targets in Q1 2025—81% increase over 2024
  • 56 politician impersonations in Q1 2025
  • 550% increase in deepfake videos between 2019-2024
  • 680% rise in voice deepfakes last year
  • $500,000 average business loss per deepfake incident
  • 8 million deepfakes projected to circulate by end of 2025

Gender-Based Deepfake Abuse: Beyond financial fraud, AI tools are increasingly weaponized for harassment and humiliation, particularly targeting women. Perpetrators use AI image manipulation to transform women's images from idealized representations (like "Barbie") into disturbing or degrading versions (like "Annabelle")—deliberately chosen to insult, humiliate, and dehumanize targets. This form of digital abuse represents a calculated attempt to undermine women's dignity and professional standing through technological manipulation.

These transformations are not innocent "trends" but deliberate acts of harassment designed to:

  • To create an illusion of undermined professional credibility through visual humiliation
  • To create psychological distress through unwanted image/video manipulation
  • Weaponize appearance-based discrimination against women
  • Demonstrate power and control through non-consensual image/video alteration, resonating with Barbie-to-Annabelle twisted narratives

I support legislative efforts to combat deepfake abuse, including the DEFIANCE Act (Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act), a bipartisan, bicameral bill that empowers victims of non-consensual deepfake pornography to pursue civil action against creators and distributors. Learn more about the DEFIANCE Act.

I have actively signed petitions against deepfake misuse (view signature) and strongly condemn anyone who supports or enables such technology abuse. My commitment to ethical AI is not just academic—it is a moral imperative.

Disclaimer

Important Note: The statements and reflections shared in this section are based on personal experience and are intended for general awareness and advocacy for positive change within professional communities. These statements are not directed at any single individual, group, or institution, nor are they intended for any for-profit purpose, promotional activity, political affiliations or to solicit attention. This content is purely focused on research-specific and professional matters within the academic and scientific community.

Professional Background: I hold a diploma in journalism with a focus on editing, which imbibes a social and moral responsibility to write truthfully, maintain ethical standards, and consider the impact of public statements on individuals and society.

Ethics Statement: I do not advocate or encourage the self-directed learning or unsupervised use of forensic science or criminal psychology skills. These skills that I have acquired were through professional courses and training. The tools and information referenced here are publicly available and do not involve any violation of legal policies. I strongly condemn any self-directed use of forensic science or criminal psychology skills outside the bounds of professional, ethical, and lawful frameworks.

Statement on AI Tool Misuse: I do not support the misuse of deepfake technology or the misuse of any AI tools, and I condemn those who support people that misuse these tools. I have actively signed petitions to stop deepfake misuse for the safety of everyone. View my petition signature.

On Intellectual Humility: Despite being at the risk of sounding presumptuous, out of fear of sounding overconfident or out of fear of being ostracized or a social taboo even in 2025, I would like to share that my long-term mentors and my parents always suggest to follow this philosophical saying, which I sincerely follow: "I know that I know nothing." - Socrates

In fact, any claims suggesting that these statements are intended to target specific individuals, promote personal gain, or seek attention are themselves evidence of the very patterns of retaliation, mischaracterization, and smear campaigns discussed in this section. Such twisted interpretations serve to validate the documented behaviors and deflection tactics described herein.



References

Philosophy & Values

Core principles that guide my professional conduct, research ethics, and approach to knowledge

Learning Philosophy

My learning from different mentors draws the analogy to Princess Ida in Monument Valley - knowledge passes as torches/clues between mentors and students. I maintain open, safe conversations with students for mutual learning. This reasserts that intellectual domination is only an illusion.

Socratic Wisdom: Intellectual Humility

Despite being at the risk of sounding presumptuous, out of fear of sounding overconfident or out of fear of being ostracized or a social taboo even in 2025, I would like to share that my long-term mentors and my dad always suggest to follow this philosophical saying, which I sincerely follow:

"I know that I know nothing." — Socrates

This principle guides my approach to knowledge, reminding me that true wisdom begins with recognizing the limits of one's understanding. It keeps me open to continuous learning and prevents intellectual arrogance.

Virtue Ethics Framework

I follow a Virtue Ethics approach, which centers on character development rather than rule-based compliance. This ancient philosophical tradition, rooted in Aristotelian thought, guides my professional conduct and research ethics.

Core Principles:

  • Character-centered approach: Focuses on developing moral character rather than following rigid rules
  • Excellence (arĂŞte): Striving for excellence in all aspects of work and conduct
  • Practical wisdom (phronesis): Applying sound judgment and wisdom to complex situations
  • The Golden Mean (mesotÄ“s): Finding the virtuous middle path between extremes - neither excess nor deficiency, but the appropriate response for each situation
  • Habitual practice: Cultivating virtuous traits through consistent, deliberate action

This ethical framework shapes how I approach research integrity, mentor-student relationships, collaborative work, and professional challenges. It emphasizes becoming a person of strong character rather than merely complying with external rules.

Professional Ethics & Responsibilities

Journalism Ethics: I hold a diploma in journalism with a focus on editing, which imbibes a social and moral responsibility to report truthfully, maintain ethical standards, and consider the impact of public statements on individuals and society.

Forensic Science Ethics: My forensic and criminal justice skills were acquired through professional courses and training. I do not advocate or encourage self-directed learning or unsupervised use of forensic science or criminal psychology skills outside professional, ethical, and lawful frameworks.

AI & Technology Ethics: I strongly oppose the misuse of AI tools, including deepfakes and other technologies that can harm individuals or society. I have actively signed petitions against deepfake misuse and support legislative efforts like the DEFIANCE Act.

Due to my extremely unique career trajectory, it is exceptionally challenging for others to reconcile my appearance, career achievements, my hard work and my values - all put together in one person. I acknowledge this with mindfulness, empathy and responsibility (which is a huge responsibility and certainly very challenging, making me feel like I am walking on eggshells sometimes). Thank you for visiting this portfolio website, and thank you in advance for your continued patience and empathy when interacting with me.

Core Values in Practice
  • Consent-based communication: Respecting "no," honoring boundaries, and conducting professional relationships without retaliation
  • Intellectual honesty: Maintaining integrity in research, attribution, and scholarly discourse
  • Collaborative learning: Fostering mutual growth between mentors and students
  • Ethical technology use: Ensuring AI and computational tools serve human wellbeing
  • Professional integrity: Upholding ethical standards across all professional interactions
  • Continuous growth: Commitment to lifelong learning and character development

Achievements & Milestones

Career trajectory documented chronologically Reference

  • Winning Painting, drawing, storytelling, and dance competition awards. Multi-talented child recognition award at the State level. (Age 8-12)
  • Radio anchoring, theater and interviewing prominent figures in literature (Age 11-15)
  • Winning a National classical dance competition with classical dance group (Age 17)
  • Winning Debate and floor crossing competitions (18)
  • Painting exhibition organization and art history seminar participation
  • Participating in literature reviews, discussions and research discussions relevant to language, art and philosophy with my father
  • Volunteer educator for low-income communities
  • Diploma in Journalism - Editorial writing focus
  • MS in Forensic Science & Criminal Justice - Criminal Psychology focus
  • Anti-rape and anti-dowry advocacy participation
  • MS in Information Science, University of Pittsburgh - Team website development project Reference
  • Research Programmer at Carnegie Mellon University - AI, NLP, Biology, Computer Vision projects Reference
  • Creative problem solving methods for proof-of-concept research projects for researchers and my own self-learning Reference
  • Participating in online competitions for solving logical reasoning puzzles, complex word puzzles, dedicated solver of NYT crosswords, letter-boxed and participating
  • Reading books on philosophy, ethics, science fiction, crime/legal fiction inspired from real life legal cases and Jane Austen's novels and books on AI/NLP
  • Received Long-term mentorship in theoretical logic, natural language understanding, and learning architectures
  • MS in Data Science, University of Colorado Boulder
  • SemEval 2022 Task - top ranking on the Leaderboard Reference
  • Independent study - OCR scanned handwritten Slave Trade Volumes Reference
  • Natural Logic study under supervision of expert researchers, CLULab, University of Arizona Reference
  • Research Assistant experience at CLULab
  • Self-directed learning in theoretical aspects of machine learning and AI Reference
  • Self-Directed Learning/Mentor-Recommended Learning in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience
  • Teaching-as-Research project - Case study analyzing the impact of Supplemental Instruction Sessions on student stress levels and homework completion time in the era of Internet solutions and advanced AI tools Reference
  • Guest lecture - "AI for Academic Writing" Reference
  • Academic reviewer experience
  • Community Educator at UNH SHARPP - Consent-based communication Reference
  • Advocacy and volunteering for public initiatives

Research Focus & Professional Interests

Targeted research interests and career direction Reference

Professional Focus

My research interests center on Natural Language Understanding, Neurosymbolic Methods, Reasoning, Multimodal AI, Cognitive Science, and Neuroscience with emphasis on proof-of-concept research and algorithmic/response evaluation rather than application development or infrastructure roles.

I am particularly interested in:

  • Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and Neurosymbolic Methods
  • Cognitive science and Neuroscience aspects of reasoning and alignment
  • Research goal and problem definition
  • Research-focused roles with zero-emphasis on pipelines/devops/software lifecycle
  • Internships emphasizing research methodology over production code
  • Less emphasis on computer science and more focus on interdisciplinary aspects of Natural Language Understanding, Multimodal AI and Cognitive Science

I am actively interested in pursuing unique and novel research ideas where I can contribute innovative, research-focused perspectives/ideas within my areas of expertise and focus. I thrive on collaborative research environments that value creative problem-solving, scientifically rigorous work, and mutually respectable communication.

Not Seeking

I am not currently seeking software engineer, applied scientist, or DevOps engineer or leadership roles focused on application development or infrastructure management. These are outside my area of focus and expertise.


Thank you for respecting this boundary.

Research Approach

I am committed to transparency and authenticity in research. All work presented here represents my direct contributions, and I maintain detailed documentation of my research process. My research expertise centers on identifying a research problem, problem understanding, experimental design, and proof-of-concept development. I specialize in research-oriented programming for prototyping and evaluation, with a focus on advancing scientific understanding.

Research Focus

I develop interdisciplinary conceptual frameworks for large language models and AI systems, emphasizing cognitive science and theoretical perspectives over benchmarking or evaluation. My work provides methodological approaches that researchers with computational resources can implement and scale. This conceptual research—which often drives technological development—benefits engineers and applied scientists who adapt these frameworks for real-world applications. I am actively pursuing various interesting future research directions, evolving in AI - agentic frameworks, other emerging research areas surroungin AI.

This conceptual research—which often drives technological development—provides frameworks that engineers and applied scientists can adapt for implementation. My expertise is in advancing interdisciplinary research ideas, not programming itself.

I am interested in AI-assisted programming ("vibe coding") for creative projects supporting educational or social goals or even experimental purposes. I also am open to do programming relevant work required for my research.

Summary

This timeline represents 11 years of dedicated research experience across five major US research universities, including three Master's degrees (Information Science, Data Science, pursuing PhD in Computer Science), peer-reviewed publications, advanced teaching certifications (CIRTL Associate, Practitioner, and Scholar levels), and significant contributions to both academic research and community advocacy. Reference Material



Verification Notice

I affirm that this website, my identity, my research, and my documented experiences are authentic and verifiable through official academic and professional channels.

For Verification Inquiries: Email: sakoju2014@gmail.com

Research Verification: Published work and academic records available upon request.

Note: All research contributions, institutional affiliations, and educational credentials listed on this website can be independently verified through official university records, publication databases (Google Scholar), and professional networks. It is important to note that these are not public disclosure notices due to privacy, safety and confidentiality reasons.