{"683198":{"#nid":"683198","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Concert Halls to Coding: Conducting Research Virtually as an OMSCS Student ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne day, Mercedes Quintana was working as a freelance violist. The next, she was knee-deep in research at Georgia Tech, chasing down 2,000 lizards.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFinding Rhythm in Computer Science\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuintana started her career in the arts and holds two degrees in musical performance; however, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to switch to computer science.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI found myself increasingly drawn to computational problem-solving, which led me to pursue the Online Master of Science Computer Science (OMSCS) program with a focus on machine learning,\u201d said Quintana.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe sees a strong connection between her classical music training and the way she approaches computer science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I learn a new piece of music, I break it down into manageable parts and iteratively improve on difficult sections,\u201d said Quintana. \u201cThat process mirrors how I debug code or work through complex computational problems.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Virtual Lab with Real-World Impact\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter completing a research internship analyzing earthquake data, Quintana was inspired to make a real-world impact. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough that internship, I encountered researchers using computation to tackle biological and scientific problems,\u201d said Quintana. \u201cI realized I wanted to work at the intersection of computer science and life sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat realization led her to the Human Augmented Analytics Group (HAAG). Founded by Ph.D. student Breanna Shi, HAAG is a virtual research lab that connects online students with in-person research projects.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuintana is conducting her virtual research project in the Stroud Lab under the guidance of James Stroud, assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ECracking the Code of 2,000 Lizards\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Stroud Lab uses lizards to explore how evolutionary processes may underlie broader patterns of biological diversity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a surprisingly large-scale effort. The lab needs to catch and x-ray about 2,000 lizards a year,\u201d said Quintana. \u201cWe mark anatomical landmarks on the x-rays. These markers are used to analyze variations across species to study evolutionary patterns.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, the process is entirely manual. The goal is to automate it to improve both accuracy and efficiency in biological research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis kind of automation can transform biological research,\u201d said Quintana. \u201cIt saves researchers time, increases accuracy, and frees up bandwidth for deeper analysis. It also lays the groundwork for similar tools to be used in other species, which could advance our understanding of biodiversity and evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEfficiency by Design\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuintana hopes that her work will help ease the burden on field biologists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was surprised by the sheer amount of physical effort that goes into collecting biological data,\u201d said Quintana. \u201cIt gave me a much deeper appreciation for how much precision and labor goes into building the datasets I use.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAutomating this process will save the lab months of work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAutomating tedious tasks can really speed up discovery,\u201d said Quintana. \u201cAfter completing this program, I hope to continue developing technology that supports and empowers researchers in their work.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn tandem with the automation work, Quintana is developing a user-friendly interface that will allow biologists without coding backgrounds to use it, an important step for the tool\u2019s long-term adoption.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EDesign Thinking in the Real World\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Quintana, the experience revealed how fulfilling it is not only to build useful tools, but also to communicate their impact to others. She especially enjoyed collaborating across disciplines to refine those tools based on real-world feedback.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis process of interdisciplinary collaboration and iterative design has shown me how powerful well-designed technology can be when it\u2019s informed by the people who will actually use it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a musician, student, and researcher, the experience has sharpened Quintana\u2019s problem-solving skills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I\u2019m learning a new piece as a musician, I break it down like a computer scientist would,\u201d said Quintana. \u201cI isolate the tough measures, make them easier, refine them, and integrate them back into the full piece. It\u2019s a structured, almost algorithmic approach, and it reminds me of techniques like boosting in machine learning.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMaking Her Mark Virtually\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer work hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed by those around her.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMercedes has proven herself an invaluable asset with her work in conservation technology and human-centered interfaces,\u201d said Shi. \u201cAs the founder of HAAG, I\u2019m thrilled to champion Mercedes as a brilliant researcher not only advancing her own project but actively elevating the entire HAAG community. I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes next.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA New Chapter Begins\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuintana\u2019s career change is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary research and the unexpected ways curiosity, creativity, and technical skills can intersect.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn June 25, Quintana presented her work with WildLabs Community at their monthly variety hour. She is currently preparing for her first publication submission by the end of 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne day, Mercedes Quintana was working as a freelance violist. The next, she was knee-deep in research at Georgia Tech, chasing down 2,000 lizards.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"One day, Mercedes Quintana was working as a freelance violist. The next, she was knee-deep in research at Georgia Tech, chasing down 2,000 lizards. "}],"uid":"36249","created_gmt":"2025-07-21 18:57:18","changed_gmt":"2025-07-21 20:04:35","author":"Sara Franc","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677460":{"id":"677460","type":"image","title":"Mercedes Quintana","body":null,"created":"1753124293","gmt_created":"2025-07-21 18:58:13","changed":"1753124293","gmt_changed":"2025-07-21 18:58:13","alt":"Mercedes Quintana","file":{"fid":"261360","name":"mercedes_headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/21\/mercedes_headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/21\/mercedes_headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1031762,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/21\/mercedes_headshot.jpg?itok=36dA6W8h"}}},"media_ids":["677460"],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sara.franc@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESara Franc\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}