{"691810":{"#nid":"691810","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Computing to Hardware: A Q\u0026A with Oliver Lee","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Oliver Lee, a passion for software led to a desire to build things he could see and touch. The 2025 computer science (CS) graduate is completing a second major in electrical engineering, where he\u2019s developed an interest in microelectronics, semiconductor physics, and integrated circuits.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis background in computing complements that work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat drew you to study computing?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI took my first computer science class during my freshman year of high school and fell in love with it. Later, I developed a fondness for embedded systems and computer vision, so I decided to attend Georgia Tech and pursue a CS degree.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat inspired you to pursue your second major?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter two years at Tech, I realized that pure software did not scratch my mental itch to build physical creations. I also developed a curiosity for microelectronics, semiconductor physics, and integrated circuits.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen did you decide to double major?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI decided to double major in 2025. A few documentaries on the sociopolitical dynamics of chip technology were major influences. I decided to take advantage of my time here at Tech to learn more about it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow do your two majors complement each other?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn my opinion, CS can supplement virtually all sciences and facets of engineering. Going into electrical engineering with a complete CS degree means I have software experience I can apply to tangible, motivating engineering projects in research and future work.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan you share a specific project, class, or experience where you\u2019ve combined both fields?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen I took CS 3651 \u003Cem\u003EPrototyping Intelligent Applications\u003C\/em\u003E in Fall 2025, I decided to make a DIY camera with a custom camera sensor. For this project, I had to program the camera\u2019s firmware and teach myself how to design the custom PCB for the camera sensor, which I had little experience with given my CS background. This experience reinforced my decision to double major. It also taught me that I enjoyed the struggle and the satisfaction that comes afterward, especially when the result is a physical product, with software as a factor rather than the whole.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow have you managed the challenges of\u0026nbsp;balancing two majors?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuckily, I didn\u2019t\u0026nbsp;face any major challenges in balancing the two majors since I was almost done with my CS degree when I declared my double major. The primary challenge was recognizing how arduous engineering courses are. I had to change how I manage my time. The struggle was hard, but it does feel rewarding.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow do you plan on using your double major?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI plan to pursue a master\u2019s in electrical engineering and hope to conduct research into the fabrication of semiconductor devices. Given the prominence of software and EDA tools in this field, I believe my double-major background will provide a solid foundation for further academic growth and make me a competitive candidate for graduate school.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice would you give to students considering a computing-related double major?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you find the applications of computing more interesting than pure computing and algorithms, you should consider either a minor or a second major in the field that interests you. However, note that this will require you to take more classes, so make sure to weigh the opportunity cost of the extra semesters you might need to complete that major or minor.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs there anything unexpected you\u2019ve gained from combining computing with another field?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeeing how software supports engineering work and projects is a great motivator to learn more about software and algorithms. It also made me realize how useful the mindset I developed through my computing degree is for solving engineering problems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Oliver Lee, a passion for software led to a desire to build things he could see and touch. The 2025 computer science (CS) graduate is completing a second major in electrical engineering, where he\u2019s developed an interest in microelectronics, semiconductor physics, and integrated circuits.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For Oliver Lee, a passion for software eventually led to a desire to build things he could see and touch. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-08-19 16:15:14","changed_gmt":"2026-09-01 15:30:16","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680922":{"id":"680922","type":"image","title":"oliver2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1787156159","gmt_created":"2026-08-19 16:15:59","changed":"1787156159","gmt_changed":"2026-08-19 16:15:59","alt":"oliver lee","file":{"fid":"265255","name":"oliver2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/19\/oliver2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/19\/oliver2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":38449,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/19\/oliver2.jpg?itok=xesB0K96"}},"680923":{"id":"680923","type":"image","title":"oliverlee1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1787156159","gmt_created":"2026-08-19 16:15:59","changed":"1787156159","gmt_changed":"2026-08-19 16:15:59","alt":"oliver lee","file":{"fid":"265256","name":"oliverlee1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/19\/oliverlee1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/19\/oliverlee1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":39096,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/19\/oliverlee1.jpg?itok=oZRbz7xt"}}},"media_ids":["680922","680923"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}