On his interests in sports tech, robotics, and accessibility
Roham Ghotbi is studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) with a concentration in Data Science in the Berkeley MEng program. Roham also earned his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley. Here, Roham shares about his journey leading up to the Berkeley MEng program and his interests in sports tech, robotics, and accessibility.
Please tell us about yourself!
My journey leading up to the Berkeley MEng program has been pretty unique. I grew up in Iran and moved to the US when I was 17. I transferred to Berkeley for undergrad after a couple years in community college. Figuring out all the things I needed to do on my own at that age was challenging, yet exciting to me. I love sports in general and have been playing soccer since I was four years old. I also really enjoy robotics and data science — I aspire for a career that combines my interest in technology and sports.What do you study and why did you choose it?
As a continuation of my undergraduate degree, I am studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a focus on Data Science and Robotics in the Berkeley MEng program. The main reason I chose this path is my interest in robotics, computer vision and deep learning topics.Can you tell us more about the computer vision affinity group you are leading?
I decided to create the group with the goal of bringing together students interested in the field of computer vision and other related topics. Here, we are able to share our interests and knowledge with each other and help each other grow in this field. Due to the pandemic, it has been a bit challenging to bring people together, but I am trying to do a better job this semester, and hopefully we will have interesting Zoom meetings!One of my favorite quotes is “Geniuses are not born, but made.” I genuinely believe that if you commit to anything and stay consistent you will achieve your goal.
What inspired you to continue your graduate studies in the Berkeley MEng program after attending UC Berkeley for undergrad?
I started to look into Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in more depth during my senior year of college. After graduation, I kept learning about different topics in the field and I felt that a graduate program would allow me to dig even deeper and also get my hands dirty working on related problems. As a Berkeley alumni, I had a good sense of the College of Engineering and the work being done there, so I knew that the MEng program would be a great opportunity for me!What do you hope to achieve with your Berkeley MEng degree?
I aspire to gain experience as an engineer in the field of robotics and automation and in the long run be able to use this knowledge to help build smart prosthetics and body parts in order to improve the quality of life for everyone. My biggest aspiration is to be able to use my knowledge to improve the quality of life for everyone specially people with disabilities.What are some of your non-academic hobbies/passions?
As I mentioned a bit earlier, sports is one of my biggest passions. I’ve been playing soccer since I was four, and have been weight training over the past few years. I am also a big fan of science fiction movies and video games! The exciting technology available in these worlds have also motivated me to pursue a career in technology.
Fung Feature: Roham Ghotbi, MEng ’21 (EECS/Data Science) was originally published in Berkeley Master of Engineering on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.