Grad student profile: Ellie Sanoubari, PhD, Systems Design Engineering
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Ellie completed her undergraduate program in Computer Hardware Engineering and during that time, she was also interested in autonomous vehicles and robots.
She grew up with the idea of wanting to pursue a PhD because of her passion for research, and so she started a master's in Computer Science in Manitoba.
Ellie's research combines engineering with drama and psychology.
Ellie had been speaking with Waterloo students, and was pleased to see how connected the school was with various companies and industries, and became fond of the multicultural community present.
Since she was eager to continue her academic journey after her master's, Waterloo’s year-round acceptance provided an easier transition without needing to wait, and so Ellie began her PhD in Systems Design Engineering at Waterloo.
REMIND, a simulation that aims to stop bullying
For her PhD research, Ellie is building a serious game called RE-Mind (Robots Empowering Minds) that uses techniques from applied drama to teach children how to stand up to the bullying of their peers.
The basics of the game include a child seeing three robots role-playing with one another. Two of them will engage in a conflict, and the child will control the third robot and witness the different scenarios that unfold based on their intervention.
Ellie mentioned that psychology literature suggests that peer intervention is a promising way to combat school bullying. Unfortunately, many students don’t engage in such a scenario for various reasons, one being that they lack the skills to step in. Thus, by using RE-Mind, the child will be removed from the reality of the situation and can openly explore options to stop the bullying.
RE-Mind is inspired by a theatrical technique called Forum Theatre by Augusto Boal that aims to combat social injustice. Ellie and her team applied this idea to modern day social robots and games to develop an engaging and playful educational tool for children.
For Ellie, there are many reasons to stay passionate about her research, one being the impact it could create.
“I think there's a lot of value in making something small that solves a problem in someone's life, no matter how minor it is. If someone tries RE-Mind out and later when the time is right, they remember something that they did with the robots and that inspires the positive action they take, I’d be very happy with that being the outcome of my research.”
Learning to be okay with failure
While completing her grad studies, Ellie faced several challenges that she had to overcome.
“Grad studies sets you up to become more comfortable with failures, while building that resilience to pick yourself up again and take in the feedback you are given.”
She emphasized how grad studies “teaches you this humility that you know very little, and a lot of different factors can get introduced to the equation that can shift your perspective.”
For Ellie specifically, she struggled with adjusting how she communicated her research to audiences with various expertise at first. But with time, experience and perseverance, she was able to improve on her communication and navigate her new life as a professional.
My piece of advice for aspiring grad students
Ellie stressed the importance of choosing the right research team with compatible research interests. For Ellie, she was able to combine her interests in drama with her research through the help of her supervisor.
“Having someone that supports you and allows you to do something that you will actually enjoy and aligns with your passions is really important.”
This allowed Ellie to expand her professional network and build a sense of community within her research lab and with grad students across different departments.