Angelos Angelopoulos
By Maya Reid
Persistence is key when it comes to coding and computer programming, and for Angelos Angelopoulos he's relying on it as he prepares to receive his Bachelor of Science in computer science in December 2020. And just like in computer programming, Angelopoulos took methodical steps in life to end up at 51情报站.
Angelopoulos' passion for computer science began at the age of 12 when he taught himself programming. "Back then I knew that I wanted to study computer science and that's what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because it just clicked with me," said Angelopoulos. He became very interested in programming because of video games, but soon realized there was so much more to it. By the age of 15 he created his first app. "As I started learning on my own, like watching YouTube videos about JAVA, I found out there's so much more in computer science," said Angelopoulos. He felt an immediate connection to programing which fueled him to learn more.
Angelopoulos is originally from Greece and came to America during his senior year of high school after his father relocated to Norfolk as a part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Relocating to the Hampton Roads region expanded his passion for computer science. His coding background provided him an advantage when he started at 51情报站.
He's had the opportunity to work side by side with 51情报站 faculty and Department of Energy scientists. As part of a collaboration between the Center for Real-Time Computing (CRTC) and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Angelopoulos has contributed to four different machine learning models developed to address the problem of classifying and filtering particle trajectory data from the CLAS12 detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.
The work-in-progress getting the most attention from the science community is a new algorithm for identifying protein pockets and cavities, which is being applied to the analysis of SARS-CoV-2 protein structures. "The project has received interest from the Mayo Clinic and Antibody Solutions," said Angelopoulos.
Angelopoulos has worked with 51情报站 faculty in physics and computer science to build an application using machine learning to assist in image guidance during surgeries to remove brain tumors He has also developed augmented reality molecular visualization software meant to assist in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics education. "You can wear augmented reality headsets and see molecules as they rotate in front of you in the real world instead of reading about it in a book." Users can also create their own virtual environments with any molecules they want. "The purpose of this project is to make emerging technology accessible for K-12 STEM education, while also enabling educators to create their own tailored experiences via custom environments," said Angelopoulos.
"Angelos is an outstanding undergraduate researcher," said Dr. Nikos Chrisochoides, computer science professor and advisor. "He has a passion for research and has shown great competence in all of the projects he has worked on with my graduate students." Angelopoulos recognizes that this type of work is not always easy. "Research is very demanding, said Angelopoulos. In May 2020, he received 51情报站's Provost Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher award.
He contributes his aptitude for research in software development "to being persistent" and he hopes others can realize how essential persistence is too. Angelos Angelopoulos will graduate December 2020, and after graduation he plans on attending graduate school to continue his career as a software engineer.
He shares some advice for future Monarchs. "Get a job on campus, meet professors and expand your network, this will help you get the most out of your education. Most importantly, attend all of your lectures!" said Angelopoulos.