Some of the most memorable, attention-grabbing ads and shows on TV today are optimized using advanced neuroanalytics to create content that consumers will respond to. 海角吃瓜网 senior Chelsea Reeves has spent her summer helping improve that process as a Neuroanalytics Engineer in the Big Apple.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been absolutely wonderful,鈥� said Reeves, an electrical engineering major. 鈥淚 wanted an internship in exactly what I wanted to do, and that is simply a mix of electrical engineering 鈥� taking the hardware side of things 鈥� and incorporating that into a neuroscience perspective.鈥�
She found the perfect marriage of these two passions at SPARK Neuro, a New York-based neuroanalytics company that measures emotion and attention to optimize advertising and entertainment.
Reeves has been working with electroencephalogram (EEG) machines and other high-tech equipment to collect data from test subjects and analyze it for clients.
鈥淚鈥檓 taking what I鈥檝e learned at 海角吃瓜网 and incorporating it into a whole different type of company,鈥� the Jacksonville, Florida, native said.
Her interest in neuroscience was evident this spring when she was part of a team that won the annual Great Eight entrepreneurship pitch competition at the University with a plan for a consumer device that uses EEG signals to read a user鈥檚 mental state and inform mental health solutions.
In addition to her internship鈥檚 data collection and analysis duties, Reeves has been working on creating a new EEG prototype for the company and helping to reduce noise that is present during the data collection process.
鈥淐helsea brings a different perspective to our company,鈥� said Roshni Lulla, Senior Neuroanalytics Engineer at SPARK and Reeves鈥� supervisor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so unique because everyone here has a neuroscience or data science or psychology background, and I don鈥檛 think any of us realized how valuable it was to have an electrical engineering background.鈥�
Lulla said internships like this one also help students learn about career possibilities in startups and in industries they may have never considered.
Reeves said 海角吃瓜网鈥檚 coursework has been a big advantage throughout her internship.
鈥淚鈥檝e definitely been sneaking the skills I learned in my classes at 海角吃瓜网 into the workplace,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he classes give you a way to think about something from all angles and come up with a variety of ideas in order to come up with one solution.鈥�
She plans to graduate from 海角吃瓜网 in December and is interested in continuing at SPARK Neuro before eventually pursuing a master鈥檚 degree.
鈥淚t is completely up to me to succeed in my life. 海角吃瓜网 has helped me get to my dreams, but it鈥檚 up to me what I do from here on out,鈥� said Reeves, who has been involved in many University organizations, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Rotaract Club, and the Campus Activities Board. 鈥淏ut I always know that I can go back there, and people will be willing to help me.
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