Megan Squire shares her experience as a computer scientist inside the tech industry
In the past few decades, there has been a significant number of students across the country who major in physics, learn computer coding along the way and find themselves picking up programming and data analytics jobs after graduation. Megan Squire, former Elon Professor of Computer Science, was invited to the Physics & Astro Tea series to share her experiences as a computer scientist and researcher working in industry.
Squire is currently a threat intelligence researcher for F-Secure, a Finnish company specializing in cyber security and privacy. Under the theme of “everything is always changing all the time”, Squire said that in her workplace, AI tools are not optional; they are a “power up” that can increase individual productivity several times over.
However, those “AI tools are kinda problematic and also kinda good”, and there is a lot of gray area of what is ethical or even authentic. Squire encouraged students to find ways to protect themselves, their identities, and their value as they graduate and enter the job market.
Hosted weekly by the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Physics & Astro Tea promises engaging discussions, thought-provoking ideas and a delightful spread of refreshments. Open to all students, faculty and staff, this gathering is the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow physics aficionados in a relaxed and informal setting. Meetings take place in the third-floor lounge of Innovation Hall at 3:20 p.m. on Wednesdays.