Evan Kozierok

Courses supported: Current: CMPINF-0010; CMPINF-0401 Prior: CS-0441

Major: Computer Science & Data Science

Academic Level: Sophomore

Achievements and Accolades: Dean's List; Brackenridge Fellow 2020; 2nd place at Games4SocialImpact 2019

Activities and Clubs: Pitt Men's Glee Club; Rollplayers; Computer Science Club

Internship, Research and Experiential Learning: Explore Intern at Microsoft, 2021 Brackenridge Research Fellow at Pitt Honors with Drs. Paul Cohen and Tomek Loboda; 2020

Post graduation plans: Not 100% sure yet! Right now I'm probably looking for some sort of industry position but exactly what that will look like (or if that's even the final path at all) is something I am still exploring.

Why did you become a UTA? I love to help people who need support, and I hate to see people struggling when there are resources out there to help them! I enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling I get when somebody has learned something new or more thoroughly because I was able to point them in the right direction.

What is the best advice you would give to a student who may need additional support? PLEASE come see your TAs and professors during office hours, or email/message/etc. It's our job to help you get back on track and for many of us its the reason we signed up to do this! Asking for help is not a sign of failure, it's an important complement to your lectures that will make you a stronger student.

What is the best study tip you have for a student taking the course you UTA for? Good note-taking is a great start to understanding course material; try not to simply copy down lecture slides and condense the lecture into the key concepts, formulas, etc. Then, when you are studying for a test, its as easy as rereading your notes, and if something doesn't make sense that's when you should revisit the slides or simply come to office hours!

Why should students come to your UTA office hours?  It's free help! Another important thing to think about: we hold our office hours every week whether people show up or not, so it really is not an inconvience when you show up. I enjoy helping you; it's not a burden.

What is your favorite thing about the subject you UTA for? CMPINF-0010: This class is really unique because you actually get to do something novel with what you learn and get exposure to real software tools! CMPINF-0401: This class is some of the first steps you take towards becoming capable of building whatever it is you want to - it's great seeing that development begin.