Graduate Success | Kelsey Doerksen

Kelsey Doerksen, a DPhil candidate in Autonomous Intelligent Machines and Systems, has recently participated in several prestigious internships with NASA JPL, UNICEF and the European Space Agency International Telecommunication Union. Through her work, Doerksen is helping to further the fields of machine learning and climate science, while also leveraging technologies for the betterment of society

Her involvement in the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Visiting Researcher Program addressed global challenges: under a project entitled "Subgrid scale drivers of pollution inferred from model-based inference and machine learning," Kelsey worked on developing novel methodologies to enhance our understanding of air pollution on a global scale. Her DPhil thesis focuses on utilising machine learning to deepen our understanding of Earth's systems, with a particular emphasis on climate and humanitarian applications.

Beyond her work, Kelsey's commitment to advancing the role of women in computer science is evident through her leadership in Oxford Women in Computer Science (OxWoCS). Recently elected President for the 2023-24 year, Kelsey has been an integral part of OxWoCS since 2021, holding positions such as Conference Co-coordinator and Treasurer.

Kelsey has started a 6-month Research Fellow internship with UNICEF and the European Space Agency

In addition to her academic and leadership roles, Kelsey has started a 6-month Research Fellow internship with UNICEF and the European Space Agency. As a Data Science Fellow on the Giga project, a collaborative initiative between UNICEF and the European Space Agency, Kelsey is working towards connecting every child to the internet by 2030. Using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence, she aims to map schools in South America and Africa, building AI models to map school connectivity across the Global South using Earth Observation data and extracting crucial information about the socio-economic status of these institutions to support UNICEF's ambitious goals.

The Giga project aligns with the UN Secretary-General’s Digital Cooperation Roadmap, and Kelsey's involvement reflects her commitment to leveraging Earth Observation and Artificial Intelligence technologies for the betterment of society.

We look forward to witnessing Kelsey's continued impact on the academic and humanitarian fronts, as an inspiring member of the Keble community.

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