Real-World AI: Nafis Saadiq Bhuiyan ‘26’s Insights from SureStart
Written on December 2nd , 2023 by Naser
Photo by professor Amanda Stent (Director of The Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence) during a SureStart visit to the Roux Institute of Northeastern University.
This post is part of a spotlight series highlighting the work of exceptional students and alumni. The series aims to facilitate knowledge sharing on topics such as internships, jobs, entrepreneurship, and graduate school.
Today, I have the pleasure of talking to Nafis Saadiq Bhuiyan ‘26, who will tell us about his recent experience as a participant at SureStart. SureStart is a summer program that teaches real-world skills to students interested in AI, the program is hosted at Colby college by The Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship.
Naser: Can you start by giving us a brief overview of SureStart?
Nafis: SureStart is a company that works for building early opportunity pipelines for a highly diverse tech workforce through technical skills training and project-based learning. It is committed to training and mentoring high-school and college students from communities underrepresented in AI, and connecting them to opportunities for hands-on work in innovative DEI-focused tech startups. Click here to learn more: https://mysurestart.com/
The SureStart program is a virtual AI training program that prepares students with in-demand technical and career skills to get their first AI internship. I participated in the SureStart program last summer. However, the program I participated in was not virtual; it was an in-person one. This year, SureStart collaborated with Davis Institute for AI to organize the first in-person SureStart program.
Naser: Can you tell us about your SureStart experience this past summer? What were the activities and projects that you were involved in?
Nafis: My SureStart experience was wonderful! The program was 8 weeks in total. The first 4 weeks involved teaching us the AI skills like Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, Data Analytics and Visualization, Ethical AI development etc. It was a bit intense as we had to cover so many topics within just 4 weeks, but definitely enjoyable. We had to complete 19 modules during this time. Each module covered a topic essential for making a good foundation of AI skills. For example, numpy, matplotlib, pandas, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), convolutional neural networks (CNN) etc. We worked in groups of 2 or 3 in this part. It gave me a sense of teamwork while solving the problems in the modules.
The last 4 weeks was our time to apply the knowledge we learnt. Each of us pitched an AI model to address a problem (soil classification, migraine factors identification, mine identification for natural resource extraction etc.). A poll was done and 4 models were chosen from that. Our entire cohort was divided into 4 teams and each team worked on one of the aforementioned models. Our end goal was to come up with a startup idea where our product would be based on the AI model. The Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship collaborated with SureStart and Davis AI to get us introduced to the concept of entrepreneurship. Jeremy Barron, the director of Halloran Lab led sessions to teach us every thing we need for a successful startup. Some of these included making a lean canvas, business model, articulating an effective elevator pitch etc. At the end of four weeks, we had a pitch contest, where we pitched our startup idea as well as the AI based prototype we made. Moreover, we participated in CUSRR (Colby Undergraduate Summer Research Retreat), where we presented the AI model we worked on.
Naser: What were the most impactful experiences that you had during SureStart?
Nafis: There are several impactful experiences I had during the program. We had standups every morning where we had to report our progress and any problem we were facing. It gave me a taste of how jobs in the real world look like. Apart from this, I learned to solve problems on my own as well as in groups. As I said earlier, in the first four weeks, we were learning and in the last four weeks, we were learning and, at the same time, building. We had to focus on technical and non-technical aspects during the last four weeks. We ran into many challenges at times, but we worked hard to solve those. The program was very impactful for me because I not only learned important AI skills but built something that could demonstrate that I learned the skills.
Naser: The newly formed Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship was involved in SureStart this year. Can you tell us about the experience of working on AI projects for real-world applications, and what was the project you and your team pitched?
Nafis: Yeah, as I said earlier, the Halloran Lab was involved in the second part of the program. I was in a team with 2 other SureStart participants and we developed an AI-based startup idea. Our product was an AI model that could generate virtual 3D objects based on textual inputs. We worked on such a product as we found that 3D designing is a complex and time-consuming task and existing softwares for developing 3D models are very costly. So, if we can come up with an AI model that can generate 3D objects with just commands, it might greatly save the time of the users and decrease the cost. Working on such a model for real-world application was significant as it provided me the taste of building an AI model like the ones we are using regularly. At the end of 4 weeks, we were able to come up with a prototype for our startup idea, our business model, target customers, unique values etc. We pitched our idea at the pitch contest that marked the end of the program.
Naser: How did SureStart align with your academic studies at Colby, and did it provide any unique perspectives or insights?
Nafis: Before the SureStart program, I didn’t have any experience with machine learning or other AI stuff. I was thinking about including the AI concentration with my CS major, and after the SureStart program, I was convinced that I could do so. This fall (’23) semester, I’m taking Neural Networks (CS343). When I am digging deep into the topics, I can relate several of them with my SureStart experience.
Naser: What tips would you give students interested in participating in SureStart in the future but not sure where to start? You can mention any details that you like, including websites and other resources.
Nafis: SureStart program is mainly a virtual program. But because of Professor Amanda’s initiative, it was brought to Colby campus this summer. I believe she will continue this program in future as well. If that’s the case, the application will go live in March approximately. The student’s academic advisor needs to refer them for the SureStart program. So, you need to ask your advisor to refer you to the program. Subscribe to the Davis AI newsletter at the bottom of this page to remain updated about the application opening. If you are accepted, you are all set for an enjoyable experience during the summer. If you are not accepted, your chances are not over! You can apply to the virtual program going to the SureStart website. Keep an eye on this site (https://mysurestart.applytojob.com/apply/) to apply as soon as the applications are open.
