Student Profile - Matthew Ricketson

Basic info:
Hometown, Westford, Massachusetts

Are you a: junior? senior?
I am a Junior.

Do you live on- or off-campus?
I currently live off-campus.

What attracted you to BC? Ditto, Computer Science?
I was attracted to BC due to its vicinity to Boston, the beautiful campus, the well-rounded nature of the university, and also specifically for Computer Science. Boston is one of my favorite cities, and BC's location has allowed me to enjoy the benefits of the city while not feeling stuffed into a highly urban environment.

I was specifically attracted to BC's Computer Science department since I knew coming into college that that was what I wanted to study. The CS department here was smaller and more intimate than at other colleges I visited, meaning I would not be just be lost in the crowd and I could actually get to know my professors and peers on a personal basis. The department here was also very flexible, allowing me to make use of my previous experience and jump into higher level electives even in freshman year, which is something I could not have done elsewhere. In addition, I consider myself to be a well-rounded person in terms of my academic interests, so I loved that I could pursue a Computer Science degree while simultaneously taking full advantage of the rich arts and sciences curriculum available to me at BC.

What do you think of the newly-renovated CS Lab?
I am incredibly excited about the newly renovated CS Lab. It has been transformed from simply a room with machines to being a center for community, collaboration, and development. I use the lab to work on both homework and independent projects, and I often meet others there to work on projects together. It has become the de facto student center for CS students; I will visit in between classes and find friends and classmates just hanging out while they have a break in their schedule. As president of the Computer Science Society the lab represents the perfect meeting area, and we are looking forward to holding workshops, demos, and other events there for students at BC to attend.

What other extra-curricular interests / hobbies do you have?
Last year I started a company with a few fellow BC Computer Science students called Moglo Applications that builds innovative location-based games for mobile phones. It has been incredibly fun and rewarding to work on this with some of the most intelligent and driven people I have ever met. Our business won third place in the Boston College Venture Competition in 2011, which allowed us to work full-time on Moglo over the summer. With one app already in the App Store and another one within a few months of being released, Moglo has given me professional-level development experience.

This year, through the efforts of the BC Computer Science Society, I am hoping to encourage more Computer Science students to apply the skills that they learn in the classroom by working on projects and starting new businesses.

Would you like to say a few words about the ACM Boston College chapter?
The Computer Science Society of Boston College, also known as the Student Chapter of the ACM, seeks to generate interest in and promote the study of technology and computer science. There is no better time than now to connect with intelligent peers and start new projects or companies revolving around technology. CSS hopes to serve as a resource for motivated students who want to continue to apply what they have learned within the classroom to extracurricular endeavors. To this end, CSS holds workshops in hot areas such as mobile application development, sponsors hack-a-thons that create friendly competition and drive, publicizes interesting and useful events within and around Boston related to entrepreneurship and technology, and holds community gatherings that allow smart students to find peers who share their
passion and could serve as future partners to each other.

Did you have a special interest inside of CS?
Currently I am most interested in mobile applications development. After taking Professor Muller's iPhone Application Development course my freshman year I found that I really enjoyed writing mobile apps. It's really fun to be able to write applications that run on my phone and that I can take with me anywhere and show friends and family. I am also interested in artificial intelligence and graphics, and have done independent projects in those areas for many years.

What are your aspirations for employment after you graduate? Best case scenario?
At the moment I see myself pursuing one of two routes after I graduate. I would love to work for or help found a start-up company since I work best in small groups and at a fast pace. If given an opportunity, I would also love to get a chance to work for Apple in an area related to iOS and mobile application development, since I admire the company and love their products.

Thus far, do you have any special memories of your time at BC and/or the
CS department?
I do not have a specific memory, but I think that the interaction I have had with the faculty at BC, especially the CS faculty, has been special. I have heard stories about college professors who do not care much about their students and only pay attention to their own research, however to me these are only myths. In my experience as an undergrad I have gotten incredible support from my professors. As a freshman I was able to walk
right into Professor Lowrie's office and get her feedback on a random idea I had for an independent project, even though it had nothing to do with class. As a sophomore, Professor Burmeister was interested enough in my artificial intelligence independent study to talk about it with me for two hours of his free time even though he was my philosophy professor and not a computer scientist. At the end of last semester Professor Sciore held a meeting with CS students to ask their opinions about how the Computer Science curriculum could be improved and he has always been willing to hear feedback from students. These are just a few of the many memories I have of BC faculty going above and beyond to provide the best experience for their students, and I could not be more thankful to them.

What's been your least-favorite part of your time at BC and/or the CS department?
My least favorite part of my time at BC was my first semester here. In my opinion, BC did not do as well as it could have to provide a good experience to incoming freshman. I was bored, felt that there was little opportunity for me, and did not see any clear path to make things
better. It's shocking to think about how my feelings for BC changed over the course of one short year. Initially disappointed, I soon found
myself enjoying opportunities I could have only dreamed of.

What message would you like to convey to future undergrads in CS?
I would only say to take initiative and do something. There is a huge amount of opportunity and resources available at BC to those who ask for it. In freshman year Professor Lowrie of the CS Department once told me that it is really up to me how much I get out of my undergraduate experience. Since then I have tried to find new opportunities instead of waiting for them to be given to me, and so far I am really enjoying my
time here.