Ana Trišović, a passionate college student from Serbia, discovered her love for computer science while pursuing her interests in math and physics. In 2012, she enrolled in a Data Analytics course with Python offered through MIT OpenCourseWare, part of MIT Open Learning, which her school did not provide.
This pivotal experience transformed her career path. Now a research scientist at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Trišović reflects on how MIT OpenCourseWare significantly influenced her journey. “That course changed my life,” she emphasizes. “As a Python coder, learning from world-class resources in my hometown was incredible.”
Trišović explored various OpenCourseWare resources, despite facing challenges as a non-native English speaker. She encourages others to be persistent: “If the first course doesn’t work for you, try another. Investing in yourself is the best decision a young person can make.”
In Serbia, she earned undergraduate degrees in computer science and mechanical engineering before advancing her studies at Cambridge University and CERN. There, she contributed to the Large Hadron Collider and completed her PhD in computer science in 2018. Her academic journey also included research positions at the University of Chicago and Harvard University.
“Computer science enables me to impact various fields, but my passion for physics remains strong,” Trišović shares.
At MIT FutureTech, an interdisciplinary research group, Trišović studies the intersection of computer science, economics, and management. She focuses on the democratization of AI, exploring the implications of open-source AI on scientific progress. Her work builds on her research interests developed during her graduate studies.
“My research examines computational social science and the ‘science of science,’ looking into issues like research reproducibility,” she explains. “With the rise of AI, I am investigating diverse topics, from AI democratization to its influence on scientific methodology and the broader scientific landscape.”
Trišović is thankful for her decision to engage with OpenCourseWare back in 2012. “I fell in love with Python the moment I took that course. OpenCourseWare has profoundly shaped my career,” she notes. “Every day at MIT is inspiring, and I collaborate with individuals who share my excitement about AI and other intriguing subjects.”
