Dr. Ruth Akintunde is a dynamic and results-driven professional with 14 years of proven expertise in software development, open-source innovation, product management, and machine learning. With a Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science from North Carolina State University, Dr. Akintunde blends academic excellence with industry impact to deliver groundbreaking solutions. Currently leading the Data Management’s Generative AI team at SAS Institute Inc., she drives transformative advancements in AI infrastructure and applications that are reshaping the industry landscape. A recognized innovator, Dr. Akintunde holds three patents in Machine Learning model training techniques and electricity grid optimization, along with several high-impact research articles published in WIREs Energy and Environment, IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC), ACM computing research repository (CoRR), Educational Data Mining (EDM), Learning Analytics & Knowledge (LAK), among others.  

Education

Ruth received her Ph.D in Computer Science department from North Carolina State University. She is affiliated with the Game2learn lab and was advised by Dr. Tiffany Barnes. She received her M.S. degree in Computer Science from North Carolina State University and her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, where she graduated at the top of her class. Before heading off to graduate school, Ruth worked for about 4 years as a software developer and was head of the mobile applications development team at Venture Garden Group, a leading provider of technology platforms. Ruth is a seasoned data scientist who leverages the power of machine learning techniques and deep learning architectures to create advanced personalized learning tools for easy mastery of STEM subjects. As too few female students study STEM subjects, her goal is to create intelligent learning systems that ensure effective comprehension of these subjects. 

CSforALL

In 2018, Ruth performed an independent study which involved leveraging the power of deep learning architectures for multi-modal data streams, including logs and eye tracking, to predict knowledge gain. Her work shows that eye tracking alone can capture attention and model knowledge gain effectively. This work establishes that eye tracking can adequately model the detection of knowledge gain in college students. This suggests that this modality could be explored as a form of learning gain assessment in students with learning disorders such as autism and dyslexia, before other traditional assessment tests are performed. Ever since then, Ruth has been interested in CSforALL, redesigning curriculum and creating learning technologies for autistic K-12 kids. There is not a lot of research in this space for this age group.

WiCS, NCWIT, Moms in Tech

Ruth was the 2018/2019 Lead Ambassador of NCSU’s Women in Computer Science (WiCS) organization and currently advocates for more involvement of female students in computer science. Ruth is also a member of Aspirations in Computing (AiC) community and was selected as a finalist for the AiC NCWIT collegiate award for her 2019 study which suggests a data-informed curriculum sequence for a mathematics game. In addition to being a PhD candidate, Ruth is a mom in technology. She has two beautiful young daughters. Ruth believes that being a mom in technology is another category of diversity that has its own unique challenges. Hence, Ruth is also interested in research focused on creating  innovative technologies and career pathways for Moms, returning as well as veteran women (re-)entering computing education.

PodRoom

Ruth alongside her husband founded the PodRoom app that lets Podcasters connect to their listeners. Download the app from the Google or Apple App Store today or go to Podroom.live for more information.

Hobby

If Ruth were not a Computer Scientist, she would own a Fashion Label. For now she plays around with fashion related things on greenesche.com.