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Published: 29 March 2018

I met Oriana Peltzer on campus of the Stanford University where she is currently studying. It was raining. Heavy rain, unusual weather for sunny Bay Area. None of us had an umbrella. Oriana came by bike. We went to the closest coffee shop on campus, under the roof, to talk about AFAM and Oriana's life at Stanford.

AFAM: Tell us a little bit about your studies at Stanford.

Oriana: I am in Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. I started in 2017. I am interested in robotics. My favorite class is "Principles of robotic autonomy". One of the highlights of my year at Stanford is a summer workshop I took before my first day the University on the 27th of September. Every student had to choose a workshop on a certain topic and I have chosen Energy workshop.

AFAM: Do you live on campus?

I live outside of campus but pretty close to it. I am taking a campus shuttle or a bike to go everywhere on campus. I live with my two roommates from Brasilia and Mexico. I was surprised when I came to Stanford, that a lottery, or purely random drawing of the names of students, would determine the type of housing students would be living in. It can be unfair but it is how the things are here in the US.

AFAM: What do you do every day at Stanford?

Oriana: I take three classes per quarter. Seems like not a lot. It is true. But there is a lot of work and projects to accomplish outside of the classroom. Besides, my own projects, I try to be open to my peer's projects too. I am often on campus watching other students' demos. By the way, in 15 minutes I am going to a demo session about deep learning. And tonight, it is my turn: I am presenting a demo on Applied Algorithm for Robotic Autonomy.

AFAM: When you are not in a classroom or in your dorm studying, how do you like to spend your free time?

Oriana: Whenever I have time, I am going to the music center and play the piano. There is a dozen of Steinway pianos. It is fantastic!

AFAM: Thank you, Oriana, for your time and see you next time during one of the events organized by Gadz'Arts West Coast Group.