Hello, my name is Fausto German (pronounced "fOWs-tOH her-MAN"). I am a computer science student focusing on machine learning and artificial intelligence research.

I grew up in a small town outside of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. From an early age, I had a great inclination toward technology, science, and everything that allowed me to uncover new ideas. At the age of thirteen, I began exploring the world of programming as I wanted to create a blog of my own. I was determined to learn the necessary skills to build and launch a website, so I taught myself the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Then, before I knew it, I had created my first website ever.

I spent most of my time experimenting with different technologies and discovering new techniques that allowed me to create more complex websites. I learned not only about programming but also about the creative process behind it. As I continued to grow and develop my skills, my interest in programming evolved into a fascination with data science and machine learning. I realized that the power of technology was not just in creating websites and apps but also in leveraging data to solve complex problems and make meaningful decisions. I saw the potential for data to transform the world and knew that I wanted to be a part of that change.

After moving to the United States in 2015, I completed an Associate of Science degree at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. I then obtained a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Data Science degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During my time at UNC Charlotte, I had the opportunity to work as an Undergraduate Research Assistant, OUR Research Scholar, and Visual Analytics Instructional Assistant. These opportunities helped me to build connections with other like-minded students, provided me with a first-hand look at the world of computer science and machine learning research, allowed me to practice my professional skills, and continued to forge my interest in data science and machine learning.

After graduating from UNC Charlotte, I continued my education towards a Ph.D. in Computer Science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where I joined Dr. Chris North's InfoVis lab for visual analytics and interactive sensemaking. I also received a GEM Fellowship from the Argonne National Laboratory and an invitation to the New Horizon Graduate Scholar program at VT, which allowed me to focus on my studies and provided me the opportunity to build professional experience.