Ethan Gibbons (BSc \u201922, MSc \u201924) had no experience with coding when he switched his undergraduate major from Music to Computer Science.<\/p>\n
After a year of taking Music at Brock, the classically trained pianist decided to change his career direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was good at math, so people suggested I\u2019d probably be good at computer science,\u201d said Gibbons.<\/p>\n
They were right. He did so well, and enjoyed the program so much, he continued his studies at the graduate level and has finished top of the class.<\/p>\n
On Friday, June 14, Gibbons was recognized with the Governor General\u2019s Gold Medal, an award presented annually at Spring Convocation to the graduate student with the highest academic average.<\/p>\n
He completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Computer Science with a 98 per cent average.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ended up really liking Computer Science,\u201d he said. \u201cI really enjoyed the kinds of problems you get to tackle in the subject. There\u2019s a puzzle-like nature to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gibbons was attracted to a master\u2019s degree because of the opportunity to work on applicable computer science problems and to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with his love for algorithms and problem-solving.<\/p>\n
Under the supervision of Professor Beatrice Ombuki-Berman, he focused his research on tackling optimization problems in transportation and logistics in a well-known area within operations research. Specifically, the challenge of routing vehicles that simultaneously pick up and deliver within time windows.<\/p>\n
A real-life application of his work is the computer programming used by companies that deliver five-gallon jugs of water to customers and then pick up their empty bottles to reuse or recycle.<\/p>\n
Using real, anonymized company data, Gibbons created an algorithm that was quicker and more efficient than previous approaches by using an evolutionary computation branch of AI inspired by population genetics and Darwinian evolution. His algorithm was able to serve customers using fewer vehicles that travelled less of a distance, saving on gas and vehicle maintenance.<\/p>\n
As a graduate student, Gibbons also worked with Ombuki-Berman on a research project with Waterloo-based RideCo Inc., a company that develops intelligent on-demand transit software solutions.<\/p>\n
When it comes to his academic achievements, Gibbons said that while it is important students know the material, it\u2019s essential to develop study skills that support success.<\/p>\n
Gibbons learned many of these skills in high school and developed a strong sense of discipline while working through 10 levels of the Royal Conservatory of Music piano curriculum.<\/p>\n
That discipline has paid off when it comes to tackling complex topics, which he often does by reviewing textbooks until he fully understands the information.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn math and computer science, there are a lot of variables to understand,\u201d he said. \u201cWith mathematics proofs, for example, I take it one step at a time, break down the grammar of the sentence if I need to, and zoom in on whatever part I don\u2019t understand \u2014 really slow it down until I understand how to get from A to B.\u201d<\/p>\n
His work as a teaching assistant also motivated him to understand the material so he could teach it to others. He suggests explaining the concept to a friend, or even to oneself, to better retain information.<\/p>\n
\u201cEthan has been one of our most reliable teaching assistants in some of the most challenging upper-year Computer Science courses in algorithms and theory,\u201d said Ke Qiu, Professor and Graduate Program Director for the Department of Computer Science, who was Gibbon\u2019s undergraduate mentor.<\/p>\n
Despite his success, Gibbons\u2019 journey has not been without challenges. When the pressure got to be too much, he would step away from the schoolwork to exercise or play the piano.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt becomes very meditative for me, where I can forget about everything else and just focus on playing,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes I\u2019d get into downward spirals of worrying about stuff. We think that worrying will help, but it doesn\u2019t. It\u2019s helpful to break out of that cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gibbons has been working as a research assistant with Ombuki-Berman since January and plans to continue studying Computer Science. He will begin a PhD at another university in the fall, where his research will explore co-operative artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been such an honour working with Ethan,\u201d said Ombuki-Berman. \u201cHe is a brilliant, inspiring young researcher who will continue to make significant innovative contributions to research and technology in the coming years. I have no doubt his PhD studies will be highly successful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Discover the full collection of Convocation photos by ceremony on\u00a0Brock University\u2019s official Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0or view recordings of the ceremonies at\u00a0brocku.ca\/livestream<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n