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General Information

Full Name Susan (Suzie) L. Hoops
Languages English (fluent), German (conversational), American Sign Language (beginner)
Programming Python, R, SQL, C++, MATLAB, LaTeX, D3.js, HTML/CSS
Data Handling AWS storage (S3), AWS computing (EC2), Relational databases (RedCAP), HPC clusters, cloud computing
Data Analysis Hypothesis testing, Machine Learning, Bayesian statistics, Deep Learning (PyTorch, TensorFlow)

Education

  • Present
    Ph.D. Computer Science
    University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
    • Advised by Associate Professor Dan Knights, PhD. (GPA 4.0)
  • 2023
    M.S. Computer Science
    University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
    • Advised by Associate Professor Dan Knights, PhD. (GPA 4.0)
  • 2017
    B.A. Mathematics
    St. Olaf College
    • Advised by Professor Matthew Richey, PhD. (GPA 3.57)

Work | Research Experience

  • 2020 - Present
    Graduate Research Assistant
    Knights Lab, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
    • Directed metagenomic analysis (Python, R) and data management (SQL) for clinical studies totaling 6,000+ samples.
    • Created a machine learning pipeline with 12% improved performance tracking bacteria in microbial transfer therapy.
    • Diagnosed dimensionality reduction anomalies in multivariate datasets, improving model accuracy by 28%.
    • Advised 7 researchers and assisted in teaching courses covering machine learning, genomics, and Python.
  • 2018 - 2020
    Data Scientist / Researcher 2
    Knights Lab, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
    • Developed statistical workflows in R and Python for disseminating gut microbiome findings in longitudinal studies.
    • Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams of physicians, clinical researchers, community members, and scientists.
    • Selected presenter at a Stanford University conference, introducing my work in dimensionality reduction approaches.
  • 2017-2018
    Fulbrighter
    Fulbright Program, Austria
    • Visualized GitHub version control system as a graph in Python and D3.js to represent computational optimization.
    • Taught English in a local secondary school and completed courses for the Technical Mathematics M.S. at JKU Linz.
  • 2017
    Data Science Intern
    CoreBiome (now Diversigen)
    • Automated custom microbiome analysis software on AWS using EC2 cloud computing and S3 storage.
    • Constructed the company website using Wix, developed interactive visualizations for clients in Python and D3.js.

Volunteer Positions

  • 2019 - 2022
    Board Member
    Fulbright Association of Minnesota
    • Organizing events for Fulbright alumni and international students/scholars.
  • 2020 - 2021
    Director of Finance
    Council of Graduate Students, UMN
    • Budgeting funds for grants and events for UMN graduate students.
  • 2015 - 2017
    President
    Habitat for Humanity, St. Olaf College
  • 2015 - 2017
    Captain
    Women's Cross Country and Track & Field teams, St. Olaf College

Awards and Grants

  • 2023
    • Recipient, NSF Travel Fellowship
  • 2021
    • Honorable Mention, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
  • 2017
    • Fulbright Combined Award, Fulbright Association
    • MIAC Sportsmanship Award, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
  • 2016
    • Program Director of the Year, St. Olaf College Leadership Awards

Other Interests

  • Hobbies: running, biking, houseplant parenthood, & the endless search for the perfect cup of coffee.