Why FSU?

After completing my master's degree (LL.M.) in Data Privacy and Security from Indiana University, I felt the need to study further in my area of expertise. In most law schools, SJD programs are designed to pursue interests in specific law subjects such as constitutional law, criminal law, etc., and not all provide scholarships. The School of Information at FSU has a blend of unique faculty, research areas, and a diverse PhD cohort that caught my attention and made me decide to pursue my graduate study at FSU and develop my interests further through research.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

Data privacy and security is an evolving topics. After pursuing an LL.M. in Data Privacy and Security, I wanted to continue further to learn how the laws and regulations affect consumers and other stakeholders. I hope that, through my research, I will be able to study the perspective of manufacturers of the Internet of Things (IoT) and be able to analyze the laws and regulations, thus bridging the gaps between products and consumers.

Career aspirations

Before coming to the US, I was a practicing lawyer/advocate (equivalent to attorney in the US) in my home country. I wish to return to the industry and hope to contribute to the legal field in the domain of data privacy. Besides contributing to the industry, I would like to pursue an adjunct position where I can share my knowledge with students and bridge real-life experiences with academia.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

Pursue graduate study only if your heart and brain desire it. It requires a tremendous amount of perseverance, patience, dedication, and missing out on family bonding and other commitments to be able to walk in the path of a graduate student. Pursuing a doctoral degree without any goals and aspirations will not render anything fruitful.

Accomplishments during graduate career

Along with other PhD students from my cohort, I worked on papers titled "Investigating Factors Influencing Open Government from a Country’s Perspective" (full paper submitted for iConference 2023) and with a faculty member on "Examining Interest in Open Government Data Through Digital Traces" (short paper submitted for iConference 2023). Both papers were accepted in the iConference scheduled to be held in March 2023.