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.

International Education Experience

My country of origin is Bangladesh. However, at the age of 11 years, I was sent to a boarding school in India. The decision to send me to boarding school was taken solely by my parents due to their active involvement in politics. I completed my education in India and then returned to Bangladesh.

A fun fact about my country is that rickshaws are seen as one of the most popular mediums of transportation. There are also many tea gardens in my hometown that export tea internationally.

I studied in Bangladesh until second grade, then my parents chose to send me to India in third grade. I was finally able to return to Bangladesh upon attaining my bachelor’s. The education in Bangladesh and India has built my base which has enabled me to pursue graduate programs in the USA. Graduate programs have enabled me to explore different aspects of life in the USA not only academically but generally overall. A master's program is very different from a Ph.D. program. Switching from a legal background to academia was not easy and creating a balance between the two is challenging. The Ph.D. journey is all about learning the ropes of survival in academia. Balancing academics and research is stressful but it surely does teach one how to be persistent. It has been a learning process from being able to teach a diverse array of students to conducting my research and being involved with on-campus organizations. These experiences have taught me to be more tolerant, exploratory, and in the quest for learning each day.

What is the hardest part about studying away from home?

I always miss my family and the cuisine of my country. Other than that, I have grown adaptable to the environment I live in and learn every day as I progress.