Gloria Namanya

What motivates you? 

I am a research-driven Software Engineer who is passionate about the effective use of computing and machine learning to develop data-driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that effectively and efficiently help to solve real-world problems in agriculture, health, and climate for social good.

What drew you to your professional field?

My profound love for computing, big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning has shaped my journey thus far. I am passionate about making bigger and more direct impacts on policy-level decisions on matters pertaining to national planning using my acquired skillsets. The other reason is that there are not very many women in my country working in STEM-related careers. I am motivated by the need to work with various platforms to bridge that gap by inspiring, mentoring, and encouraging more females into these fields.

What is something from your country that you would like to share with the UC Davis community?

The Ugandan culture and why our country was named the “Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill because of our beautiful scenery and wildlife. We have the largest lake in Africa (Lake Victoria) which is also the source of the longest river in Africa (the Nile) and the second-longest river in the world at approximately 6,695 Kilometres.

How would you like to engage with UC Davis and the community here?

I will network with community members, university officials, and government officials in Davis. I understand that Davis is a “Platinum Level Bicycle friendly community” and I am excited that I will have a chance to ride around and tour the city.