Beth Mcdonald Email and Phone Number

My role is to create datasets and software tools for use by our machine learning and data science teams. Having good quality and diverse data is critical to model development, and "good" depends largely on the goal of the project. As such, my role can change drastically within each project; you can generally find me: - creating Python tools for data creation, processing, and analysis- creating and curating datasets that address specific needs- developing tests for use on Shure products- collaborating with several other technical and non-technical teams

* Collaborate with Museum scientists to research ML applications across a variety of disciplines, with special focus on: convolutional neural networks, computer vision, image classification, feature detection, and handwriting recognition.* Create ML pipelines which are flexible to use on a variety of research questions.* Curate, clean, and maintain labeled datasets as needed.* Develop an easily maintainable code base using free or open source tools.* Supervise computer science interns and volunteers as necessary.

* Explore machine learning applications within natural history collections, specifically exploring binary classification of non-flowering plants by species, using Python with TensorFlow.* Refine convolutional neural network architecture to create robust classification models designed to differentiate cryptic species of microplants, utilizing somewhat small and noisy image sets.* Collaborate with a team of biologists and computer scientists to complete this project, publish findings, and extend to new applications in plant biology and in other natural history fields.

* Implemented a Key Performance Indicators (KPI) dashboard in 2017 with weekly, monthly, and quarterly indicators of company health.* Regularly sought answers to fundamental business questions, and proactively monitor the impacts of policy changes. Project outcomes included: increased summer lesson attendance, 20% increase in teacher retention, and decreasing client on-boarding time by half.* Each year, resolved 325+ schedule change requests and place 100+ new families, with the goal of creating schedules with minimal commute time.* Organized an average of 300 student performers (with 30+ teachers) into 14 performances for each biannual recital weekend.

* Assist the Electronics Workshop Director with planning, logistics, rehearsals and concerts; create software for performances at the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice (SICPP).* Provide artistic guidance and technical education/support for students preparing musical compositions and art installations (using a wide variety of software/hardware).*Act as a technical and logistical liaison between musicians and concert production staff.

Create, curate, and update content for social media and websites.

* Perform tuba or electronics as needed during the SICPP festival and regular concert season.

Assisting in the development of a dialogue system to communicate breast cancer information with low-English-literacy Latinx patients and caregivers. Goals of the system include: conveying accurate health information in simple English; gauging understanding and reinforcing knowledge; and helping patients accurately assess new/changing symptoms. This project technology relies on natural language processing in Python, and Actions on Google.Collaborating with a cross-disciplinary and multi-lingual team of NEIU faculty and student researches, as well as community health organizations.Awarded a NEIU Research & Creative Activities Assistantship for the 2019-20 academic year.

* Tutor 10-20 students each week in 100- through 400-level coursework in Java programming, algorithms, data structures, and discrete mathematics.* As part of the Learning Success Center, attend monthly trainings on topics such as: learning styles, study skills, and common roadblocks faced by first-generation students.* Coordinate peer leaders and weekly materials (including proofreading problem sets and research labs), and encourage student attendance through weekly outreach. (Fall 2018, Spring 2019)* Guide Programming 2 students through practice problems and projects designed to reinforce Java OOP concepts and introduce them to software development skills: group collaboration, working with existing code, and breaking down large projects. (Fall 2018)* Created Java practice problems to target object-oriented programming concepts, used by 60-80 students each semester. Converted Swing practice problems to JavaFX. Collaborated using GitHub and Git bash. (Summer 2018)

* Oversaw all aspects of production for 29 outdoor concerts in 4 seasons, with the mission of bringing free, high-quality music to Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood.* Coordinated concert & production logistics with venues, musicians, and volunteer staff.* Created and commissioned content for website, e-newsletter, and social media.* Developed an operating budget each season, wrote grant proposals, and organized 3 successful fundraising campaigns.

* Provided Tier 1 technical support computer lab and classroom technology* Prepared end-user documentation and led classroom technology trainings for students and faculty

Monitored local newspaper coverage and reported on unfair or unethical judicial campaign practices.