Nikita Pola

Global Challenge: Hurricane Vulnerability Indication System for Puerto Rico

Abstract

This paper aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, notably Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, as it addresses the challenges confronting communities in Puerto Rico. The proposed system contributes to enhancing infrastructure resilience by fostering sustainable industrialization. Furthermore, Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities is pertinent, as the system ensures prompt assistance to vulnerable areas following natural disasters. This project resonates with my personal goals, which initially focused on exploring the role of technology in sustainable land management. Through iterative development, I identified a niche where I could contribute meaningfully. By integrating in-application data such as call volume and relief organizer visits, along with external data like the CDC Social Vulnerability Index, I have created a system capable of identifying community vulnerabilities and facilitating efficient communication with relevant organizations. These goals align with some of my professional experience that I took part in during my time at GLASS: During my internship at Nike, I focused on optimizing data systems and enhancing the observability of APIs. This effort aimed to make industrial processes more efficient and improve overall infrastructure. At JPMorgan Chase & Co., my role involved increasing the reliability of their iOS retail application and implementing strategies to minimize data usage, which are critical for maintaining robust and secure industrial systems. Currently, I'm involved in developing cutting-edge telehealth applications at Vital Audio @ NYU Future Labs, which reflects my commitment to fostering innovation within the industry.

Bio:

Nikita Pola recently graduated from NYU with a B.S. in Computer Science, with minors in math & cybersecurity at NYU! 

Throughout her time at Tandon, I've navigated various software engineer internships, including developing APIs in Python at Nike and crafting iOS unit testing solutions in Swift at JPMorgan Chase. She also had the opportunity to study abroad in both Argentina and Abu Dhabi, immersing herself in diverse cultures and activities like Tango Dancing and Overnight Safaris, while connecting with other cool NYU students! 

Additionally, I've been able to build out cool projects such as interactive health dashboards to boost remote patient monitoring and real-time communication systems to incentivize public transportation ridership through participating in several Hackathons at NYU and taking part in the NYU Future Labs.

Nikita also loves teaching and mentoring students, where she served as the President of the Society of Women Engineers at NYU, as a teaching assistant for Computer Networking, and as a volunteer for 100+ students at STEM League. Apart from school, she loves to stay active by playing soccer, lifting, and hiking with her family!