In the corridors of academic pursuit, where curiosity meets determination, lies the inspiring journey of Ranya Sharma, a second-year undergraduate in the University of Chicago’s Department of Computer Science. With a passion for exploring the nexus of technology and public policy, Ranya’s trajectory exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and purpose-driven research.
From her early years in high school, Sharma's interests gravitated towards both computer science and public policy, nurtured by her active participation in debate. Recognizing the potential for these dual passions to converge, she embarked on a journey to explore the intersection of both fields—a path that ultimately led her to UChicago.
During her junior year of high school, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic provided Sharma with an opportunity for introspection and exploration. With extracurricular activities on hold, she delved into researching potential areas of interest, eventually reaching out to Neubauer Professor of Computer Science, Nick Feamster, renowned for his work at this particular intersection.
“We met over zoom and kind of just hit it off,” said Sharma. “He asked me if there was anything that I’d be interested working with him on, and I predicted that maybe I would be doing data entry or something like that. As a high school student, I didn’t really know what to expect. But he told me all about the different projects that they were working on in the Network Operations and Internet Security (NOISE) Lab, and encrypted DNS was one of the most prominent ones back then. So I just started reading papers on encrypted DNS and created my own research project.”
Sharma's involvement in the DNS project delved into the intricacies of encrypted DNS interfaces, unraveling the vital link between user comprehension and online security in an increasingly digitized world. She unearthed crucial insights into user perceptions and behaviors regarding encrypted DNS interfaces, shedding light on the urgent need for clearer communication and enhanced user awareness in safeguarding online privacy. She eventually became the lead researcher on a research paper that appeared at the USENIX Security Symposium, the premier conference in computer security.
“The opportunity to work with intrepid, articulate, and creative students like Ranya is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. It has been so exciting and fulfilling for me, as a mentor, to see her grow from being completely new to the topic area of networking to leading such an important project at the forefront of Internet technology and policy,” said Sharma's research advisor, Nick Feamster.
The exploration didn’t stop there. Thus began her journey into the world of research, where she found a niche in projects spanning not only encrypted DNS, but also the digital divide and Wi-Fi bottlenecks.