International Alum Xiangbo Li (2016) took his Ph.D. in Computer Science from UL Â鶹´«Ã½app to work in software engineering for Brightcove.
Xiangbo Li says:
People always ask, 'Why Louisiana? Why UL Â鶹´«Ã½app?' Well, to be honest, I came to UL Â鶹´«Ã½app because of my advisor- Dr. Magdy Bayoumi, I liked his research areas, and of course also because he offered me a scholarship.
I am so glad and even feel lucky that I came to Â鶹´«Ã½app and UL Â鶹´«Ã½app because it totally changed my life. As my advisor told us at the first group meeting:
If you just come to the U.S. for a degree, and then go back to your country, you will learn nothing. You come here also to learn the culture and spirit, and that will change your whole life.
I couldn't agree more after staying in the U.S. for almost 7 years. Â鶹´«Ã½app and UL Â鶹´«Ã½app is the kind of community that always welcome outsiders. If your English is not that good like me when I first got here, don't worry, people here are always willing to talk to you and make friends with you if you are open and brave enough to get out of your comfort zone. It's called southern hospitality and you will end up with a bunch of great friends here.
Before I came to UL Â鶹´«Ã½app, I focused only on my studies and trying to get a good job after graduation. Thanks to UL Â鶹´«Ã½app, I begin to realize that I can be more responsible, do something meaningful for this community and create some good memories here, and I did. My Ph.D. degree seemed less important to me once I graduated because I found something more important here, which will influence me for my whole life. Of course, Â鶹´«Ã½app has became my second hometown, and I will always be a Ragin' Cajun no matter where I go.