Hi there. My name is James Ou. I grew up in China and now I am a Canadian. Currently, I am a third-year student in UBC’s Bachelor of Computer Science program, aiming to become a professional software developer or an AI engineer in the near future.

I graduated with a Bachelor Degree of Arts in psychology in May 2017. Two years ago I joined a psychology research lab and became a research assistant, hoping to pursue graduate studies in psychology. However, inspired by a fellow lab mate, I discovered that I have a great interest in computer science. After learning about UBC BCS program, I decided to apply for it instead of graduate school.

I have learned about human perception and cognition through my previous study. Thus, combined with my psychology degree, I hope to acquire knowledge of human-computer methods, learn to design user-friendly application, and further to study Artificial Intelligence. I believe my psychology background will be helpful as I have learned to be more perceptive which I think it’s essential to take user’s perspective and improve UI design models. Also, I have taken neuroscience courses, which I think will assist me in learning AI and possibly participate in AI research. Moreover, since my teenage age, I have had a keen interest in video games. Thus, being able to work with a team and design my own video games are always something I am willing to do as my career aside from UI design or AI development.