By Luke Gentile
The University of Maryland and DMV-based Capital One Financial Corporation unveiled the new Capital One Tech Incubator in the Diamondback garage of the Hotel Nov. 20 in hopes of providing new work experience for students.
The center, which is part of the $2 billion effort to revitalize Baltimore Avenue and the greater College Park community, will take on roughly 30 students a semester via application to work as interns for Capital One’s machine learning and data science teams.
“I love that there is a company on board to foster students through interning and getting a job,” said Naomi Stewart, a Capital One intern and sophomore computer science major. “The company gives real-world experience, and you’re working with an actual team, not just fetching things for people.”
The incubator has been a longtime mission of President Wallace Loh and part of UMD’s goal to prepare students for the everyday industry.
“Currently, I’m working on credit card technology and developing that… but I’m also engaging in machine learning of different variations,” Stewart said.
She said she appreciates the ability to learn things she is unable to in the classroom.
“One of the things I don’t usually get in the school is learning how to break down a project,” she said. “You usually get a project description that is five pages, and it tells you what to do. When you are given a bigger project like we were, it can seem scary and intimidating, but here, you learn how to break it down week-by-week. That allows you to make progress and decide what is meaningful, because instead of wasting time and just pushing out a project, you are taking time to develop your skills, understanding and knowledge.”
Amitabh Varshney, the dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, told press at the incubator’s opening that the center will help students become proficient in the newest technology.
“It introduces them to real-world problems that can be solved by the application of very creative ideas and mapping them onto the latest hardware that is becoming available,” he said.
The incubator includes an open floor plan that features conference rooms, private phone booths, whiteboards, a game room, a kitchen and a feature wall that will allow students to animate their projects.
“I think that the center is very impressive, both in its layout and technology,” said Tom Barton, a freshman computer science major. “I’m not sure if I want to apply for the internship later on, but it would be a great learning experience.”
Stewart said this new lab goes a long way in helping fellow computer science students break into such a competitive field.
“I think this a great development,” she said. “I’m excited to know what else they do, and I hope they continue to build opportunities for students. Hopefully, other companies will start to take from this and get involved on campus more because that would bridge the difference between work and school.”
Photos courtesy of University of Maryland Office of Strategic Communication