TiROP

Under the TiROP program, I researched Quantum Strongly Secure Ramp Secret Sharing. This topic originates from "Secret Sharing" which is the task of dividing a secret into pieces so that a subset of the pieces can reconstruct the secret while any less than that subset will have no information about the secret. It can be thought of colloquially as dividing a picture into puzzle pieces so that any k pieces of the puzzle will reveal the important part of the picture, while any less will be impossible to understand. The "ramp" condition and the "strongly secure" condition are further variations that make secret sharing more convenient. By replacing the secret with quantum information, the quantum analog is created. I studied its quantum analog with Associate Professor Ryutaroh Matsumoto and became first author of the manuscript now submitted for review. Thanks to his close supervision and frequent discussions, the project went smoothly and successfully. This TiROP experience has given me insight into education in Japan and academia in general. I will likely visit Japan again in the future and believe that the TiROP program has prepared me for such an occasion. From this experience I have also decided to pursue academia in the future.

TiROP is very special in that students from all over the world are invited to Tokyo Tech to do research in a field that interests them. The program took very good care of everyone and really encouraged global exchange at Tokyo Tech. The school is very technological based, so there are a large variety of projects in all science disciplines, which is sometimes difficult to find in the US. I did research on airfoil heat exchangers in the Department of Energy Sciences, as my major is mechanical engineering. I was able to request the lab I wanted to work in because of my interest in airplanes and engines. By the end of the summer, I was able to create an ANSYS model that my adviser will use for his research. This experience was very technical as I referenced my engineering background and classes in order to understand the project. It has definitely made me a well-rounded person, which helps in searching for jobs. As I will graduate soon from my undergraduate college, I am looking for a job instead of graduate schools. I feel this experience has made me more global and has exposed me to different fields within my major.

As clearly denoted in its name, TiROP is a research program that encourages its participants to engage in intellectual, rigorous study, and guide them towards producing thought-provoking results, despite a relatively short stay. My research centered on a fusion of 3D Graphics with 2D Disney-esque animation styles. At first, progress was slow, with results far below my expectations. However, thanks to the support of my research lab and TiROP peers, by the end of my 2 month stay, I had ultimately completed a significant milestone in the form of a motion blur for meshes that simulated how a cartoon deforms when it moves at high speed. I received a lot of positive feedback for it during my final presentation, which really encouraged me to continue working on it, even after the program ended, and I had returned to MIT. Just as TiROP has been able to provide both academic and personal growth, it has the potential to impact one's future career and lifestyle choices. For me, it's certainly both, as I am considering working in Japan after I finish my Master's Thesis at MIT. If I do so, I'm certain that what I've learned and experience via TiROP will help me to be more successful in this endeavor.

I was impressed by the number of machine tools they had at MIT's makerspace, which is called the Hobby Shop. In terms of metal processing machinery, the Hobby Shop and Tokyo Tech's Collaboration Center for Design and Manufacturing (CODAMA) were not much different. However, the Hobby Shop had more woodworking machines and 3D printers, and students were free to create things that weren't necessarily related to their research, just as a hobby. During the visit, I could sense the students' strong enthusiasm for studying. Surprisingly, many of the classes didn't feel much different from those of Japanese universities. Before the visit, I only had a vague desire to study abroad. Now, I consider studying abroad as an option to pursue after entering graduate school.

I audited a course at Georgia Tech and noticed that they spend more time learning about machine component design than we do at Tokyo Tech. Machines wear out through continuous use, so engineers need to be knowledgeable about the lifespan of various components. Georgia Tech teaches machine component design as a subject of its own rather than as an aspect of technical drawing or other subjects. In addition, the university focuses on practical learning and allows students to have easy access to equipment such as 3D printers. I was impressed by the environment that enables students to focus on long-term research. This visit reminded me that there is competition all around the world.