Charting a Course on the Leading Edge of Technology
Ashley Geldmeier ‘25, from Indianapolis, is a senior majoring in data science, computer science and software engineering.
One of the impactful experiences she’s had at Franklin College is an internship with Impacter AI as a data scientist and tech mentor intern. Impacter AI automates human-like interactions with clients and personalizes communications with consumers. The remote internship focuses on creating and refining AI tools to solicit potential homeowners in Los Angeles, Calif.
In her position, Ashley is helping to train lower-level interns and project managers who have little experience in programming language. After meeting with the CEO of the startup company she said that “he felt like I would be a good fit as a tech mentor since I had a lot of experience with Python.”
Geldmeier works with artificial intelligence daily in her work environment and stated that “we use AI all the time to generate code, to debug code, and to generate ideas for metrics we can pull from data.”
The AI makes phone calls, and adjusts to each response people may have, including sending immediate follow-up emails or transferring them to talk to a real person. A secondary AI responds to and gives advice on how to manage a business. These responses are programmed in the CEO’s voice to sound more genuine.
This brought up the conversation of ethics regarding AI. The Impacter AI she works with “does have a disclaimer at the beginning of the phone call.” People are informed that they are not talking with a person and given the option to be transferred.
Before deciding on her three majors, Geldmeier originally came to Franklin College for a business degree. After taking computer science classes, she remembered her interest in math, and “combined mathematics, computer science and business that all led to data science.”
A big inspiration in her education is Dr. Stacey Hoehn. In her Data Equity & Bias class, Geldmeier remarked on how “it was really inspiring to me to see a woman up there talking about women being such a minority in the field. I just really appreciate how she stands up for herself and for other women in the field.”
She is grateful for her Franklin College experience “because it has given me both the space and the support I needed to find my passion. Every professor has inspired me in a different way and has created a welcoming environment.”
After graduating this spring, Ashley plans to work for two to three years before continuing on to graduate school and a professorship.