Marina Vicens Miquel, Ph.D. Student

Marina Vicens Miquel ’20, ‘24, is a fourth-year Ph.D. Geospatial Computer Science student studying coastal artificial intelligence at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She is also a graduate research assistant at the TAMU-CC Conrad Blucher Institute. Before starting her doctoral studies, she graduated with a double major in computer science and mathematics from TAMU-CC. The main goal of her research is to create an operational device that can predict high tides on the beach, which could provide time to warn beachgoers about dangerous conditions and potentially saves lives.

Vicens Miquel’s experience in a class called Image Processing is what sparked her love for research. This class provided her with the ability to research a topic with a group and write a conference paper on that topic. She made friends who are like-minded and involved in research, and she began to understand how interesting research is. She has enjoyed math and science from the beginning of her academic career, though it was the complexities of computer science and mathematics that drew her in.

“Computers are like magic to me,” she said... “They are a very powerful tool to learn anything you want.”. 

What inspires Vicens Miquel academic excellence is her joy in learning something new every day. She encourages prospective Islanders to follow their passions.

“Enjoy what you do because when you really enjoy what you do, is when you perform the best,” she said. “Another thing is to believe in yourself because when you really want something, if you work hard, you will be able to achieve it.”

After she finishes her doctorate degree, she hopes to continue working in research and gaining knowledge on artificial intelligence. 

“Anything I have accomplished would not be possible without TAMU-CC and the Conrad Blucher Institute,” she said. “They provide me with all the support that I need. They have excellent researchers and excellent programs; it's just such a great opportunity for me as a researcher.”