Knapp is passionate about encouraging other students to pursue an interest in machine learning. He chose the field because of its broad scope that isn’t tied to any one industry, giving him diverse career opportunities.
“Machine learning can be applied to any field. Right now, I’m working in medical imaging, which is great, but since machine learning is a generalized technology that can be applied to information, you can work in any sector,” Knapp said. “It could be biology, medical imaging, material design, chip manufacturing — there are so many possibilities.”
Knapp acknowledges that there are negative aspects to the rise of AI and machine learning capabilities, particularly when used by bad actors, but he also sees firsthand the immense benefits of these technologies to advance science and improve our health.
“There was a group awarded the Nobel Prize last year for amazing work in protein folding. It’s being used for drug discovery and for medical imaging diagnosis,” Knapp said. “There is a positive impact that technology like machine learning can have if used the right way. There is a lot of good that can come.”
Outside of his academic and research work, Knapp has been active in a variety of intramural sports throughout his time at UC.
“I think it’s critical for people to have some activity that gets them completely away from whatever they’re doing, whether it’s school or work,” Knapp said. “Keeping active is important to keep your mind ready for everything else that you do. And I’ve certainly met a lot of new people on my sports teams that are great friends now.”
Knapp will graduate in 2027 with a degree in electrical engineering and a minor in computer science. He plans to pursue a PhD to continue his research in AI and machine learning for medical imaging.