{"618200":{"#nid":"618200","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet ML@GT: Nathan Hatch, a Machine Learning Researcher Who Doesn\u2019t Mind a Little Mud on His Hands ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ml.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Machine Learning Center at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E (ML@GT) is home to many talented students from across campus, representing all six of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s colleges and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese students have diverse backgrounds and a wide variety of interests both inside and outside of the classroom. Today, we\u0026rsquo;d like you to meet \u003Cstrong\u003ENathan Hatch, \u003C\/strong\u003Ea former software engineer turned machine learning Ph.D. student.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHometown:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EFort Collins, CO\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvisor:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EByron Boots, School of Interactive Computing assistant professor\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECurrent Georgia Tech degree program:\u003C\/strong\u003E Ph.D. in Machine Learning\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOther degrees earned:\u003C\/strong\u003E B.S. Mathematics and Computer Science from University of Chicago\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETell us about your research:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u0026#39;m interested in developing and analyzing machine learning algorithms for reinforcement learning (RL) problems. RL is about performing an action that maximizes the reward in a particular situation. The challenge with RL is that decisions made by the computing agent will affect the environment around it, which may change the results of future decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, with human education, it is often easier to learn from teacher demonstrations\u0026nbsp;(\u0026quot;imitation learning\u0026quot;) and simplified learning environments (\u0026quot;curriculum learning\u0026quot;). I would like to investigate the mathematical theory behind these strategies and use this theory to develop new algorithms for real-world RL problems like autonomous driving.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFavorite Conference and why:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/sigbovik.org\/\u0022\u003EACH Special Interest Group on Harry Questionable Bovik (SIGBOVIK)\u003C\/a\u003E. Even academics like to have some fun every now and then!\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFavorite place to hang out on campus or in Atlanta and why: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen I\u0026rsquo;m not working on my research you can usually find me at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/crc.gatech.edu\/home?ticket=ST-1782920-RGJu6rEibAcajhTqPj0p-cas-prod5.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECampus Recreation Center (CRC),\u003C\/a\u003E especially at the climbing wall or in the pool.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETell us about some of your hobbies: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI enjoy playing the viola, rock climbing, and playing the board game Go.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFavorite Georgia Tech experience: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMy favorite Tech experience so far was when I went on a caving trip with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/crc.gatech.edu\/outdoor\u0022\u003EOutdoor Recreation\u003C\/a\u003E. We went to Howard\u0026#39;s Waterfall Cave in northwest Georgia. It was memorable because, well, caving is an inherently memorable experience \u0026mdash; and of course the ORGT trip leaders were great! This visit involved\u0026nbsp;squeezing down through a tiny passageway called \u0026quot;the keyhole\u0026quot;, sloshing through a mud puddle half a meter deep, and\u0026nbsp;crawling 200 meters under a 30-cm-high ceiling.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWho is someone that inspires you and why? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHank and John Green, a.k.a. the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/vlogbrothers\u0022\u003EVlogbrothers\u003C\/a\u003E. I hope I\u0026#39;m as thoughtful and as funny as they are when I grow up.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf you were in the circus, what would your act be and why? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI actually took a flying trapeze class once!\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your proudest accomplishment? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u0026rsquo;d have to say getting admitted to a Ph.D. program at Georgia Tech is my proudest accomplishment to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u0026rsquo;s the best app on your phone? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u0026rsquo;m trying to learn Mandarin Chinese. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.hellochinese.cc\/\u0022\u003EHelloChinese\u003C\/a\u003E is the best free app I\u0026#39;ve found for that.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Get to know the students at the Machine Learning Center at Georgia Tech."}],"uid":"34773","created_gmt":"2019-02-20 19:37:34","changed_gmt":"2019-02-20 19:37:34","author":"ablinder6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-02-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-02-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"617908":{"id":"617908","type":"image","title":"Nathan Hatch is a second-year machine learning Ph.D. student from Fort Collins, Colorado.","body":null,"created":"1550243857","gmt_created":"2019-02-15 15:17:37","changed":"1550243857","gmt_changed":"2019-02-15 15:17:37","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235207","name":"NathanHatch.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NathanHatch.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NathanHatch.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":296504,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/NathanHatch.jpg?itok=8nTYKHo5"}}},"media_ids":["617908"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"576481","name":"ML@GT"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAllie McFadden\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003Eallie.mcfadden@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["allie.mcfadden@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}