USF Innovative Education | Alumni Spotlight
Megan Tran combines her background in psychology, biomedical sciences and music with her computer science education to make an impact on a range of human experiences from concussion recovery to learning the violin.
She is a graduate student within the Bellini College for Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. Moreover, she is a published machine-learning research assistant at the , a software engineering intern at USF鈥檚 Institute of Applied Engineering, and an M.S. in Computer Science candidate set to graduate in December 2026.
But this wasn鈥檛 her original career path.
A Pivot That Started with DNA Research
Tran earned her bachelor鈥檚 degrees in biomedical sciences and psychology as a student in USF鈥檚 Judy Genshaft Honors College, dabbling with game development and coding through Khan Academy in her free time. As she finished her undergraduate degrees, a research assistant position introduced her to combining computing with her health-focused majors. There, she automated programs that assist scientists in reliably analyzing DNA data.
鈥淚 found that pretty cool,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 wanted to apply that and transition into something where I can combine technology and the sciences.鈥
That curiosity led her to , which was designed for exactly this kind of student: driven, credentialed in another field, and ready to build something new. She picked PTC because it gave her the foundation required to complete the M.S. in Computer Science.
Fiddling Around: Turning Violin Practice into a Video Game
During her master鈥檚 degree, she built her violin video game, 鈥淪trings Attached: A
Rhythm-Based Game for Learning the Violin Bow鈥 to make learning the instrument less
intimidating. After being introduced to computer vision and gamification in her internship
with USF Assistant Professor John Templeton鈥檚 physical therapy system , she wanted to apply those concepts to music education.
Megan Tran's game, Strings Attached, uses computer vision and rhythm-based gameplay to transform beginner violin practice into an engaging, interactive learning experience.
鈥淚f I could gamify the basics of learning the violin, like Wii Sports where you move around and have fun, then that鈥檚 what gets people engaged,鈥 she said, noting inspiration on gamification elements from platforms like Duolingo.
Strings Attached combines computer vision with rhythm-based gameplay, using a player鈥檚 bowing motions to control a cartoon character in time with the music. Tran hand-crafted the original character art and composed the music to deliver a charming, retro feel.
To determine if her project was worth continuing, she asked fellow USF students, professors, coworkers, and even gym-goers to demo her game. She shared progress updates on , which reached over 25,000 viewers worldwide, including a technology leader at Microsoft, a Meta software engineer, academics in Ireland, and developers in India seeking her career advice.
After seeing how much testers enjoyed the gameplay, her next step is partnering with local music schools and programs to evaluate whether the product could enhance violin instruction for beginners.
Blending Machine Learning with Clinical Practice
Aside from her video game project, Tran is a machine-learning research assistant in
Templeton鈥檚 SHIELD Lab.
鈥淒oing research allows me to learn from different peers and [especially] my professor, because the way that he thinks allows me to view things in various perspectives that I never thought of before,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like you鈥檝e been enlightened.鈥
What makes her research fulfilling is collaborating with medical professionals outside of computer science. One of Tran鈥檚 biggest accomplishments is her on using machine learning to predict when patients recover from sport-related concussions. She not only sees the clinical impact of her data analysis, but also finds that her scientific background is put to meaningful use.
The Program That Built the Foundation
All of her achievements could not have happened without the . It is fully online, requires no GRE and is built for those with non-computing backgrounds
looking to pivot toward AI, cybersecurity, data science or software engineering without
earning an additional bachelor鈥檚 degree.
Two courses stand out in Tran鈥檚 memory: an object-oriented programming class with Marbin Pazos-Revilla and a networking essentials course with Ken Christensen, which she calls the building blocks of everything that followed.
鈥淭hose projects gave me fundamentals that allowed me to do well in my internship,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he project scopes made sense because I had those fundamentals.鈥
Shaun Canavan鈥檚 algorithms course left a mark, too. While she enjoyed learning about code on her own before PTC, the guidance from her professors and structure of the program helped her efficiently solidify her skills.
鈥淧TC is a great program and all the professors are great,鈥 she said. 鈥淒efinitely use their office hours. It also makes learning much better experience-wise. Don鈥檛 feel intimidated by the classes. You just have to start somewhere. Start simple so that it鈥檚 easier to build up.鈥
That type of open communication is also something she recommends using outside the classroom. 鈥淪hoot your shot when it comes to applying to internships, because it will help you prepare for when you apply for jobs.鈥
What Comes Next
Tran plans to enter the industry full-time after graduating, though she hasn鈥檛 ruled out a Ph.D. She might one day follow in Templeton鈥檚 footsteps to become a mentor who applies interdisciplinary knowledge and a talent for communication to inspire the next generation of students.
For her, Pathway to Computing was truly a bridge between a pre-existing interest and a formal computer science education that adds credibility to her resume, opening doors for future projects.
If you鈥檙e inspired by Tran鈥檚 story and are curious if Pathway to Computing is right
for you, The program director and will walk through program details and answer questions live via Microsoft Teams.