The fast-paced and competitive culture of tech startups typically favors execution over reflection. Think you have a good idea? Great – now build, test, iterate and ship as quickly as possible before the window of opportunity closes. Want to know what works? Just get the product out there – the market is your proving ground.
Abel Salinas, a PhD candidate at USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI), is too smart for speed. After completing a master’s in computer science back in 2022, he had the choice to enter the tech industry or continue at USC to embark on a PhD. Salinas had plenty of good ideas – but during internships at Google, Microsoft and Adobe, he had witnessed the potential for technological change to outpace human ingenuity. So, he chose the PhD path – four years of in-depth research to understand the mechanisms, glitches and social implications of machine learning.
“I knew I wanted to be at the forefront of technology and develop deep expertise in artificial intelligence,” said Salinas. “Pursuing a PhD made sense, in part because of my love of research, but also because I wasn’t afraid of playing the long game. It was clear to me that I wanted to establish a startup before graduating, and a doctorate at ISI gave me the chance to constantly learn from experts in their field and to plug into the USC innovation ecosystem.”
