Gloire Rubambiza | [CV]

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at Cornell University, where I conduct research in the area of hybrid cloud computing for digital agriculture with an emphasis on societal impact. I am co-advised by Hakim Weatherspoon and Phoebe Sengers.

Research

Digital agriculture (DA) is the ability to convert precise and massive sensor data into actionable insights for decision-making on farms. Building DA applications requires new infrastructures to support data collection, transmission, and processing on farms. However, rural infrastructures (e.g., Internet, roads, and power) tend to be more fragile than urban infrastructures. My research addresses rural networking infrastructure fragility through critical technical practice (CTP). CTP is a socio-technical approach which unifies hands-on system building with critical reflection on the anticipated societal impacts of the technical decisions. Specifically, I build and deploy networked systems leveraging state-of-the-art methods (e.g., TV White Spaces) to support rural DA. I simultaneously reflect on ways that these advancements may inadvertently reproduce fragile infrastructure and propose alternatives towards more resilient rural infrastructure - drawing from networking and social science expertise.

Publications

Gloire Rubambiza, Phoebe Sengers, and Hakim Weatherspoon, "Seamless Visions, Seamful Realities: Anticipating Rural Infrastructural Fragility in Early Design of Digital Agriculture", ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2022). (Acceptance Rate: 24.7%). [video], [PDF].

Gloire Rubambiza, Phoebe Sengers, and Hakim Weatherspoon, "Paradoxes in Creating the Future of Farm Work: Anticipating Social Impact through the Lens of Early Adopters", Automation Experience at the Workplace Workshop at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2021). [PDF].

Gloire Rubambiza, Hakim Weatherspoon, José Martínez, and Abraham Stroock, "WaterGuard: Toward Cheap Automated Irrigation Systems Powered by the Cloud and TV White Spaces", CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference (TAPIA 2020). [PDF].

Danny Adams, Gloire Rubambiza, Pablo Fiori, Xinwen Wang, Hakim Weatherspoon, and Robbert Van Renesse, "Tamperproof Provenance-Aware Storage for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks", Technical Report. 2020. [PDF].

Martin M. Perez, Gloire Rubambiza, Brandon Barker, Hakim Weatherspoon, and Julio O. Giordano, "Automated real-time integration of data from multiple sensors and nonsensor systems for prediction of dairy cow and herd status and performance", Journal of Dairy Science, Vol. 103, Suppl. 1, 2020. [PDF].

Teaching

Fall 2021 - Graduate TA - Applications of Machine Learning to Plant Science (PLSCI 7202)

Summer 2020 - Graduate TA - Pre-Sophomore Summer Program in Computer Science (CS 3410)

Spring 2020 - Graduate TA - CS 3410 (Computer System Organization and Programming)

In the Media

June 2022: Researchers consider invisible hurdles in digital ag design

June 2022: Digital ag systems won't be plug-and-play - And that's okay

Apr 2021: I’m hoping the world will be my oyster

Oct 2019: Inspire • Innovate • Impact: Cornell CIS@20 Celebratory Video

June 2017: Feature on my undergraduate research and community service

Select Posters and Research Talks

I am always keen to disseminate my research to interdisplinary audiences. Feel free to reach out if my research is fitting for your upcoming event.

Apr 2022: Talk at the University of Washington ICTD Seminar | Seattle, WA

Apr 2022: Talk at the University of Washington Systems Seminar | Seattle, WA

Mar 2021: Talk at the (Virtual) FarmBeats User Monthly Workshop [Slides] | Ithaca, NY

Sep 2020: Poster at the (Virtual) TAPIA '20 ACM Student Research Competition | Dallas, TX

Sep 2019: Invited talk at the Cornell Life Sciences Lecture Series [Slides] | Ithaca, NY

Aug 2019: Poster at The Cornell, Maryland, Max Planck Pre-doctoral Research School | Saarbrücken, Germany

Grad School Advice

Like one of my mentors, Dr. Christian Trefftz, routinely asked me in undergrad: Do you want to go to grad school?
Find graduate school advice, resources, and funding sources here.