Graduate / Research Exerience and Plans [4]

Hi Everybody,
Please provide your valuable feed back on my Research & Experience Plans.

Thanks
Ehsan

6. Research Experience and Plans
Describe any experience you have had that has prepared you for a research oriented graduate program. Include (1) a brief description of any experiences you have had that indicate your suitability for doing independent research at the graduate level; (2) a clear indication of which graduate degree(s) you plan to pursue, and if at the MS level whether the degree option will be Coursework-only or Thesis; and (3) why you wish to pursue a computer science degree at XXX in particular.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND PLANS
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Through my undergraduate studies and professional experience I have prepared myself to pursue a career in research especially in the fields of Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing. Since the time of my undergraduate studies I have been fascianted by the vastness and deep rooted practical applications of Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing in data intensive applications such as transaction processing, data mining, multimedia, bioinformatics etc. My interest in the field of Distributed Systems persuaded me to join TPS (Transaction Processing Systems). My three years professional experience as a research engineer for the two real time distributed transaction processing switches PHOENIX & IRIS have provided me, an extensive domain knowledge of e-banking and real time transaction processing systems. Apart from domain knowledge my professional experience has also outfitted me, not only with the knowledge of design and development of Distributed Systems but also the challenges in Distributed Systems like need for efficient and robust communication, fault tolerancy, load balancing and processing huge volumes of data. At TPS I was able to concentrate on these very challenges and come up with solutions through architectural enhancement, redesigning of modules and through using parallel programming paradigms to enhance performance of the switches. Through independent studies, I have always tried to keep myself apprised of the new paradigms, frameworks and programming models e.g. MapReduce(for distributed processing of large dataset), MPI (Message Passing Interface), OpenMP, GFS (Google File System) and OpenAFS (Open Andrew File System).

Having a goal to further study at Phd level and purse a career in research, I believe that "MS degree with Thesis option" suits well for my future ambitions.

After going through the CS department website I came to realize that, with its comprehensive research facilities and competent faculty doing cutting edge research work specially in my primary area of interest, XXX will provide an excellent environment to focus all my resources towards research and development.

Graduate / "The burgeoning field of Computer Science" - my Statement of Purpose [6]

Hi Everybody,
I am applying for the Graduate Programs in the field of Computer Science. I have drafted my Statement of Purpose. I would be grateful if someone can review my SOP.

Can you please review the prompt I have highlighted it. Once again your valuable feedback will be very helpful.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
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The burgeoning field of computer science has been one of the most productive and important fields for human kind, as much of the development in other fields owe a lot to it. My goal is to pursue a career in research, either in academia or in industry. Through academic as well as professional experiences, I have prepared myself to begin a career in research and I believe a Masters degree from an institution that is reputable for its research is an important first step in achieving my goal. In particular I desire to study Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing.

My journey in the field of computer science began when, during my 10th grade I participated in All Pakistan National Software Competition and stood 5th in all over Pakistan. Higher education from reputable institutions in emerging science and technology was merely a dream for the low income families like mine. But it is rightly said "When there is a will, there is a way". Over looking my financial constraints I applied for bachelors in computer science program at National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, one of the most premier institutes in the field of computer science, in Pakistan. I was among the top twenties out of over five thousand students who entered in the entrance test of the National University. Throughout school and during my undergraduate studies I have been among the top of my class. I have always adopted a rigorous approach in order to attain an in-depth understanding of the subject at hand. This has given me a broad conceptual basis which is essential for my research career. My grades in the basic courses reflect my quest for fundamentals and my undergraduate transcript also complies with my knowledge of the subjects. I am of the opinion that research calls for a firm grounding in theory backed up by an in-depth knowledge of systems and implementation. The important courses of Discrete Mathematics, Data Structures, Algorithms, Theory of Computation, Compilers and Operating System have given me a good knowledge of these subjects. I believe that research in the field of computer science requires logical and analytical thinking, problem solving, new ideas and consistent effort to back them up, all of which I am capable of.

Distributed systems and parallel computing are the fields that allured me completely as these fields are seen as the only cost effective method for high end computing which has deep roots in current and future data intensive applications such as transaction processing, data mining, multimedia, bioinformatics (characterization of gene and protein), astronomy, weather forecasting and many more. I expect that the knowledge acquired and research performed during the Masters degree will enable me to take part in the future developments in these expanding fields. In the area of distributed systems I intend to research on design and development of frameworks that facilitate distributed application development by impairing the application programmer from the messy details of parallelization, fault tolerance, data distribution and load balancing. In the area of parallel computing I intend to do research, focusing on closing the gap between the architecture innovation and parallel programming practices through design and development of frameworks that will help to harness the computing power of upcoming computers with multiple levels of parallelization and deep memory hierarchies.

My deep interest in distributed systems brought me to TPS (Transaction Processing Systems) which is a pioneering organization in the country and reputable in the whole ASIA & Pacific region for e-Banking solutions and distributed transaction processing, in particular. My three years association with the company has not only equipped me with the domain knowledge of e-banking and transaction processing switches but also provided me an ideal platform to understand distributed systems through involvement in various research oriented projects, mainly focusing on improving efficiency and reducing operational and development cost. My work on the two flagship products PHOENIX & IRIS, both being transaction processing switches and inherently distributed systems, have also made me aware about various practical challenges in the real time transaction processing switches, like need for efficient and robust mechanism for communication, real time fault tolerant distributed transaction processing and processing huge volumes of transactions at high rate. Being a research engineer for PHOENIX & IRIS, I have been able to precisely focus on these challenges and coming up with solutions for the products through architectural enhancement, redesigning of various modules and proposing new ideas for performance enhancement. Working for TPS has been an achievement and shall always remain a source of gratification for me. After having a professional experience, mostly spanning over research work, in the field of e-banking I feel myself prepared to move towards more broader and more challenging areas of distributed systems and parallel programming. My quest for knowledge in these subjects and my ultimate goal to purse a research career demands, as a first step, a Masters degree with full devotion towards research.

Since all fields of computer science are highly interlinked, I want to pursue graduate studies at a university that is strong in all fields of computer science. I have gone through the website of XX and concluded that the department of computer science at XX is one of the best in the world, being particularly strong in my primary field of interest. Also with exceptional research facilities and highly knowledgeable faculty, XX will provide an excellent environment to focus all my resources towards research and opportunity to participate in the ongoing projects which will be a cherished desire to me.

Side by side with my studies and professional career, I have always tried to take part in extra curricular and social activities. I believe that greatness of a person does not lie in the amount of progress he achieves during his lifetime, but in the amount of service he pays back to the society. I have always tried to keep up with this notion. Since the time of my undergraduate studies I have been teaching intermediate mathematics and physics in an education center. I strongly believe that service is the rent you pay to live on this earth. When the devastating earth quake hit Northern areas of Pakistan in October 2005, I volunteered for social works which included gathering, packing and loading supplies and relief items for the victims.

I fully understand the kind of dedication, perseverance and resolve a graduate program calls for and I am also aware that XX expects very high standard from its students. Yet I am confident that I possess the motivation, the intellectual ability, and the preparation to set out on this exhilarating and arduous path and come to the expectations. I believe that my association with the computer science department will be a mutually profitable one.