Maria Teleki
PhD Student in Computer Science at Texas A&M University.

Howdy! I’m a first-year PhD Student in Computer Science at Texas A&M University, advised by Dr. James Caverlee. I’m broadly interested in machine learning and information retrieval, with a focus on health applications.
This past spring, I graduated from Texas A&M University (gig em! ) with a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics. Recently, I was on an awesome team for the Alexa TaskBot Challenge.
I enjoy getting outside, reading, and spending time with friends. The best way to contact me is through email: mariateleki@tamu.edu
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News
Aug 8, 2022 |
Excited to be a PhD student soon! Gig em! ![]() ![]() |
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Publications
Education
Texas A&M University B.S. Computer Science College Station, TX 2017-2022 |
(2017-2021) President's Endowed Scholarship (2018) Bertha & Samuel Martin Scholarship (Oct-Dec 2018) STEM and Stars Research Participant in the College of Education |
Work
RetailMeNot Software Engineering Intern Austin, TX May 2021 - August 2021 |
Used Amazon SageMaker and spaCy to get BERT embeddings for concatenated coupon titles and descriptions. Analyzed the relationship between each dimension of the BERT embeddings and uCTR using Spearman's correlation coefficient, and used principal component analysis to find dimensions with stronger correlations. Created a plan to evaluate these dimensions as possible features for the Ranker algorithm--which does store page coupon ranking--using offline analysis and A/B testing. Taught Data Science Guilds about neural networks, word embeddings, and spaCy. |
The Hi, How Are You Project Volunteer Austin, TX May 2020 - Dec 2020 |
Developed the “Friendly Frog” Alexa Skill with the organization at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to promote mental health by reading uplifting Daniel Johnston lyrics and the organization’s “Happy Habits.” |
RetailMeNot Software Engineering Intern Austin, TX May 2020 - August 2020 |
Developed the “RetailMeNot DealFinder” Alexa Skill to help users activate cash back offers. Presented on Alexa Skill Development at the Data Science Sandbox with both Valassis and RetailMeNot teams. |
Silicon Labs Applications Engineering Intern Austin, TX May 2019 - August 2019 |
Designed and implemented the Snooper library using pandas to (1) systemize IC bus traffic snooping (I2C, UART, SPI, etc.) across different snooping devices (Saleae, Beagle, etc.), and (2) translate the traffic to a human-readable form for debugging purposes. Responded to multiple tickets from customers using the library. |
The Y (YMCA) STEM Afterschool Instructor Williamson County, TX Sep 2016 - July 2017 |
Taught multiple weekly classes at local elementary schools for the YMCA Afterschool program, and authored Lego Mindstorms Robotics and Crazy Science instruction manuals for the program. |
The Y (YMCA) Summer Camp Counselor Cedar Park, TX Sep 2016 - July 2017 |
K-1st counselor in the mornings. Robotics instructor in the afternoons: Designed curriculum with Lego Mindstorms, created competition, helped kids engage in the Engineering Process, and worked with them on how to function & problem-solve in a group setting. |
Teaching
CSCE-121 Peer Teacher Dec 2018 - Dec 2019 |
Created notes with exercises and examples to work through as a group during CSCE 121 reviews. Helped students with programming homework and answered conceptual questions by hosting office hours and assisting at lab sessions for CSCE 121 and 181. |