Research and Development Center

MICHAL

Year in School: Sophomore

Major / Minor: Computer Science

Extracurricular Activities @ U of I: I play World of Warcraft, so like the stereotype: None

Hometown: Nisko, Poland 

Is your hometown known for anything? Well, it was almost completely destroyed by the Russian Army during WWI as they steamed through to take over Austria-Hungary. We aren’t really known for it but I thought it might be worth mentioning…

Favorite thing to do on campus: Ghost riding! (Joking, I drive a manual trans). Real Answer: Head to the ARC and play some pickup basketball or badminton.

What do you do in your spare time? Write. Oh, and saving the World (of Warcraft) from evil guys.

Favorite Holiday: Swieto Narodowe Trzeciego Maja (3rd of May, Polish Independence Day)

Favorite Food: New England clam chowder (has to be from Soupbox in Chicago)

Favorite Movie: Tossup between Shawshank Redemption and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

If you could have dinner with anyone from history or present day, who would it be and why? Winston Churchill. I’d love to meet such a solid leader and gifted phrase-maker.

How long have you been working at the RC? I started in spring of ’09.

Why did you decide to work for the RC? John Quarton convinced me that it would be a great thing and the fact that it was part-time during the school year was really enticing. I liked it so much I decided to stay full time for the summer when I was offered the opportunity. In retrospect, I can’t believe I didn’t actively pursue continuing over summer and had to be ASKED.

What is your project about? My main project involved investigating how agile methodologies could be used to design and implement State Farm’s complex data systems. My role in our innovationREADY group project was looking at Electric Vehicles and how State Farm could benefit from using them for our fleet or supporting them as the new, greener standard for personal transportation.

What is your favorite thing about working here? The free coffee and snacks are great, but when you really get down to it, the best part about working here is the support you get. You can contact people all over the company for information or opinions that would help you with your project and they take you seriously (yes, even if you introduce yourself as an intern).