Name: Iliana Taormina
Year: 2018
Major: Economics
Minor: Statistics
Hometown: I was raised in Philadelphia, PA but, I’m originally from Palermo, Sicily.
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Tell us about your research with Professor Weinstock.
In our research, “A Bayesian Game -Theoretic Framework for the Inclusion of Hearsay Evidence,” Weinstock and I analyzed the influence of hearsay evidence on a trial verdict relative to other evidence presented in a case. Essentially, we wanted to figure out at which point in the trial would it be most optimal to present hearsay evidence. We framed our work with Bayesian probabilities. We were primarily looking to find the posterior probability of a guilty verdict given the fact that hearsay evidence was presented at either the first, second, or third stage of the trial. We feel this information could be wildly useful to the field of law, as hearsay evidence and its exceptions are controversial and it is difficult to determine how and when it should be included. We were unable to perform any empirical analysis on the subject matter, as data collection would be very difficult to find and require more time and resources than we had. Albeit, we were happy to open the discussion on this topic.
What do you find to be the most rewarding part about working in the tutoring center?
I’ve always enjoyed teaching. As a child, my favorite game to play was teacher. I believe there is something truly rewarding about helping someone learn new material. When I can help clarify and explicate something complicated to someone, it’s a good feeling. I love when students come back to me and show me their good grades as a result of the time I spent working with them. One of my students who I spent a lot of time working with on Game Theory wrote me a letter at the end of the course to thank me for my time, I almost cried. I feel I should be the one thanking them. When I have to explain something, I really need to understand it myself and be able to provide a variety of examples that communicate what I know in order to successfully help them. There are a lot of things you learn how to do in college without understanding why you’re doing them, or what they mean in a real-world perspective. Tutoring pushes me and challenges my mastery of the topic, which in return, truly enhances my understanding of what it is I’m teaching.
What are your plans for the summer?
This summer I’m living in the city and interning at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. in midtown within the Corporate Analyst Development Program. This internship has been my dream for years; I’m really excited about it! Towards the end of the summer, I’m traveling to Italy to spend time with my father.
Fun fact about you?
I went to strictly art schools before college. Pace was the only non-vocal conservatory school I applied to. I’m a classically trained singer, although I’m a bit rusty now.