Roth to Join Google after Graduation

EECS senior Parker Roth is headed to Google after graduation. The technology giant offered him a full-time software engineering position after his summer internship at Google. The early fall job offer is a testament to his performance and the quality of the EECS program.

Surrounded by people with tremendous knowledge, skills, and creativity, Roth sought to make the most of his Google experience. He picked up numerous side projects to explore different tracks within Google. His primary responsibility was to improve the backend system of YouTube. His team’s concept was named one of top five successes for that quarter in the YouTube Division.

“It was nice to know, at the end of the summer, that I had affected the way my friends and I interact with one of the most popular sites on the Internet,” said Roth.

Roth met with Google representatives when they attended the Fall 2011 Engineering and Computer Career Fair. His previous internship experience with Cerner Corporation, extensive programming courses, and undergraduate research experience helped him land the coveted summer internship. He left a week after he finished classes in last spring and returned two days before the fall semester, giving him 13 weeks on the Google campus in Mountain View, Calif.

Parker Roth
Parker Roth

He credits EECS for giving him experience with the tools and practices needed to succeed on real-world projects. In particular, Roth points to Software Engineering (EECS 448) and Functional Programming (EECS 700), which provided experience working with others on large projects with extensive programming challenges. Roth received permission from EECS Assistant Professor Andy Gill to take the graduate-level functional programming course. Roth notes the flexibility and encouragement of EECS faculty in allowing him to pursue his interest in programming as a computer engineering major.

At KU’s Information and Telecommunication Technology Center (ITTC), Roth conducts research under the direction of EECS Associate Professor Jun “Luke” Huan. Dr. Huan’s group is developing advanced data mining and machine learning algorithms to identify patterns in massive data sets. Roth used computational techniques he had learned during his research to improve data interpretation for Google.

“Parker is a self-motivated student. We are glad to have him in our group and he has done fantastic work,” said Dr. Huan.

While the spring semester still holds senior projects and other stressors, it will be a little easier for Roth to get through, knowing Silicon Valley awaits.