There are good opportunities here for a person with some drive. It's easy to find people who listen and offer support and ideas. In my case, there wasn't just one person who could help me with every part of my project, but I found the resources to get all my project done. As advice for students considering computer science as a career, Thomas suggests good knowledge of basic math and strong writing skills. The math is important but not all that difficult.
Students are sometimes surprised that writing skills are so important.
Thomas' work was supported by a grant from the Maine Science and Technology Foundation through the UMaine School of Marine Sciences. The UMaine Office of Research provided matching funds. There are currently two students in the computer science Ph.D. program. They are working with Roy and Elise Turner on artificial intelligence for autonomous underwater vehicles.