2025-11-05: Chameli Dommanige (Computer Science PhD Student)

Hello, I am Dommanige Chameli Dilshani Menike. I came to ODU from Sri Lanka. I am Dr. Wu’s new Ph.D. student in the LAMP-SYS Lab. Currently, I am working on a project related to table Data extraction under Dr. Wu’s guidance, and I will be working as both a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) in Fall 2025.

I earned my BSc Honors degree in Computer Science from the University of Peradeniya. My core subjects were Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics. When I was choosing an undergraduate research topic, I realized that natural language processing (NLP) was my forte. After all, that interest and curiosity are what brought me here. My final-year research project, ‘Towards Cyberbullying Identification on Social Media Using Text and Emojis,’ provided an excellent opportunity to deepen my understanding of advanced Machine Learning and NLP concepts. The abstract was presented at the 8th International Conference of the Association of Sri Lankan Academics in Japan. I also co-authored a paper on “Using Machine Learning Techniques to Predict the In-situ Concrete Compressive Strength using Non-Destructive Testing,” collaborating with a team of researchers from the Computer Science department and the Civil Engineering department. This experience improved my teamwork skills and my ability to present complex ideas in a collaborative setting.

My undergraduate internship as a software engineering intern at Eyepax IT Consulting provided me with valuable industry exposure, equipping me with the practical skills required to apply concepts to the real world. After the internship, I worked at the Department of Statistics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science at the University of Peradeniya, as a teaching assistant. It was amazing to work at the same place where I learned how to write a “Hello World” program for the first time. I worked there for two years. I worked as an assistant lecturer at APIIT, a higher education institution in Sri Lanka affiliated with the University of Staffordshire in the UK, for a year. These experiences not only gave me practical exposure but also strengthened my interest in teaching.

I believe true growth lies in the continuous pursuit of knowledge and the willingness to share and collaborate. This belief inspired me to pursue my Ph.D. journey. It is a great honor to be part of this amazing academic environment and to work in the LAMP-SYS Lab. I am committed to working diligently on my research, learning as much as possible, and contributing to this great place.

-Chameli Dommanige