The chance to help her community through technology came early in Shreya Saxena’s time as a computer science undergraduate student.
In 2023, Saxena and some peers founded UBC Okanagan’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Club.
Inspired by the launch of ChatGPT and the growing interest in artificial intelligence, they recognized a gap in the resources available for students curious about AI.
So, they applied to the Students’ Union UBC Okanagan to create a space where students could explore AI and its real-world applications.
“It was always my ambition to create something that would help people gain a deeper understanding of AI,” Saxena says. “We wanted to give students practical skills they could use in the evolving job market and create opportunities for them to collaborate on meaningful projects.”
“It’s not just about building a chatbot. It’s about giving students the tools to understand AI’s potential and relevance to the job market.”
Learning AI in real-time
The AI Club quickly expanded in size and scope. Its flagship project, a step-by-step guide to building an open-source chatbot, became a collaborative space for students to explore AI’s potential.
From coding to problem-solving, the project gave participants, including those from non-technical backgrounds, a way to interact with AI in a hands-on, meaningful way.
“It’s not just about building a chatbot,” she explains. “It’s about giving students the tools to understand AI’s potential and relevance to the job market.”
For Saxena, the club wasn’t just a chance to explore AI but a way to ground herself in a guiding principle: helping people through technology.
It’s driven by something Saxena has experienced first-hand.
Shreya Saxena reviews the dashboard of a wildfire sensor project led by UBCO researcher Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais. Her work helps turn raw data into real-time insights for frontline responders.
Wildfire season, from two sides
Forest fires compelled thousands of British Columbians, including Saxena, to evacuate their homes in the summer of 2023. The experience was a stark reminder of technology’s role in keeping people informed during a crisis.
“Having to leave home not knowing when I’d return was surreal,” she says. “It made me think about how technology could make those situations easier for people to endure.”
She got the chance to test her ideas almost immediately.
The following summer, she joined a team led by Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais, one of UBCO’s leading wildfire researchers. After hearing him speak about his work, she applied for and accepted an undergraduate research assistant position.
The project focused on wildfire sensors that track real-time weather conditions to predict fire behaviour.
Saxena’s role was to design and test the website’s dashboard, which made this critical data accessible to communities and first responders.
Through her work with wildfire researchers, Saxena helped design a user-friendly interface for viewing real-time fire risk data—experience she then applied to her 5G co-op at Ericsson.
“It was my dream to be part of a project that made a real-world impact,” Saxena says. “Working with Dr. Bourbonnais and his team was an incredible opportunity to see how tech and environmental science intersect.”
Her contributions included coding and refining metrics that could inform decisions in real-time, a challenge that came with a sense of urgency given her experience.
Dr. Bourbonnais says the work relies on contributions from an interdisciplinary network to be effective in the field.
“The work isn’t about data—it’s about translating that data into something usable. The students brought technical expertise and a collaborative spirit that made them invaluable to the team.”
For Saxena, the experience wasn’t just about solving technical problems. It was about gaining perspective on how interconnected the world is—and how technology can bridge disciplines like computer science and environmental science.
“It’s incredible to see how a project like this can help people prepare for and respond to something as big as a wildfire.”
Computer science students Saxena and schoolmate Archisha Mahendru discuss field work on the grounds of UBC Okanagan.
From forests to 5G
After Saxena’s position with Dr. Bourbonnais ended, she transitioned into an eight-month co-op with Ericsson, where she works on 5G technology. She’s applying the skills she developed at UBCO to cutting-edge industry tools in Ottawa.
“I’m working on the same kinds of networks that powered the wildfire sensors. It’s amazing to see how these pieces connect,” she says.
She hopes other students will see her path as attainable, from co-founding the AI Club to working on wildfire research and entering the tech industry, all by seeing a need and trying to fill it.
“UBCO is small enough that we can be the initiators of great opportunities,” she says. “We have the support to start things, take risks and create something meaningful.”
