Briana Dortch
Briana Dortch, a computer and information science major at the University of Mississippi, has completed summer internships in Memphis at two world-renowned institutions: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and International Paper.
Dortch worked at St. Jude as a data analyst intern last summer. A Memphian herself, Dortch worked closely with physicians to create programs that compared current hospital data to admitted patients’ data to diagnose patients without health care insurance faster and at a much lower cost.
“I chose to attend Ole Miss because I wanted to attend a university that required me to step out of my comfort zone and not follow many of the other students coming from my high school,” Dortch said. “I decided to major in computer science because I enjoy problem solving, and the degree will allow me to use my creativity to solve problems that impact the world on a local and global stage.”
Since her arrival at Ole Miss, Dortch has indeed been intentional about her personal and professional goals. During summer 2018, she completed an internship with International Paper in Memphis as an IT business consultant. There, Dortch worked on designing and implementing sustained solutions for superior business outcomes.
“I knew from an early age that I enjoyed figuring things out and solving problems,” she said. “This led me to choose the pursuit of a degree in the computer science and minoring in Spanish.”
Dortch serves as a School of Engineering ambassador and is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers. She is also a member of Phi Eta Sigma honor society and president of Omega Phi Alpha service organization. She mentors students participating in the IMAGE program, as well. She has also been nominated to Who’s Who Among Students at Ole Miss.
Dortch has received support from faculty members in the computer science department.
“Dr. (Dawn) Wilkins (chair and professor of computer and information science) has been extremely welcoming since my freshman year,” Dortch said. “Any time I have a question or concern, she is always there to help. Dr. Wilkins inspires me as a female engineer and computer scientist to follow my dreams because anything is possible with hard work and dedication.”
Wilkins said Dortch is a pleasure to mentor.
“Briana is very engaged, asks great questions, and follows through on homework and assignments,” Wilkins said. “I think she has very good technical skills, a great work ethic, organizational abilities, and she collaborates with others easily. She is definitely prepared for the future, whatever that may bring.”
Dortch is slated to graduate May 2020. She hopes to become an IT business analyst and do work similar to what she did during her internships.
“My time as an intern helped me identify the career field that I intend to pursue,” Dortch said. “I hope to work with stakeholders and communicate with them about technical issues that they want to use to improve their businesses. I also want to be able to support the needs of clients that may not be as technically inclined.”