Jessica Loh Sher En: Curiosity, Community and Charting Her Own Path

Jessica Loh Sher En began her academic journey earning the highest distinction for her Bachelor in Mathematical Sciences degree – but her path soon diverged. From research in fluid dynamics to refugee outreach in Jordan, and a serendipitous collaboration with a video game start-up, her experiences reflect one core truth: life rarely follows a neat script. She now prepares to join Klass Engineering and Solutions, where she’ll work on AI-driven public safety technologies.

From Math to Machine Learning

Jessica graduates with a PhD in Computer Science – a shift that she had not planned. “Funny story, it didn’t actually occur to me that I’d be switching majors until they asked me that during the PhD interview,” she recalls. “I chose computer science because I felt I had good working compatibility with my supervisor.”

Her research applied AI to solve fluid dynamics problems, culminating in a spotlight paper at ICML 2024 and a patent. But she’s candid about the publishing process: “My second paper, which I personally felt was of higher calibre, kept getting rejected. It really made me realise how contingent the publishing process can be.”

The transition wasn’t easy. The pandemic and depression delayed her qualifying exam by six months. “Finding new levels in my faith as a Christian was instrumental in getting through it,” she shares. “I do find myself way more emotionally stable now amidst problems that used to shake me.”

Faith, Outreach, and Reconnection

After submitting her thesis, Jessica embarked on a 2.5-month journey across Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, and Portugal. “Hitting a new rock-bottom was what compelled me to take such a trip,” she says. “Facing greater depths of depression made me realise how much I’d neglected this side of myself and my need to reconnect with a Christian community.”

She supported outreach efforts with refugee and Romani communities – a return to a long-held desire she’d put aside during her PhD. “Being in places where my PhD work was of no object, or value, really, made me realise how the miraculous can still be achieved through the seemingly unqualified.”

Letting the Story Unfold

That openness continues to shape Jessica’s journey. She’s now collaborating with a video game start-up, “nothing short of providential”, and preparing to volunteer in Ukraine. “I can’t say I actively went searching for such opportunities,” she reflects. “Humans are notoriously bad at guessing what they’re good at, or what would make them happy. I’m still too young to settle on a narrow definition of myself.”

What She’s Taking with Her

“Live like you could die tomorrow,” she says. “Key word: ‘could’, not ‘will’. Don’t leave loose ends untied. Don’t put off mending fences. And especially, don’t wait too long to start exploring the big questions in life.”

She adds, “Never get too comfortable. The rug can be pulled out from under you at any time. Or, in Christianese, you get called from glory to glory.”

Her path hasn’t been conventional; but it’s been meaningful, messy, and deeply her own.