Katy Tcha-Tokey has just defended her thesis on "design and evaluation of user experience in immersive virtual environments." Curious, creative, and dynamic, she was also involved in the exhibition "Technologie Nom Féminin" (Technology: A Feminine Noun).
"I have always needed to learn how to solve problems."
Katy Tcha-Tokey, who was born in 1987 in Lomé, Togo, has been drawn to science since childhood. Naturally curious, she was introduced to computer science at an early age by her family and friends, and decided to make this field her specialty. Thus, it was only natural that after earning her science baccalaureate in 2005, she embarked on studies in chemical engineering and process engineering and enrolled in Master of Science the University of Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier. After five years of study, she earned a Master of Science Computer Science, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction, thereby acquiring advanced skills in the design, evaluation, and implementation of interactive computer systems for human use.
"I wanted to do research that required much more creativity than working in a company."
It was during a Master of Science internship Master of Science IRIT (Toulouse Institute for Research in Computer Science)that she discovered research. The internship helped satisfy her thirst for knowledge and build on the skills she had acquired during her studies. Through a hands-on project to develop a platform designed to help the visually impaired navigate a themed garden, she learned to develop user experience and human-computer interfaces. Katy could have stopped there, butpassionate, she continued her education and joined a doctoral program in the "Presence and Innovation"team at the LAMPA laboratory at the Institut Arts et Métiers Laval. In her thesis, titled “Design and Evaluation of the User Experience in Immersive Virtual Environments,” she examined the diversity of perceptions, emotions, and sensations when a person is immersed in a virtual environment.
Now, Doctor, Katy is still seeking discovery and learning and wants to continue her research with a postdoctoral fellowship. But she has not ruled out her deep desire to become an entrepreneur.
"I was committed to taking action that promotes the image of women in scientific careers."
Convinced that there are still too few examples of successful female careers in scientific research, Katy is also involved in the exhibition project "Technologie Nom Féminin" (Technology: A Woman's Name), which aims to highlight, through portraits in photos and words, the careers of young female engineers in order to demystify the field of technology and industry and inspire vocations. Through her portrait,, she wanted to show that women have a place in all positions and in all fields of activity.
