Tom Heffernan
PhD Student in Artificial Intelligence at WPI
About
I am a PhD student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute interested in researching a broad range of AI domains. Currently, I work on backdoor attacks, causal reasoning, and deterministic verification for LLMs. I am passionate about deepening my understanding of the mathematical foundations of machine learning, as they provide invaluable intuitions for innovation. I'm excited about the future of AI, and I aim to advance the field through research that not only pushes technological boundaries but also promotes social good.
Research Interests
- Backdoor Attacks
- Causal Reasoning
- Deterministic Verification for LLMs
- Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning
Education
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Doctor of Philosophy, Artificial Intelligence
2024 - 2028
Teacher's Assistant, Competitive Rock Climbing Team
Colorado College
Bachelor's degree, Computer Science
2019 - 2024
Rock climbing and club volleyball team. Capstone project on ML fraud detection.