Omeshamisu Anigala is a Nigerian computer scientist and Ph.D. candidate at South Dakota State University, where she proudly holds the distinction of being the first female Ph.D. student in her department. Specializing in artificial intelligence, her groundbreaking work lies at the intersection of video anomaly detection and explainable AI—technologies that empower machines to not only detect abnormal or unsafe events but also explain why those events matter.

Her flagship research project, PEARL (Perceptual and Analytical Representation Learning), is a deep learning framework that enhances the detection of unusual behavior in surveillance videos. PEARL stands out by combining perceptual features—appearance-based visual cues extracted using ResNet and the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM)—with analytical features from object tracking data, which capture motion dynamics and behavioral context.

This fusion enables a more nuanced understanding of complex video scenes and improves the ability to detect subtle anomalies. Validated on the UCSD Ped1 benchmark, PEARL outperforms several existing methods and reinforces the importance of transparent, context-aware AI systems in real-world applications such as public safety and intelligent surveillance.

STEM Outreach
Aware of the gender gap she once faced, Anigala has become a passionate advocate for diversity in STEM. She actively engages in outreach to inspire the next generation of female technologists. One standout moment was her participation in the BIG: Believe in Girls STEM education event hosted by Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The event drew over 500 Girl Scouts and their families, where she and her professors presented an interactive computer vision demonstration bridging the virtual and real worlds. Children and parents alike were captivated as they used physical movements—captured by visual sensors—to manipulate objects in a simulated virtual environment.

At SDSU, Anigala also shared her research with undergraduates through a featured presentation at an ACM Club event. Speaking to a packed room of aspiring computer scientists, she broke down the complex concepts behind PEARL into accessible insights—sparking enthusiastic discussion about anomaly detection, ethical AI, and how students could begin their own research journeys. Her ability to bridge advanced research with practical inspiration left a lasting impression on attendees.

Looking Ahead
With graduation slated for Fall 2025, Anigala envisions commercializing transparent video anomaly detection tools that help secure environments ranging from public transit systems to city infrastructure.

“AI shouldn’t be a black box,” she says. “Communities deserve systems that are both accurate and transparent.”

Her journey—from Nigeria to the prairies of South Dakota—proves that when talent meets tenacity, borders fade and stereotypes fall. And for the next generation of African women in tech, Omeshamisu Anigala’s story is proof that the future of AI is not only intelligent—it is trustworthy.