By Rachel Robey
Hundreds of newly-minted Wisconsin alumni will walk at commencement on Sunday, December 15. Below, we’re introducing a few of our most accomplished graduates.
Come Sunday, 298 graduates will receive degrees from the Department of Computer Sciences’ undergraduate, certificate, professional and traditional masters, and doctoral programs. As they say goodbye to their time at UW–Madison, they’re simultaneously looking ahead to bright futures in tech, education, research, and beyond.
We’re tremendously proud of all our recent grads—below, we’re sharing a bit about a few of these exemplary students.
New to CS, Supritha Challa rose to the occasion
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Degree(s): BS Computer Sciences, BS Data Science
When Supritha Challa x’24 arrived on campus, she wasn’t immediately sure what she wanted to study. Thanks to UW–Madison’s unique open-access computer science program, she found her way to CS—and thrived.
“I’ve grown so much, both academically and personally,” says Challa. “Coming into college with no prior knowledge of computer science, the program at UW–Madison gave me a solid technical foundation from which I can think analytically and adapt to new challenges.”
After her first year, she completed a summer undergraduate researcher position at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where she supported Professors John Zimmerman and Nur Yildirim in their work at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute.
“I worked on a project focused on innovation with artificial intelligence,” she says. “Specifically, we addressed challenges in AI project implementation by improving communication between designers and engineers.” Through this position, Supritha contributed to her first academic publication: Creating Design Resources to Scaffold the Ideation of AI Concepts, a design resource published in the ACM’s 2023 Designing Interactive Systems Conference.
Other summer positions—like her internships with IBM and Thermo Fisher Scientific—provided ample opportunities to apply lessons to real-world situations. Eventually, her academic experience came full circle when she had the chance to use her newfound wealth of computer science knowledge to develop a mobile application for CS 407 (Foundations of Mobile Systems and Applications).
“My team and I developed an app called Wear-ther, which offered personalized clothing recommendations based on weather conditions,” she says. “We integrated real-time weather APIs, built a recommendation engine, and focused on user experience through mobile development.”
After she graduates, Supritha will spend some well-deserved vacation time traveling before entering the corporate tech world in fall 2025.
Mehek Checker explored dual majors with interdisciplinary research
Hometown: Naperville, Illinois
Degree(s): BS Computer Sciences, BS Psychology, Certificate in Sustainability
Within the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS), a shocking 49% of students are double majors. Mehek Checker x’24—a CS and Psychology double major—is one such student.
“As a research assistant at the Cognitive Origins Lab, I combined both my majors by using my tech skills to further psychological research,” she says. “I developed interactive Python games to assess children’s understanding of numerical concepts during trials. It boosted my confidence in my abilities, gave me a deeper understanding psychological research, and showed me how impactful this kind of interdisciplinary work can be.”
Yet seeking out research opportunities was just one of the ways Checker enriched her academic experience. Joining WACM, the student chapter of ACM’s Women in Computing, was equally rewarding. “Prior to joining, I often felt lonely and underrepresented as a woman in computer science classes, but WACM helped me connect with others,” she says. “Becoming an activities chair and mentor let me give back and support young women navigating similar challenges.”
In the spirit of mentorship, Checker has advice to offer young students: Advanced classes, she says, are definitely something to look forward to. “They focus on specific topics the professors are truly passionate about teaching,” she explains. CS 640 (Introduction to Computer Networks), taught by Professor Suman Bannerjee, was an instant favorite. “Before taking his class, I had only a vague understanding of networks, but I left with a much deeper appreciation and knowledge of the subject. Professor Banerjee was a fantastic teacher.”
As she leaves UW–Madison, Checker feels well prepared for her next steps. “I’m incredibly grateful for how the University of Wisconsin has shaped who I am today,” she says. “After graduation, I’m starting a new position as a tech architecture analyst at Accenture.”
Kayley Seow excelled in research—and ensured others can, too
Hometown: Fremont, California
Degree(s): BS Computer Sciences, Certificate in Economic Analytics, Honors in the Liberal Arts
You may have seen Kayley Seow x’24, one of the student leaders behind MadHacks, in the news recently—in November, she and co-organizers hosted a “trial by fire” hackathon that received 1,000 applications and generated dozens of ideas.
“While running MadHacks is exhausting, it’s incredibly rewarding to see students pushing their limits and leaving the event proud of their work,” she says. As her time at UW–Madison comes to a close, Seow also has cause to feel proud.
“I’ve been a Letters & Science Dean’s Ambassador since my sophomore year, advising Dean Wilcots on student issues like advancing research, entrepreneurship, and promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives,” says Seow, who also serves as president of WACM.
Recognizing her commitment to inclusive computing, CS awarded scholarships that enabled Seow to attend OurCS, a workshop focused on improving the gender balance in computing research, and the 2023 Grace Hopper Celebration, the largest conference for women and non-binary technologists. According to Seow, it “was a dream come true.”
Her achievements also earned her numerous awards, including the CS department’s Golden Brick Award (for her role as chair of WACM’s mentoring program, which she and partners “expanded to include over 120 mentors and mentees”), the Kate Kaiser Scholarship, Society of Women Engineers Scholarship, and Bromley Conference Travel Award.
Similarly, Seow went above and beyond with her research accomplishments: She was an Undergraduate Research Scholar (URS) with UW–Madison’s Justice Lab, participated in Google’s CS Research Mentorship Program, worked with large language models at Skunkworks, and currently visualizes Patterson-Sullivan measures in the hyperbolic plane with the Madison Experimental Mathematics (MXM) Lab. In addition, she interned with IBM, Wells Fargo, and Amazon Web Services.
“They say college is the best four years of your life,” she says. “For me, it’s been a time of growth and discovery. I’m grateful for the experiences, opportunities, and people that have shaped my journey at UW–Madison.”
Neeraj Surawar found his niche in GPU architecture
Hometown: Nagpur, India
Degree(s): MS Computer Sciences
Most students find that an education at UW–Madison extends well beyond the classroom. For Neeraj Surawar MSx’24, it will be hard to say goodbye to the “rich blend of academic and recreational pursuits” our campus offers.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” he says. “I thoroughly enjoyed working with my advisor, balancing projects, diving into research, and picking up new skills like kayaking and ice skating along the way. Beyond academics, I embraced Madison’s outdoor culture through Hoofers, where I developed my kayaking skills while exploring the area’s lakes and rivers.”
Surawar’s “strong interest” in graphics processing unit (GPU) architecture led him to the Heterogeneous Architecture Lab (HAL). Under the guidance of advisor Matt Sinclair, Surawar conducted research on optimizing multi-chiplet GPUs.
“This opportunity allowed me to contribute to the advancement of GPU architecture while also connecting me with fellow researchers in the field,” he says, describing it as an enriching and fulfilling experience. “I recently submitted my research on a cache-aware GPU scheduler, which reimagines how GPU caches can be utilized. Our approach focused on strategically retaining and reusing data in the GPU caches to enhance performance and reduce energy consumption.”
In the classroom, Surawar’s penchant for GPU architecture was heightened by his favorite course: CS 759 (High Performance Computing). “It was a deep dive into the fascinating and challenging world of CUDA programming and GPU architecture, unlocking the incredible potential of parallel computing,” he explains. “Professor Dan Negrut made the class super fun and kept things interesting, which made learning even the tricky stuff enjoyable.”
“Bittersweet” as his exodus from UW–Madison may be, Surawar is excited to be joining NVIDIA as a senior memory architect.
Through WISCERS, Nora Tseng became a computing “research star”
Hometown: Fremont, California
Degree(s): BS Computer Sciences
Computer Sciences is the largest department on campus, a fact which presents students with a dizzying number of opportunities. The key, says Nora Tseng x’24, is to sample widely and find a specialty where you can flourish.
“My time at UW–Madison exposed me to various areas within and beyond computer science, and ultimately allowed me to find what interests me,” she says. “I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Being active in WACM, where she serves as biweekly chair and a mentor, was fundamental to Tseng’s undergraduate experience. “WACM really brought me out of my shell, allowing me to connect with other like-minded individuals and grow confidence in my abilities.”
In addition to taking classes—CS 639 (Deep Learning for Computer Vision) with Professor Yong Jae Lee was a favorite—working alongside expert faculty members improved Tseng’s skillset and led her to discover a burgeoning interest in machine learning research.
“While I have industry experience through two internships with Pencil Spaces and Discourse Analytics, the Wisconsin Science and Computing Emerging Research Stars (WISCERS) program introduced me to academic research,” says Tseng. “I worked with Professor Josiah Hanna to investigate and improve reinforcement learning algorithms.”
Tseng also collaborated with Educational Psychology Professor Shamya Karumbaiah on a tool designed to help teachers identify biases present in large language models. “We brought it to local K-12 teachers for pilot testing and have plans to publish a paper on our findings in spring 2025,” she continues. “I’m very grateful to Shamya’s guidance, as she exposed me to interdisciplinary collaboration between learning science, education, and computer science.”
Following graduation, she’ll continue to work with Karumbaiah on identifying and mitigating bias in natural language processing methods. Over the next year, she plans to obtain an MS in CS with a focus on machine learning while continuing to explore the field.
Congratulations to all our winter 2024 graduates!