Morgridge Hall, July 2025: Final progress update
Computer Sciences is moving to the newly built Morgridge Hall in August! We’ll be opening the week of August 18, 2025, with opening events later in September. In the meantime, check out the latest …
Gupta joins search committee for director of new Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub
Announced July 2025, the newly-formed Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub will build on UW–Madison’s rich history of innovation and strengthen entrepreneurial pathways.
CS professor Miron Livny & HTCondor celebrate 40 years powered by community
The high-throughput computing community — including scientists, researchers, developers, administrators and facilitators — gathered at UW–Madison on June 3 to celebrate 40 years of “The Condor Project,” now known as HTCondor. Miron Livny The brainchild of Miron …
Jin-Yi Cai awarded WARF Named Professorship
Professor Jin-Yi Cai was named the Juris Hartmanis Professor of Computer Sciences in honor of his late PhD advisor, “a father of complexity theory.”
Translating Legacy Code for a Safer Future: DARPA Backs Effort to Convert C to Rust
A team of researchers from Madison, Berkeley, Edinburgh, and Urbana-Champaign has received a $5 million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under its Translating All C to Rust (TRACTOR) program.
PhD student Seth Ockerman awarded prestigious NSF grad fellowship
By Karen Barrett-Wilt Computer Sciences PhD student Seth Ockerman has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP), which is a highly competitive program that provides funding and support for graduate students …
Patrick McDaniel co-editor of new ACM journal on AI security and privacy
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is pleased to announce a new journal, ACM Transactions on AI Security and Privacy (TAISAP), with UW-Madison Computer Sciences professor Patrick McDaniel as an editor-in-chief. As AI technologies have become …
Computer Sciences capstone prepares to scale experiential learning for students
Students are drawn in droves by the promise of real-world experience and—for a lucky few—the possibility of a job at the end. Interest is also growing among industry, for whom the capstone course offers access to top talent.
Celebrating Computer Sciences’ PhD students
At the PhD graduation ceremony on May 9, 23 CS students walked across the stage toward their futures, finally becoming alumni after (on average) five to seven years of rigorous research and study.
PhD student Shawn Im awarded prestigious NSF graduate fellowship
Computer Sciences PhD student Shawn Im has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP), which is a highly competitive program that provides funding and support for graduate students.
Computer Sciences professor Ming Liu’s Netlab Research Group’s in-house distributed file system ranked 26th by IO500
UW-Madison's Netlab Research Group, housed in the Computer Sciences department, has had their in-house distributed file system ranked 26th in the 10-node category and 33rd overall, an impressive achievement for an academic group with more limited resources than corporations.
CS/DS double major Trinity Krohn embraces entrepreneurship at UW–Madison
“It’s cliché, but I really believe that your network is your net worth,” she said. After noticing a significant gender gap in the entrepreneurial space, Krohn felt compelled to make a change.
WisComputes 03: Inside a “feat of modern computing” on Mars
Wisconsin CS is ranked top ten among public universities; Explore Mars’ surface; Sloan Fellows; IEEE Pioneer Award; Antarctic astrophysics; & more!
With UW-Madison roots, Google office in Wisconsin works on data centers, chips for AI
Small Midwest office, founded almost 20 years ago by computer scientists from UW-Madison, helps power global technology.
Students tackle global health, pitch industry in GE HealthCare-sponsored reverse pitch
Hosted by the N+1 Institute and UW’s longtime collaborator GE HealthCare, the reverse pitch tasked students with improving healthcare monitoring technology.
Ilias Diakonikolas wins ACM Grace Hopper Award for breakthrough techniques in algorithm design
By Rachel Robey Ilias Diakonikolas, Sheldon B. Lubar professor of Computer Sciences, received the 2024 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Grace Murray Hopper Award, one of the highest honors for young researchers in computing. The …
Graduate student Sayali Alatkar and Professor Daifeng Wang to present at ISMB/ECCB 2025
By Karen Barrett-Wilt Sayali Alatkar, Computer Sciences graduate student, and Biostatistics and Medical Informatics professor Daifeng Wang (also CS affiliate) have had their paper accepted to ISMB/ECCB 2025 proceedings. ISMB is the annual international conference …
New Deep Learning Method Identifies Transition States in Protein Conformational Changes
In collaboration with Chemistry, Sharon Li introduced a deep learning method that could the study of biomolecular dynamics and have applications in drug design, biomolecular engineering, and materials science.
Swamit Tannu shares the “promise of quantum computing” with WPR
Professor Swamit Tannu sits down with WPR to discuss how quantum computing could potentially revolutionize entire industries.
Meet some of Computer Sciences’ outstanding graduates
From video game creators to tech development consultants, this year’s crop of Computer Sciences graduates is as impressive as ever.
Computer Sciences grad program now ranked #7 among public universities
UW–Madison's Computer Sciences graduate program is now ranked 7th among public universities and 13th overall (three-way tie) according to the 2025 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools.”
The spirit of MadHacks podcast: organizers explain their process and the hackathon’s impact
The organizers of MadHacks, "one of the largest hackathons in the midwest," discuss their process and impact with Professor Manolis Vlatakis.
In the People & Robots Lab, Hailey Johnson PhDx’26 is finding her own path
Through cross-campus collaboration and NSF funding, Johnson explores avenues for improving the fit, function, and accessibility of technology among Wisconsin adults with Down syndrome.
Paul Barford selected for Chancellor’s Teaching Innovation Award
Barford felt it was critical to equip computer science students with a basic understanding of moral and ethical principles and the ability to reason about the technologies they will develop.
Bilge Mutlu and co-authors receive Best Paper Award at HRI 2025
"ImageInThat: Manipulating Images to Convey User Instructions to Robots" wins Best Paper Award at the 20th edition of the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction.
Guri Sohi receives 2025 IEEE CS Computer Pioneer Award in Honor of the Women of ENIAC
A legacy of innovation: Professor Gurindar Sohi wins prestigious Computer Pioneer Award
PhD student Sean Xuefeng Du earns 2025 Ivanisevic Award
Recently, doctoral candidate Sean Xuefeng Du PhDx’25 was named this year’s recipient of the Ivanisevic Award, a distinction granted to graduate students researching their dissertation. Du, who is advised by Professor Sharon Li, came to …
Alum Jing Liu wins Best Paper Award at USENIX File and Storage Systems Conference
We’ve all experienced an untimely computer crash while working on an important file or playing a game, only to reboot and discover that the document or game progress has been corrupted—or worse, lost. As a …
Teaching Professor Jim Williams: “Together, we’ll shape the future of computer science education”
In addition to his novel teaching methods that help the department handle its record popularity and class sizes, newly appointed Teaching Professor Jim Williams provides an unrivaled education to students of all skill levels.
CS students head to DC’s Capitol Hill to present on AI safety
Members of the Wisconsin AI Safety Initiative visited the Rayburn House Office Building to lead presentations and live demos highlighting the dangers associated with artificial intelligence’s growing popularity.
Read Badger Bytes: 60th Anniversary Edition
This anniversary edition of the alumni newsletter journeys through the decades, highlighting incredible alumni, spotlighting students, and anticipating CS's bright future.
Making Social Media Safe
UW educational psychology professor Amy Bellmore pioneered cyberbullying research through a collaboration with UW computer sciences professor Jerry Zhu.
UW–Madison researchers win prestigious Sloan fellowships
UW–Madison’s 2025 Sloan Fellows are James Roberts Crall, assistant professor of entomology, and Sharon Yixuan Li, assistant professor of computer sciences.
Sharon Li receives 2025 Sloan Fellowship
One of just 126 recipients across the US and Canada, the Sloan Foundation counts Sharon Li among the next generation of scientific leaders.
Emeritus Professor Mark D. Hill joins prestigious CRA Board, shaping the future of computing
Mark D. Hill, Emeritus Professor of Computer Sciences, has been elected to the Computing Research Association (CRA) Board of Directors to serve a three-year term.
Computer Sciences 60th Anniversary Student Stories: Taylor Wilmot
"I’ve always been driven by a desire to make a positive impact on people’s lives, and I believe technology has the power to bridge gaps, connect people, and transform the way we live, work, and communicate," says Wilmot.
Computer Sciences 60th Anniversary Student Stories: Tanay Nagar
"Growing up bilingual, I noticed the fluidity of human communication and technology’s struggle to adapt to it," says Nagar. "Computer science allows me to work toward developing adaptive, socially-aware technologies that are actually cognizant of socio-cultural values."
Computer Sciences 60th Anniversary Student Stories: Chaitanyasuma Jain
"My interest lies in human-centered computing, ensuring computational systems are accessible and safe for diverse users," says Jain. "My research work in privacy-preserving database design, advised by Professor Xiangyao Yu, has been one of the most rewarding experiences during my time here."
Computer Sciences 60th Anniversary Alumni Spotlights: Mikayla Buford
As a Design Researcher at ChiByDesign, a design agency guided by anti-racist principles, Buford works on projects related to education, youth wellness, and service design.
Computer Sciences 60th Anniversary Alumni Spotlights: Mike Epley
"I love that the work I do reaches millions of people around the world and positively impacts people’s lives," says Epley, a software developer for Epic. "On occasion, patients send us emails or notes telling us how MyChart literally saved their life."
Computer Sciences 60th Anniversary Alumni Spotlights: Nidhi Aggarwal
Aggarwal is an early stage tech-investor and board member. "I like learning about new technologies and helping start and scale new companies," she says. "UW has very strong ties with industry, and I benefited a lot from that interaction."
Computer Sciences 60th Anniversary Alumni Spotlights: Camille Fournier
"I wrote a book on engineering leadership and management called 'The Manager’s Path' that has been far more successful than I ever imagined, including being translated into nine languages," says Fournier. "I am proud of the fact that it has had a positive impact on the way people across the tech industry think about and approach engineering management."
Computer Sciences 60th Anniversary Student Stories: Sonia Cromp
"Computer science is such a fast-evolving area: Especially in machine learning, you never know what breakthroughs are going to happen in the next twelve months that could completely change the state of the field," says Cromp.
Computer Sciences 60th Anniversary Alumni Spotlights: Ellis Horowitz
"I originally was aiming for a PhD in math, but the computer science department was just forming and I quickly gravitated to it," says Horowitz, professor of computer science and electrical engineering at the University of Southern California.
Read Issue 02 of WisComputes, a CS research newsletter
The latest edition details an AI hiring surge, award-winning database research by Paris Koutris, a visit from U.S. Cyber Command, and more.
Meet Adithya Murali, Assistant Professor focusing on program verification and synthesis
Adithya Murali comes to UW-Madison from University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, where he completed his PhD on program verification and program synthesis. He says he is “deeply passionate about the fundamental aspects of problem solving and …
Paris Koutris’ award-winning research addresses the “fundamental problem” of database theory
At the 2023 and 2024 Symposiums on Principles of Database Systems, Koutris received a string of awards for his groundbreaking research on join processing.
Meet Akarsh Prabhakara, Assistant Professor in wireless systems and cyber-physical systems
Akarsh Prabhakara comes to Madison from his PhD studies at Carnegie Mellon University. In his research, Prabhakara is working on wire-free, non-invasive health monitoring to reduce patients’ discomfort at healthcare facilities. He hopes to teach …
Jelena Diakonikolas receives NSF CAREER Award
By applying optimization methods to machine learning tasks, Diakonikolas is “creating the theory from the bottom up.”
CS professor Paul Barford chosen for 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award
Paul Barford is one of just twelve faculty members to receive a Distinguished Teaching Award, an honor recognizing some of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's finest educators.
UW-Madison faculty makes impressive showing at NeurIPS 2024
NeurIPS, the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, is one of the most prestigious conferences in artificial intelligence (AI), held each year in December. This year, Computer Sciences department faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had …
Jerry Zhu Guides UW-Madison’s RISE-AI Initiative
As the Steve Kleene Professor in the Computer Sciences Department, Zhu was tapped as a thought leader for this initiative because of his extensive background in machine learning.
UW-Madison research is $1.7B operation ready to grow, new leader says
UWMadison's new Vice Chancellor for Research Dorota Grejner-Brzezińska recently spoke with The Capital Times about growing research efforts, which recently topped $1.7 billion in annual spending. Two areas stand out: AI and cyber security.
Students pitch Google at N+1’s AI sustainability competition
Asmita Pal, Zhewen Pan, and Elise Song won first place at a recent “reverse pitch” competition hosted by Google and CS' N+1 Institute.
Celebrating December 2024 Computer Sciences graduates
Hundreds of newly-minted Wisconsin alumni will walk at commencement on Sunday, December 15. We’re introducing a few of our most accomplished graduates.
U.S. Cyber Command visit highlights UW–Madison’s leadership in cyber research and education
The U.S. Cyber Command delegation toured labs, visited classrooms, and held the first-ever USCYBERCOM Tech Talk hosted by an academic institution.
Computer Sciences’ top ten stories of 2024
From breakthroughs in research to leaps in rankings, these headlines capture some of the massive achievements made in the 60th year of Computer Sciences at UW–Madison.
UW-Madison team does it again, placing first at regional ICPC
For the sixth year in a row, UW-Madison has placed first at the regional round of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC).
CS assistant professor Yuhang Zhao developing AI and AR technology to support day-to-day activities of people with low vision
A recent NIH, NEI-funded R01 award will enable Zhao and collaborators to support people with low vision by using AI to empower them in real-life activities.
For Army scholars, an MS in Data Engineering offers advanced training in a high-demand field
Beyond professional development, the MSDE program serves those who serve.
How alumnus Brent Seales is unsealing ancient mysteries (via On Wisconsin)
Brent Seales MS’88, PhD’91 may rewrite history with a technology that can read ancient scrolls buried for 2,000 years.
‘Trial by fire’: UW-Madison hackathon generates tech ideas in 24 hours (via The Capital Times)
After 24 hours of programming and coding — fueled by plenty of snacks and energy drinks — the organizers of an annual hackathon event at the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced which of the 55 projects would move on as finalists.
IndyNXT rookie Yuven Sundaramoorthy ’23 is the fastest Badger in Wisconsin
After “a big learning year,” rookie Yuven Sundaramoorthy ’23 — a UW–Madison computer sciences graduate and now a professional race-car driver — says he’s “picking up speed.”
Celebrating 60: Anniversary sticker sheet honors six decades of Computer Sciences
Designed by School of Human Ecology student Grace Edwards BSx’25, here’s where to find the (free!) limited-edition stickers on campus.
Read Issue 01 of WisComputes
WisComputes, a new research newsletter from the Department of Computer Sciences, features stories from a record year of recruiting, rankings, and innovation.
Brent Seales MS’88, PhD’91 receives the Distinguished Achievement Award
Now a professor of computer science at the University of Kentucky and the pioneer behind “virtual unwrapping,” Seales uses technology of the future to preserve texts of the past.
Brian Pinkerton ’86 receives the Distinguished Achievement Award
“[UW–Madison] gave me the ability to tackle incredibly hard problems and be fearless about it,” says Pinkerton. “I'm just so incredibly grateful for that.”
The Security Risks of Generative AI: a CRA blog post by Somesh Jha & colleagues
A recent CRA blog post written by Professor Somesh Jha and colleagues covers a panel discussion on GenAI opportunities and risks at the 2024 CRA Conference at Snowbird.
Professor Bart Miller, the SC Conference, and some of his favorite people: his grad students
An affable, earnest guy, Dr. Barton Miller, the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the Computer Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), has made an oversized impact on the SC Conference.
Meet new teaching faculty member Hina Mahmood
She hopes students will come away from her classes with "a robust problem-solving mindset" and with "both the confidence and capability to approach complex problems creatively and tackle them with a lifelong enthusiasm for learning."
Meet new teaching faculty member Cole Nelson
He first got into computer science through MIT's Scratch coding community and now wants "to teach students not only about building web applications and user interfaces but doing so in a secure and usable manner."
Meet new teaching faculty member Kaiser Pister
He focuses on machine learning and paradigms of language, and wants his students to gain "critical thinking abilities while reading code and capability in designing new systems."
For Eric Pauley PhDx’25, Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award is just the beginning
“It’s a manifestation of the opportunities that have been available to me with Wisconsin and CDIS,” says Pauley. “Since moving here, I’ve just been inspired.”
CS Professor Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau will lead School of Computer Data & Information Sciences as Director Tom Erickson steps down
Erickson steps down, Arpaci-Dusseau to lead School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences
Meet new faculty member Tengyang Xie, artificial intelligence researcher
Tengyang Xie comes to UW-Madison from a postdoctoral position at Microsoft Research, New England and New York City Lab. His research goal is “to unlock seemingly impossible capabilities through reinforcement learning.” Surprised by the amount …
Meet new faculty member Sandeep Silwal, who works at the intersection of theoretical computer science and machine learning
Sandeep Silwal joins the Computer Sciences department after completing his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He works on algorithm design and first became interested in college when he “was hooked by how …
Meet new faculty member Ali Abedi, who will focus on Systems and Networking
"A pervasive theme that threads through all of my research initiatives centers on harnessing 'signals of opportunity.'”
Alumni Highlight: Keith Noto (PhD ’07) – Principal Scientist at AncestryDNA
From a UW-Madison student to Principal Scientist at the largest provider of consumer DNA testing in the world, Keith Noto shares details on his trajectory and current role.
Meet new faculty member Manolis Vlatakis: “True insight comes from embracing real-world imperfections.”
Manolis Vlatakis comes to UW–Madison from a postdoctoral research position at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing at University of California—Berkeley after earning his PhD at Columbia University. At UW–Madison he will focus …
CS student uses AI to aid analysis of astronomical data
“I realized that there are many open mysteries in the universe waiting to be solved and, importantly, I could be a part of solving them,” says Karcheski.
CS student researches Venus from the UW Dorms
As part of the College of Letters & Science’s LASER program, a CS undergraduate spent the summer observing Venus through work that redefines what research means to them.
CDIS Career Fair Leads to Internship Success for Junior Aman Jain
"This opportunity helped solidify my interest in data science and analytics. Overall, I had a great experience at MGE and have gained some valuable skills and insight that I hope to apply in my future jobs,” says Jain.
Sarah Piper Leads New Learning Center at CDIS
In her role she will create a welcoming space for CDIS students and coordinate learning support programs including tutoring, peer mentorship, and Wisconsin Emerging Scholars.
CS students distinguished through inaugural CDIS scholarship program
These talented students, hailing from diverse backgrounds and pursuing various academic and research interests, exemplify the values of perseverance, innovation, and dedication.
UW-Madison Computer Sciences Professor Somesh Jha wins Test of Time Award at 33rd USENIX Security Symposium
UW-Madison Computer Sciences Professor Somesh Jha was honored with a prestigious “Test of Time” award during the 33rd USENIX Security Symposium. Held in Philadelphia on August 14-16, USENIX 2024 brought together experts from around the …
CS Professor Steve Wright spotlighted by SIAM
CS Professor Steve Wright recently won the George B. Dantzig Prize and was profiled by SIAM, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, who awards the prize. Here is the profile in its entirety: Dr. …
Professor Jerry Zhu honored with Kellett Mid-Career Award
Computer Sciences Professor Jerry Zhu has been awarded a 2024 Kellett Mid-Career Award for key contributions in “safeguarding Artificial Intelligence from running amok.” Read more in this UW-Madison story. Congratulations, Professor Zhu!
Professor Karu Sankaralingam and alumnus Doug Burger PhD’98 among those distinguished with 2024 ISCA Influential Paper Award
The distinction honors the impact of the TRIPS architecture, “one of the most complex microprocessor prototypes ever built in academia.”
The Hidden Cost of AI
Artificial intelligence offers an enticing array of benefits — but it also requires a growing supply of electricity.
Sophie Stephenson PhDx’25 researches privacy concerns of TikTok “Sharenting”
Stephenson’s advisor, Assistant Professor in Computer Sciences Rahul Chatterjee, says that her work represents a shift in the field towards a more human-centered approach to cybersecurity.
UW–Madison Awarded Prestigious National Center of Academic Excellence for Cyber Research Designation
The designation recognizes the quality of the Doctoral Program in Computer Sciences and opens the door to greater resources and opportunities for research collaboration in cybersecurity.
New center to improve robot dexterity selected to receive up to $52 million
Bilge Mutlu (People and Robots Lab) will support Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity (HAND), an NSF-funded collaboration dedicated to improving robot dexterity.
Computer Sciences Professor Ming Liu receives NSF CAREER Award
Ming Liu has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Development Award (CAREER) for his project, “Rethinking Rack-Scale System Design over Memory Fabrics.” “Scalable computing infrastructures are far more important in the era …
WisTex United takes gold in International RoboCup Competition
Thanks to their unique reinforcement learning-based approach, researchers from Wisconsin and Texas celebrate an impressive win at RoboCup 2024.
Professor Ilias Diakonikolas awarded prestigious H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship
Computer Sciences professor Ilias Diakonikolas has been awarded a 2024-25 H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship for “exceptional research contributions” within his first six years in a tenured position. See more in this University of Wisconsin-Madison story. …
Professor Mohit Gupta’s research “sees the world in a new light,” one photon at a time
Professor Mohit Gupta’s work on single photon imaging gains unprecedented traction as industry interest rises.
Assistant Professor Rahul Chatterjee receives NSF CAREER Award
With MadS&P and DAIS, Chatterjee develops solutions for the growing concern of technology-facilitated abuse.
Computer Sciences Professor Steve Wright awarded prestigious George B. Dantzig Prize
The distinction is widely regarded as the most prestigious award in the field of Optimization.
