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.
Professor Tom Reps retires after 39 years of research and mentorship
As he retires, Professor Tom Reps will endow a professorship named in honor of his late wife (and CS Professor Emerita) Susan Beth Horwitz.
Four Computer Sciences professors earn cross-campus interdisciplinary Research Forward 2024 Awards
Of the nine "high-risk, high-impact, and transformative" research projects awarded funding by the OVCR, three involved CS professors Mohit Gupta, Swamit Tannu, Sharon Li, and Jerry Zhu.
Spotlight on Sowmya Subramanian, MS ’97
Sowmya Subramanian’s enthusiasm for computer science is obvious in her words below. From a love of math and physics in school to an internship at Microsoft as a sophomore in college to UW-Madison Computer Sciences …
NSF Funded Expedition Project Uses AI to Rethink Computer Operating Systems
The University of Wisconsin–Madison, a leader in operating systems and machine learning research, is one of four universities teaming up on this transformational effort.
CS grad student Robert Klock on the 2024 Met Gala and “the timeless influence that technology has had on fashion”
At the Met Gala, costumes spanning 400 years of fashion will be brought back to life. CS grad student Robert Klock explains how.
UW–Madison team wins silver at International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals
The UW–Madison International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) team was awarded a silver medal at the world finals this year, and holds the North American record of advancing to 21 world finals competitions in a row.
Four CS master’s students reflect on their path to academic excellence
2024 graduates Abirami Vijay, Justin Kiefel, Poulami Paul, and Aisha Mohamed look back at the most challenging–and rewarding–aspects of the Computer Sciences master’s program.
Celebrating four 2024 CS undergraduates: Rohan Kale, Nicte Aguillon Jimenez, Iliyas Alabdulaal, and Sri Laasya Adusumilli
A lot goes into a bachelor’s degree in Computer Sciences. For these students, even more came out of it.
Professor Karu Sankaralingam elevated to IEEE Fellow for “identifying the paradigm of dark silicon”
After over 10 years, the discovery of dark silicon remains just as consequential, with repercussions extending from computer architectures to modern technology manufacturing.
N+1 Institute and GE HealthCare collaborate for faster biohealth innovation and real-world education for students
N+1 Institute announces GE HealthCare as its founding member. Together, they’ll explore edge computing as a route to faster biohealth innovation within patient monitoring.
UW–Madison to name new Computer, Data & Information Sciences building for John and Tashia Morgridge
Following approval by the Board of Regents, the new School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS) building will be named Morgridge Hall.
At New N+1 Institute, industry collaboration shapes the next wave of computing
The pace of change is accelerating, but a novel industry membership model will enable the N+1 Institute to keep up.
Professor Swamit Tannu receives 2024 NSF CAREER Award
“The technical challenges and the potential to make a big, lasting impact—those are the two things that drove me towards quantum computing,” says Tannu.
PhD student Nikos Zarifis earns 2024 Ivanisevic Award
PhD candidate Nikos Zarifis, the 2024 recipient of the Invanisevic Award, came to UW-Madison because it is “one of the top schools in the country,” he says, and he specifically wanted “to be a part …
Jelena & Ilias Diakonikolas: Faculty couples and how they balance personal & professional bliss
Mutual respect — and a deeply shared love of computer science research — are two of the things that connect Jelena and Ilias Diakonikolas. He is the Sheldon B. Lubar Professor of Computer Sciences, and …
CS Professor Xiangyao Yu named 2024 Sloan Research Fellow
Two UW–Madison researchers receive prestigious Sloan Fellowships
Prof. Jelena Diakonikolas named 2024 AFOSR Young Investigator
“The results are going to be fundamental,” says Diakonikolas. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research agrees. Any given computational problem has a number of possible solutions, each with its own set of advantages, limitations, …
Steve Wright elected to prestigious National Academy of Engineering
Computer Sciences professor and department chair Steve Wright has been elected to the 2024 class of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in recognition of his achievements in the design and theory of optimization algorithms …
Study Abroad Opens Doors to Music Success in Norway for CS Alum
Study Abroad Opens Doors to Music Success in Norway
A “simple and powerful idea” earns Professor Tom W. Reps the 2023 CAV Award
Presented at the 35th International Conference on Computer Aided Verification, the honor recognizes significant contributions to the verification of concurrent programs through context-bounded analysis. Recently, the Computer Sciences department’s Professor Tom Reps was awarded the …
