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 …
Training a dog and training a robot aren’t so different
For AI and robotics researcher Josiah Hanna and his lab, high throughput computing is a critical tool in reinforcement learning. Read the full story here!
UW-Madison CHTC helps facilitate computational skills training for American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History ramps up education on research computing. After “falling in love with the system” during the 2023 OSG School, American Museum of Natural History Museum (AMNH) bioinformatics specialist Dean Bobo wondered if he could jump …
Computer Sciences celebrates December graduates
UW-Madison’s Computer Sciences department remains one of the fastest growing disciplines on campus, with 44% more majors than the next largest. This figure alone is worth celebrating, but during commencement weekend we had even more …
UW-Madison Computer Sciences Department Makes Impact at NeurIPS 2023
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 researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison …
CS professor Mohit Gupta interviewed in new Sony Research Award Program blog post
The Sony Research Award Program (Sony RAP) provides funding for cutting-edge academic research and helps build a collaborative relationship between faculty and Sony researchers. This research collaboration between Sony and the University of Wisconsin-Madison is …
UW–Madison expands government and academic cyber cooperation with cyber tabletop exercise for second year
Students respond to a simulated cyber attack scenario with government and industry partners University of Wisconsin–Madison Computer Sciences students aren’t waiting for the new School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS) building to be …
CS Student Spotlight: Aaron Torres
After growing up seeing rapid advancements in technology, Aaron Torres x’24 wanted to work on solving technical problems that have an impact on a large scale. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Torres is now a senior …
CS Student Spotlight: David Salazar
After David Salazar x’24 was gifted video game consoles like the Nintendo64, Gameboy, and PlayStation, he became deeply curious about the mechanics behind video games like Super Mario, Pokémon, and Spyro. Some online searches lead …
Welcome to Tej Chajed, Assistant Professor focusing on systems verification
Tej Chajed joins the UW-Madison Computer Sciences department from a postdoctoral position at VMware Research. His research focus is systems verification, and he is “working on tools to make it easier to prove that a …
UW grad students integrate robotics into work led by CS professor Bilge Mutlu
Heavy lifting is a leading cause of workplace injuries, which, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, can include nerve pain, strains, and spine injuries. A new group housed in the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery …
CS professor Rahul Chatterjee and team combat cyberstalking
Rahul Chatterjee and his team have created a clinic to help victims of domestic abuse whose attackers may be using technology to stalk them. Read the full story here: https://lsmagazine.wisc.edu/issues/spring-2023/explorediscover/i-spy/
UW-Madison CS professor Sharon Li named 2023 Innovator of the Year
As AI models are released into the wild, Sharon Li wants to ensure they’re safe. CS professor Sharon Li has been named MIT Technology Review’s Innovator of the Year! The MIT Technology Review story, which …
Computer Sciences PhD Ankit Pensia awarded Goldstine Postdoctoral Fellowship
Ankit Pensia, recent Computer Sciences PhD graduate, has been awarded the prestigious Herman Goldstine Postdoctoral Fellowship at IBM Research. These fellowships support recent PhD graduates by giving them complete academic freedom to conduct postdoctoral research …
Welcome to Ethan Cecchetti, Assistant Professor focusing on language-based security
Ethan Cecchetti comes to Madison from a postdoctoral position at the University of Maryland. He has one word to describe his first visit to campus: “Cold.” It’s not his first time in a cold place, …
2023 Rosser Lecture feature’s Georgia Tech’s Dr. Zvi Galil on online MS programs and the future of higher education
The Rosser Lecture series is back! The 2023 lecture will feature Dr. Zvi Galil, Professor and former Dean of Computer Science at Georgia Institute of Technology, speaking about ”Georgia Tech’s online MOOC-based Master’s Program and …
ChatGPT, explained
Computer Sciences professors Jerry Zhu and Fred Sala explain ChatGPT in this short YouTube video created by the College of Letters & Science. Enjoy!
Studying the Past to Predict the Future: The History of Computer Architecture Is Here
Computer Sciences professor Matt Sinclair, Computer Sciences graduate student Rutwik Jain, and their colleagues have analyzed 50 years of computer architecture – and are looking ahead to 50 more – in a recent International Symposium …
CS Professor Sharon Li wins NSF CAREER award
Computer Sciences faculty member Sharon Li has recently won National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Awards. Li joined the CS faculty in 2020 so is considered early in her career (pre-tenure). The NSF intends the awards …
Large Language Models panelists discuss ChatGPT and education in a lively Bay Area event
Large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT, and their effects and uses in education and industry, were the subject of a lively panel held recently in the Bay Area, hosted by the School of Computer, Data …
CS Professors Sinclair and Venkataraman earn 2023 NSF CAREER Awards
Two Computer Sciences faculty members, Matt Sinclair and Shivaram Venkataraman, have recently won National Science Foundation CAREER Awards. Sinclair and Venkataraman both joined the UW-Madison CS faculty in 2018 so are early (pre-tenure) in their …
CS PhD student Noah Cohen Kalafut’s research leads to more complete understanding of brain cell functions
Scientists at the Waisman Center have recently had a paper published in Nature Machine Intelligence on their creation of a machine learning algorithm called JAMIE (Joint Variational Autoencoders for Multimodal Imputation and Embedding). JAMIE uses …
Three CS professors awarded funding through UW research partnership with American Family Insurance
The UW–Madison Data Science Institute (DSI), powered by American Family Insurance, announced ten research projects selected for funding through a unique sponsored research partnership, including three Computer Sciences professors: Learning what is Relevant for Counterfactual …
Ground officially broken for new home of Computer Sciences
Ground was officially broken for the new home of the Computer Sciences department and other departments and centers affiliated with the the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS). Read more about the building …
PhD student Xuefeng Du awarded 2023-24 Jane Street Fellowship
We are thrilled to announce that CS PhD student Xuefeng Du has been named a Jane Street Fellow for the 2023-24 academic year. Xuefeng Du is advised by Professor Sharon Yixuan Li, and his research …
Celebrating seven School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS) graduates
CDIS’s celebration of seven CDIS graduates include two CS students – or now alumni! Read all about CS/Linguistics major Alexander Francis Peseckis (BS ’23) and Mark Mansi, CS PhD ’23, as well as other CDIS …
UW-Madison Computer Sciences graduate program rises to 12th in US News rankings
The 2023-24 US News & World Report Best Graduate School rankings are out, and the UW-Madison Computer Sciences department has risen five places, from 17th to 12th, the largest rise among top departments in the …
CS’s Jason Mohoney receives Apple Scholars in Al/ML PhD Fellowship
CS PhD student Jason Mohoney is the recipient of a 2023 Apple Scholar in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning PhD Fellowship. The fellowship recognizes the contributions of researchers in computer science and engineering at the graduate and …
CS & Psychology undergrad Pragati Maheshwary honored twice by Google this year
“I aspire to contribute to the field of computing research by bringing educational reforms through the innovation of new tools and technologies that can support the development of children with disabilities in all dimensions.” – …
Student entrepreneurs to keep an eye on: CS students Xiaohan Shen and Hankel Bao
CS students – graduating spring 2023! – Xiaohan Shen and Hankel Bao were profiled in the Wisconsin School of Business story “Five student entrepreneurs to keep an eye on” for their startup Easyjobs: Hiaohan Shen …
Alumni spotlight on Zachary Henkel (BS 2000)!
Zachary Henkel (BS 2000) compares his work as Principal Software Engineer at Microsoft to gardening: “Sometimes I’m hauling dirt or digging ditches, but when everything aligns, I can sit back and watch the flowers bloom.” …
CS major Paul Chung receives prestigious 2023 Goldwater Scholarship
Read about Paul Chung and his research below! Two UW–Madison students awarded prestigious 2023 Goldwater Scholarships
Miron Livny honored with Vilas Research Professorships
CS Professor Miron Livny receives Vilas honor – read all about it below! Immigration scholar, scientific computing leader receive Vilas honors
How to Tell If a Photo Is an AI-Generated Fake
Computer Sciences Professor Yong Jae Lee is featured in a recent Scientific American article: “Artificial-intelligence-powered image-generating systems are making fake photographs so hard to detect that we need AI to catch them.” Lee says he …
Computer Sciences claims top two spots in the list of UW’s fastest growing majors
Data Science (Statistics Dept – Computer Sciences joint degree) and the Computer Sciences undergraduate degree program are the fastest growing degrees on campus. Read more below! UW’s 5 hottest majors: Student demand, workforce trends drive …
CS’s Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
CS Professor Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, along with five other UW-Madison faculty members, was honored as a 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow. Read about it in the UW-Madison story below: Madison researchers join …
Center for High Throughput Computing (CHTC) Facilitation Innovations
After adding Research Computing Facilitators in 2013-2014, CHTC has expanded its reach to support researchers in all disciplines interested in using large-scale computing to support their research through the shared computing capacity offered by the …
CS alum Archit Gupta (MS ’08) creates tax and financial gamechanger in India
Gupta discusses his time in the UW-Madison CS MS program (“UW–Madison has a great computer sciences program and fantastic faculty”) and what he thinks it takes a successful entrepreneur: Archit Gupta creates tax and financial …
CS’s Loris D’Antoni: Saying “grazie” to a mentor
Read all about D’Antoni below – the ongoing value and influence of his undergraduate advisor at the University of Torino, Mariangiola Dezani, and her teaching style, how he feels about pasta, and his variety of …
Spotlight on Maria Yuin, MS ’98
Maria Yuin came to UW-Madison to study computer science – and to play bassoon. One thing that drew her to UW-Madison was that she could play bassoon in music ensembles for non-majors in the School …
Professor Eftychios Sifakis instrumental in developing innovative new AI tool for re-aging actors
The news is full of articles about an innovative tool that uses Artificial Intelligence to change how old actors look in movies. This is not new – actors’ apparent ages in movies have been manipulated …
UW-Madison cultivates new cyber academic cooperation, partnerships with government
Students in UW-Madison’s Computer Sciences Department are accustomed to firsts: the first PhD in computer science granted in the United States, or the nation’s first master’s program in data engineering. Recently students in a UW-Madison …
