UMD CS Alumni Return to College Park for Reunion Event

Alumni of the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science returned to campus on Saturday, April 12, for a community brunch and the unveiling of the newly relocated Alumni Hall of Fame wall. The event, held at the Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering, brought together graduates from several decades and offered a guided tour of the building and a walk over to Bitcamp, the student-run hackathon.

The wall, previously located in the Computer Science Instructional Center (CSIC), now stands prominently in the Iribe Center’s lobby, featuring photos and brief biographies of inductees who have made significant contributions in computing-related fields.

“It’s very satisfying to see that a number of folks are being recognized for contributions that come out of College Park,” said Glenn Ricart (Ph.D. ’80, computer science), a Hall of Fame member whose early work helped shape the development of the Internet and the TCP/IP protocol. “UMD has really been one of the most productive places for people in computing and networking because of the history that it has here, the faculty who have been here, the facilities and the location near the nation’s capital.”

The department’s Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes distinguished graduates for achievements in research, industry and public service. The new wall is designed to serve as both a tribute to their accomplishments and an inspiration for current students.

Tim Fitzgerald (B.S. ’97, computer science), who now works as a network engineer for a nonprofit, attended the brunch to reconnect with the university that shaped his early career.

“Maryland helped me out a lot, and I’m a huge fan of the university, primarily because of the confidence and grounding it gave me,” Fitzgerald said. “I’ve come back for Pi Day events over the years to reconnect with a couple of math professors. This is my first time inside this beautiful building, and I was looking forward to the tour.”

Guests attending the brunch included recent graduates, longtime alumni, faculty and families. Among those in attendance was S. Cenk Sahinalp (Ph.D. ’97, computer science), another Hall of Fame member. Sahinalp, who transitioned from a background in electrical engineering to computer science during his time at UMD, said the experience laid the foundation for his career.

“It defined my journey,” Sahinalp said. “I had no background in computer science, and through my professors here, I was exposed to various things. I liked algorithms quite a bit. At the time, it was very unpopular, but we got into parallel computing, and Uzi Vishkin had a vision that it was going to define how we perform computing.”

Vishkin, an affiliate professor in the department who advised Sahinalp during his doctoral studies, reflected on the meaning of seeing his former students honored and engaged in their fields.

“There’s a certain type of pleasure when you see your biological children grow, and these are your intellectual children,” Vishkin said. “In the Hebrew and Yiddish cultures, there’s a term for that—‘nahat’ or ‘nachas’—the pleasure you get from watching them grow. That’s what this event brings.”

The celebration concluded with a tour of the Iribe Center, where alumni explored new labs and classrooms, and a visit to Bitcamp, which was taking place in the adjacent Reckord Armory. The hackathon, now in its 11th year, offered visiting alumni a look into the student-led innovation happening at Maryland today.

Department Chair Matthias Zwicker shared his perspective on the event.

“Our alumni are a vital part of our community,” said Zwicker, who holds the Elizabeth Iribe Chair for Innovation and the Phillip H. and Catherine C. Horvitz Professorship.. “Their achievements reflect the strength of our program, and events like this give us an opportunity to celebrate their continued impact while building connections between past and present generations of students.”

Graduates of UMD’s computer science program include: Michael Antonov ’03, Oculus co-founder; David Baggett ’92, Inky founder; Sergey Brin ’93, Google co-founder; Katherine Calvin ’03, NASA chief scientist and senior climate advisor; Anthony Casalena ’05, Squarespace founder; Judith Dotson ’85, Booz Allen Hamilton president of the global defense sector; Ruvi Kitov ’97, Tufin co-founder; Kristin Looney ’88, Looney Labs founder; Idris Mokhtarzada ’10 and Zeki Mokhtarzada ’01, Truebill co-founders; Sujal Patel ’96, Nautilus Biotechnology co-founder; Andrew Reisse '01, Oculus co-founder; and Jagdeep Singh ’86, QuantumScape founder.

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications