Recent News & Accomplishments
2025
The bi-annual event provided networking opportunities for students in technology fields.
Career fairs are vital links between students and employers, providing opportunities for job seekers to explore potential career paths, gain industry insights, and connect directly with hiring representatives. At the University of Maryland, the Department of Computer Science reinforced this connection by organizing its Spring Career and Internship Fair on February 24 at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union. The event drew nearly 900 students eager to network, explore job opportunities, and connect with industry professionals. With 118 representatives from 30 companies spanning various industries... read more
Parhar turns a high school trivia project into ‘azigy’, an interactive learning platform.
Learning requires focus and discipline, but traditional methods often struggle to keep students engaged. As education evolves, interactive tools—such as gamification and AI-driven platforms—are proving to be powerful ways to enhance learning. Many innovators are exploring how technology can bridge the gap between education and engagement, making learning efficient and enjoyable. One such innovator is Amanvir Parhar (B.S. ’26, computer science), a junior computer science major at the University of Maryland, who developed azigy . This web platform transforms existing educational materials into... read more
Research and scholarship by fellows, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students and alumni from the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) is once again being featured at the Quantum Information Processing Conference (QIP 2025) , widely recognized as the premier annual meeting for theoretical quantum information research. Held this year from Feb. 24–28 in Raleigh, North Carolina, the conference draws participants from around the world, highlighting the preceding year’s best research in quantum computation and information in the form of both invited and contributed... read more
Students in Break Through Tech's micro-internship program found confidence through mentorship from a former Sprintern.
When Helena Tesfaye started her micro-internship at event management software startup Goodshuffle , she found a friendly and familiar face in Abril Arias (B.S. ‘24, computer science). Tesfaye, a sophomore computer science major, spent three weeks interning with Goodshuffle over winter break as part of Break Through Tech’s Sprinternship program , which launched in 2022 at UMD to propel more women and nonbinary students into tech careers. First- and second-year computing students are matched with host organizations in the D.C. area to spend three weeks immersed in their workplace cultures while... read more
The study led by CS Ph.D. student Pooja Guhan explores machine learning's role in mental health therapy.
Patient engagement remains critical in behavioral health care, yet assessing engagement in telehealth settings presents unique challenges. Traditional, in-person therapy allows therapists to gauge patient involvement by observing nonverbal cues, such as body posture and gestures. However, in virtual sessions, these cues are either diminished or absent, requiring therapists to rely heavily on verbal interactions. To address this challenge, a team of researchers from the University of Maryland, in collaboration with the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine , has developed a machine... read more
Students presented their startups and received guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and industry mentors.
Pitching startup ideas to a panel of experienced entrepreneurs has become a familiar format popularized by television shows like Shark Tank. At the University of Maryland’s Capital One Tech Incubator, six student entrepreneurs took part in a similar high-stakes experience during the Pitch Perfect event, where they presented their business concepts to a panel of seasoned mentors. Organized by the Mokhtarzada Hatchery program and Startup Shell , the event allowed students to refine their business concepts, gain industry insights and connect with professionals and peers in the startup ecosystem... read more
$1.3M available for interdisciplinary work focused on responsible, ethical AI development.
The University of Maryland announced on Friday a new seed award program designed to support the development of cutting-edge, interdisciplinary artificial intelligence-related research projects and courses. The $1.3 million in grants will be administered by the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM), a collaborative hub launched last spring to conduct research, offer innovative and experiential learning opportunities for students and focus on responsible and ethical AI technology to advance the public good. UMD and its philanthropic and industry partners plan to... read more
Mihai Pop is among the researchers awarded $150,000 for collaborative work on pressing issues.
Seven faculty members—including two from the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) and four from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)—have been appointed 2025 MPower Professors, the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State (MPower) announced on Wednesday. All have demonstrated collaboration on strategic research that would be unattainable or difficult to achieve by UMB or UMCP acting independently of one another, and they embrace the mission of MPower: to collectively strengthen and serve the state of Maryland and... read more
Students from 28 high schools in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area competed in the three-hour contest.
The University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science welcomed high school students across the Washington, D.C., area on Saturday, February 8, 2025, for the 35th Annual High School Programming Contest (HSPC) at the Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering . 120 students from 28 high schools participated in the three-hour programming competition. Each school was permitted to send one team of four students, who worked together to solve algorithmic and programming challenges under a time constraint. Teams were evaluated based on the correctness of their solutions, with... read more
A Q&A with Roger Eastman on the program's vision, opportunities and impact.
The rapid integration of technology into everyday life has brought new possibilities for creative expression and innovation. One area seeing significant advancement is immersive media, which engages viewers with sight, sound and other sensory experiences, encouraging interaction with digital environments. The University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science offers a program dedicated to this field: Immersive Media Design (IMD). Founded to meet the the growing demand for interdisciplinary expertise, the IMD program provides undergraduates with the tools to explore emerging technologies... read more