Recent News & Accomplishments
2023
Professor Hal Daumé speaks to Yahoo Finance about AI Hype and the Need for Critical Evaluation
Whether you're on Wall Street, at your friends’ backyard barbecue, or even in the grocery store checkout line, chances are you’ve talked about AI at some point in the past few months. The technology, which exploded in popularity with the launch of OpenAI’s generative AI chatbot ChatGPT in late 2022, is seemingly all anyone can talk about. And businesses across the economic spectrum smell the opportunity to cash in on the hype. But the chatter about AI, and more specifically generative AI, technology that allows you to enter a prompt into a chatbot like ChatGPT and receive a human-like... read more
Kauffman is one of two new instructors who will join the department in fall 2023.
Christopher Kauffman will join the University of Maryland's Department of Computer Science as a Senior Lecturer in the fall of 2023. Kauffman brings a wealth of experience in machine architecture, parallel computing, discrete structures and more. He will help fulfill the department's commitment to delivering a comprehensive and enriching educational experience to its undergraduate students. Kauffman—who spent the last six years as an associate teaching professor in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering and five years before that teaching at George Mason... read more
The University of Maryland will present 26 papers at the annual IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) 2023 . Scheduled to take place June 18-22 in Vancouver, Canada, the conference serves as a global platform for leading experts, researchers and industry professionals in the computer vision and pattern recognition community. Participation by UMD computer scientists promises to stimulate meaningful discussions, foster new collaborations and inspire future breakthroughs in the field. "Having 26 accepted papers from our department for the conference is an... read more
A University of Maryland computer science alum whose research is focused on censorship and network security has been recognized for his graduate work in developing an algorithm that discovers ways to evade nation-state internet censorship. Kevin Bock ’17, M.S. ’18, Ph.D. ’22, was chosen by the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group in Communications and Computer Networks ( ACM SIGCOMM ) to receive the organization’s prestigious Doctoral Dissertation Award. Established in 2011, the award honors outstanding research by doctoral candidates in the field of computer... read more
Sadasivan will use the fellowship to continue his research into issues of security and privacy in artificial intelligence.
Vinu Sankar Sadasivan , a second-year computer science Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland, recently received a Kulkarni Foundation Summer Research Fellowship from UMD’s Graduate School . Sadasivan will use the fellowship to continue his study on security and privacy in artificial intelligence with Assistant Professor Soheil Feizi . The research work aims to address the critical challenges posed by the emergence of powerful AI models such as GPT and diffusion models. The study focuses on exploring the profound implications these models have for data protection and ethical use. "I am... read more
A former graduate student in the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) has been recognized by the Department of Mathematics for his impressive contributions to the development of quantum algorithms. Jin-Peng Liu , who graduated last year with a Ph.D. from the Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation Program, is the latest recipient of the James C. Alexander Prize for Graduate Research in Mathematics . The prize was established by UMD alumni Lawrence J. Baker and Dorothy Z. Baker in 2014 to support recent or graduating Ph.D. students in... read more
Jiasheng Li's touchscreen technology breaks barriers for the visually impaired and advances accessibility.
Jiasheng Li , a second-year computer science Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland, received an Honorable Mention award at the prestigious CHI 2023 conference for his paper titled " Toucha11y: Making Inaccessible Public Touchscreens Accessible .” Li's work aims to address the challenges faced by blind and low-vision individuals when interacting with public touchscreen kiosks. These kiosks, found in various public spaces such as transportation hubs and retail establishments, often pose accessibility barriers due to their reliance on visual interfaces. To tackle this issue, Li developed... read more
Suggestion comes as Washington grapples with advances in artificial intelligence.
Ben Shneiderman , a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science, said he sees government agencies as the primary entities to take the lead in internet and AI regulation. He encouraged the involvement of accounting firms and insurance companies in auditing and regulating AI systems, emphasizing the need for collaboration among different players to address the complex challenges associated with AI. “The history of regulation shows that it can be very positive and a great trigger of innovation.” Shneiderman said at an event hosted by the... read more
Championing ethical AI, Daumé is on a mission to harness the power of technology safely and responsibly.
Hal Daumé III , a professor in the University of Maryland's Department of Computer Science, leads the new $20 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law and Society ( TRAILS ). With a personal passion for artificial intelligence (AI) that spans decades, Daumé is driven by the opportunity to explore the complexities of the human mind and the profound impact of AI on individuals. The institute he leads aims to establish ethical practices and responsible use of AI through a comprehensive approach, which includes broader participation in AI design, technological... read more
Colin Galen, Mohammed Mahdavi and Keivan Rezaei advance to the World Finals, which will be held in Egypt in November 2023.
A team of University of Maryland computer science students demonstrated exceptional skills and determination that earned them a second-place finish among U.S. competitors (third overall) in the North American Championship of the International Collegiate Programming Contest ( ICPC ) held on May 29, 2023. This achievement marks UMD’s best finish ever in the competition. The ICPC is a renowned global algorithmic programming contest for college students, promoting creativity, teamwork, innovation and composure under pressure. With a rich history, it has become the oldest, largest and most-... read more