Recent News & Accomplishments
2024
The key to their technology is a framework that compares the randomness of text to a measure of background perplexity produced by an LLM.
With the exponential growth of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT showing no signs of abatement, distinguishing human from machine-generated content remains a concern in academia, journalism and many other segments of our society. University of Maryland researchers have been working on a solution, developing an innovative software platform called Binoculars that can detect text generated by LLMs at an almost 90% success rate. The technology was named the winner of the information sciences category in this year’s UMD Invention of the Year competition at the annual Innovate Maryland... read more
AWS developer Obayomi harnesses generative AI tools to get answers and solve problems, while helping other engineers learn and build better services.
I’ve been interested in software engineering ever since I got hooked on video games as a kid. I studied computer science and graduated from the University of Maryland in 2011, which required a lot of hard work. I didn’t really get it at first—until I built my first app and saw how much creativity was involved in the process. I went on to work for more than 10 years as a software engineer, initially coding for government contractors and later running cloud infrastructure and data analytics platforms for technology companies. These days, I work at Amazon Web Services as what’s known as a... read more
Levine was recognized for his 2023 dissertation, which introduces innovative methods for ensuring the robustness of machine learning models.
University of Maryland Department of Computer Science alum Alexander Levine (Ph.D. '23, computer science) has been awarded the Charles A. Caramello Distinguished Dissertation Award for his dissertation titled "Scalable Methods for Robust Machine Learning." Levine, now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin , focused on developing machine learning models that maintain accuracy amid distortions. The award ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, May 14, at the Stamp Student Union. The award is for the dissertation he completed in 2023. The Charles A. Caramello Distinguished... read more
Shrestha's app analyzes users' musical performances using a simple webcam, providing detailed feedback on their stance, chin position and other aspects to enhance their skills.
On the ground floor of one of the new computer buildings at the University of Maryland, Anna Kelleher played her centuries-old violin while a program running on a laptop in front of her told her to do things such as raise her chin or widen her stance. These were common mistakes that Kelleher knows not to do. After all, she’s a graduate student studying violin performance. But she also teaches violin to others, and the program she was demonstrating might someday help those she teaches to play even better. Believers in artificial intelligence say the program will radically transform our lives... read more
Daumé was recognized for his leadership and extensive work in artificial intelligence.
University of Maryland Department of Computer Science Professor Hal Daumé III was honored for his leadership in artificial intelligence at the 2024 Maryland Research Excellence Celebration on April 16 at The Hotel. The event celebrated the distinct and notable accomplishments of UMD researchers and recognized the impact and outcomes of their work. UMD recognized the achievements of more than 200 faculty members and researchers at the event. The celebration featured remarks from Gregory F. Ball , Vice President for Research, who emphasized the societal impact of the university's scholarly... read more
Over 2,000 hackers gathered at UMD for 36 hours of exploring, learning and creating with world-class mentors.
The University of Maryland celebrated the 10th anniversary of Bitcamp , one of the East Coast's largest collegiate hackathons, from April 19-21, 2024, at the Reckord Armory . High school students and undergraduates participated in the 36-hour event, developing innovative software and hardware solutions. The annual hackathon draws ambitious student programmers, designers and innovators from across the region. More than 2,000 students registered, including 200 participants from outside UMD. This year, Bitcamp offered a variety of tracks aligned with current technology trends, including machine... read more
Goldstein and Lin are partnering with UMD’s Office of Public Health to develop AI-powered tools to foster innovative learning.
The University of Maryland's Department of Computer Science is collaborating with the Office of Public Health on an interdisciplinary project to enhance public health education through advanced technologies. Distinguished University Professor Ming Lin and Volpi-Cupal Endowed Professor Tom Goldstein are part of a team developing an AI-powered community simulator. The simulator will allow public health students to input demographic and geographic information to simulate various public health scenarios. The project will begin its pilot test in Fall 2026 and provide a virtual environment for... read more
Immersive Media Design (IMD), in collaboration with Arts for All and the Colleges of CMNS , ARHU and iSchool , is sponsoring a two-day symposium on the relationship between embodied practices and technology. This in-person event, co-organized by IMD instructor Jonathan David Martin , will feature multi-disciplinary experts and enthusiasts discussing how screens and machines shape our experiences and interactions. The symposium will include a Dance 2 performance on Friday night at The Clarice, an interactive dance involving a robot created by Computer Science Assistant Professor Huaishu Peng... read more
Kalbhor was recognized for her paper on securing national critical infrastructure.
University of Maryland sophomore Harshita Kalbhor , a computer science major and astronomy minor, is the 2024 recipient of the Honors College ’s Gordon Prize in Managing Cybersecurity Resources . Kalbhor was honored for her paper, "From Private Ownership to Public Risk: Securing National Critical Infrastructure," which discusses the challenges of protecting vital national assets primarily controlled by private entities. Kalbhor will be recognized at the Honors College Citation Ceremony scheduled for Friday, April 26, in the Memorial Chapel. Established in 2008, the Gordon Prize is an endowed... read more
NASA Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor Katherine Calvin (B.S. ’03, mathematics; B.S. ’03, computer science) will share her story with graduates and their families at the CMNS Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony in May.
When Katherine Calvin (B.S. ’03, mathematics; B.S. ’03, computer science) was invited to be the keynote speaker at the 2024 CMNS Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony at the University of Maryland, she couldn’t help thinking back to the day she graduated from UMD, 21 years ago. "Since I received the invitation, I have spent a lot of time thinking about my own graduation—what it was like to be graduating and what I wish I had known then,” Calvin said. “I remember rushing to finish finals, being both excited and nervous for the next step, which was moving to California for grad school, and being... read more