Student Spotlights: getting to know our CS students
There is no question that the Department of Computer Science is home to amazing faculty, staff, and students. I wanted to provide an opportunity for those inside and outside the department to learn about our students. The Student Spotlights provides a platform to tell our students' unique backgrounds, experiences, and stories. After reading and watching, I know that you will agree- our students are incredible.
Thanks for reading and watching! - Martin Marquez, Director of Academic and Support Services
Drew Marien
Drew Marien is a UA graduating senior (Spring 2025) pursuing a BS in Computer Science and minors in Chinese Language and Classical Studies. While moving around the U.S. - Drew's father is in the military - Drew joined the Boy Scouts in Parker, Colorado and became an Eagle Scout, right before his 18th birthday (the cutoff to become an Eagle Scout).
Drew decided to attend the University of Arizona, in part, because his dad is a UA alum and his family is originally from Arizona. Drew chose to pursue CS because "I enjoy puzzles and problem solving - and that is the essence of computer science." Drew enjoys seeing something that he built actually work - even if it requires lots of time invested for a short outcome.
Drew has enjoyed working on group projects. He highlighted a project in which his team built their own language. Building bonds with other peers during late night work sessions, is a memory the will always take with him.
Although Drew hasn't fully decided what comes after graduation, he is open to joining the military or a position that allows him to contract/work with military - a true service mindset!
Drew has been a member of the UA Wildcat Archery team and has enjoyed representing UA at various team competitions. He has even competed against Olympians! Drew was involved in archery before UA, but it was a chance encounter at "Bash at the Rec" (a UA event for students to learn about clubs/organizations on campus) - sparked a renewed interest and passion for archery. After joining the team, Drew became an officer and is one of the original members of the competition team.
Drew's advice to help students be successful in CS and UA - "Ask questions...the faculty want to see you succeed" and "Go to Bash at the Rec...find something and try it!".
Watch the interview and learn about Drew's experience in CS at UA.
Mercedes Ortiz
Mercedes Ortiz, a University of Arizona senior and CS Buddy Mentor, is pursuing the BS in Computer Science with a minor in Communications. Mercedes decided to attend the U of A because of the proximity to her hometown of Mesa, Arizona, and because "I fell in love both with the campus and Tucson". Originally pursuing physiology as a major, Mercedes decided to switch to computer science after seeing a friend do some coding homework. It's a decision that has led to an enjoyable experience - "I switched my major that night...and I've really enjoyed it!"
Mercedes is currently a CS Buddy Mentor lead focused on recruitment and mentor/mentee matching. She highlights the programs benefits for participants including developing community, networking, and support.
Mercedes recently started two new roles at the UA : 1) Research Assistant Data Intern at the OHAIRE lab in the College of Veterinary Medicine and 2) Data Outreach Intern for the Bio/Diversity Project. As a Data Intern for OHAIRE, Mercedes is helping with a project focused on improving the process to match service dogs with US Veterans with PTSD. As a Data Outreach Intern, Mercedes is developing and teaching data science curriculum to various Tucson title I high schools. She reports that her first time teaching went better than expected and that the students were excited about the topic!
Mercedes eventually wants to pursue a career focused on data science - possibly for a nonprofit organization that can have a societal impact.
In the spotlight interview, Mercedes discusses her interests and experiences, plans for a future career, involvement with the CS Buddy Mentor Program, and advice for current and new CS students.
Daniel Bazmandeh
Daniel Bazmandeh is an Arizona second year international student from Iran. Daniel is pursuing a PhD in Computer Science. Daniel looked at several institutions when deciding to attend the University of Arizona and ultimately decided to join U of A because of ranking, interests, reputation and research intensive program. He decided to do graduate work in order to increase his knowledge of CS while opening up more opportunities for future careers.
Daniel is interested in systems research, software engineering, program languages and compiler design, noting that "these areas together can help with the development of robot systems and efficient systems and enable....technical innovation."
At Arizona, Daniel enjoys the support available for students from CS staff. He especially enjoys the social experiences including playing pick up soccer with peers and staff.
Daniel plays the guitar and sings! He participated (but hadn't planned to, originally) in the University of Arizona International Student Talent Show in Spring 2023 and won! He has been singing since he was a young child (7-8 yrs old) and started learning the guitar about 3 years ago. Check out Daniel's performance in the Talent Show:
Daniel's advice to incoming graduate students: "find at least one extracurricular activity ...[and] allocate some time for it" and "connect with your professors early on !"
Fahmida Alam
Fahmida Alam is a UA second year international student from Bangladesh. Fahmida is pursuing a PhD in Computer Science under the supervision of Dr. Mihai Surdeanu and Dr. Ellen Riloff. Fahmida decided to attend the University of Arizona because of the large natural language processing (NLP) group and the funding opportunities for PhD students. She chose NLP as a research area because of it is an evolving area, possibilities of interdisciplinary collaboration, and because NLP is "at the heart of how we communicate with the system or computer....bridges the gap between human language or communication and machine understanding."
A computer owned by Fahmida's brother piqued her interest in computer science. She wondered why certain actions on a computer screen resulted in a specific result.
At UA, Fahmida enjoys attending colloquiums, learning about other research going on in the department and engaging in department community building (CS picnics and game nights).
Once Fahmida finishes her program, she plans to become a research scientist and after a certain amount of time, return to academia to teach.
Fahmida's advice to incoming graduate students: "take advantage of all the opportunities available to you...be proactive!"
Watch the interview and learn about Fahmida's experience in CS at UA.
Caitlin Wong
Caitlin Wong is a UA graduating senior (Spring 2024) pursuing a BS in Computer Science and minors in Chinese and Korean Language . Caitlin decided to attend the University of Arizona in part because her archery coach lives in Tucson. While living in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, Caitlin got interested in archery while attending an event with her dad. She has been involved in archery since age 14, playing competitively starting at 16!
Caitlin became interested in CS while in middle school - while working in Scratch as part of a classroom experience. Her curiosity on how things work on computers evolved to an interest in pursuing CS as a major. Caitlin plans to use the the knowledge gained at UA CS to pursue and obtain a position as a software or web developer.
Caitlin has been a member of the UA Wildcat Archery team, representing UA at various team competitions. Being on the archery team has similarities to being on a team for CS projects. CSC 335 (Object-Oriented Programming and Design) had a project in which team members worked towards a common goal and you were able to see each other's strengths and fill gaps.
When Caitlin isn't busy hitting the bull's eye, she enjoys playing the piano, listening to music, and watching tv. Congrats on your upcoming graduation Caitlin!
Watch the interview and learn about Caitlin's experience in CS at UA.
Asude Guvener
Asude Guvener is a UA first year student pursuing a BS in Computer Science. Asude decided to attend the University of Arizona after looking at all her options and receiving scholarships. Being an international student from Istanbul, Turkey, Asude had many new experiences attending the UA. She has been involved in Women in Information and Computer Science (WICS) and the CS Buddy Mentor Program (as a mentee).
Asude plans to pursue an additional degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) and merge the two fields into her future career, possibly in project management. Asude enjoys hanging out with friends, barbecuing, and having fun.
Asude's advice to CS students - get connected and get involved!
Watch the interview and learn about Asude's experience in CS at UA. Captions provided in the video.
Portia Cooper
Portia Cooper is a UA senior pursuing a BS in Computer Science and Mathematics (dual major). A local Tucsonan, Portia decided to attend the UA because of the scholarships and dual-enrollment opportunities. Portia started coding as a 12 year old taking part in the UA Girls Who Code program. Now, Portia is the lead facilitator for Girls Who Code! In addition to taking on challenging coursework and being involved in outreach, Portia has been doing research with Prof. Mihai Surdeanu and Prof. Eduardo Blanco. Her research focuses on "creating neural classifiers that are robust against hate speech that is laced with homoglyphs". Portia's research has resulted in recognition as part of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing Program (AiC). Portia was selected as a 2023 Collegiate Award recipient for "Training Transformer Models to Recognize Hate Speech Masked by Homoglyphs."
Portia plans to pursue a PhD in Computer Science with aspirations to teach in the future. Portia's advice to students pursuing CS at UA : "start your programming assignments as soon as possible ....get to know your TAs" Outside of academics, Portia enjoys thrifting and hiking.
Watch the interview and learn about Portia's experience in CS at UA.
Transcript of Portia's responses can be found here.
Sophia Harms
Sophia Harms is a Department of Computer Science sophomore pursuing a BS in Computer Science. A local Tucsonan, Sophia always wanted to attend the University of Arizona because of the campus atmosphere. Sophia recalls an impactful visit as part of a University of Arizona Society of Women Engineers outreach event, noting "I got to sit in college courses for a day and ask other women about their experience in college." Sophia chose computer science as a major because of her fascination with computers and "the creativity behind the creation of the programs". Sophia plans on pursuing a career in video game development - to make programs, like games, that allow people to come together. Sophia enjoyed her first year and the opportunities to meet and connect with people on campus. Her first year led to an amazing opportunity -working as a Cloud Engineer Intern at Critical Path Institute! Sophia advises others to pursue internships because "it gives them an opportunity to apply the skills taught in the classroom to the real world." It can be difficult for first year students to get internships, as such, Sophia suggests students emphasize a willingness to learn and adapt to new situations. Sophia has also participated in our inaugural CS Buddy Mentor program as a mentee. Sophia's mentor, Brooke Adkins, helped with the process for getting the internship and gave guidance during the year. Sophia's advice to new/incoming students" "put yourself out there." During her free time, Sophia enjoys playing video games, painting, reading and baking.
Transcript of Sophia's responses can be found here.
Caroline Hyland
Caroline Hyland is a Department of Computer Science Alumni (graduated this past May 2023). Caroline earned a BS in Computer Science and BA in Spanish with minors in Molecular and Cellular Biology and World Literature. Being a third generation Wildcat, Caroline decided to attend the University of Arizona, in part because of her family's history with the UA, being selected as a Flinn Scholar, and the campus environment and sense of community. Caroline discovered her passion for computer science while enrolled in a CS course in high school. While at UA, Caroline was busy! She has been a College of Science Ambassador, CS Undergraduate Teaching Assistant and Course Coordinator, and conducted research with Prof. Mihai Surdeanu, to name a few activities.
For the next year (starting August 2023), Caroline will be working as an English teaching assistant in Taiwan as a result of being awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship! After that experience, Caroline plans on returning to the UA in pursuit of a PhD in Computer Science. Caroline enjoys reading, needlepoint, hiking, traveling, listening to music and watching movies. She is also a black belt in Taekwondo! Caroline share this advice with incoming CS students: "get involved as early as you can and reach out to other students in the major."
Watch the interview and learn about Caroline's experience in CS at UA.
Transcript of Caroline's responses can be found here.
Elsie Bold
Elsie Bold is a Department of Computer Science senior undergraduate student graduating Spring 2023! Elsie will be earning a BS in Computer Science with a minor in Statistics and Data Science. Elsie decided, in part, to attend the University of Arizona because her sister lives in Tucson. Elsie's hometown of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is a 21 hour flight from Tucson (wow!). Elsie chose computer science as a major because of her intrigue into programming languages. Being a single parent attending university in a foreign country "was really challenging for me to complete my degree while simultaneously taking care of my daughter". Her determination and belief in herself coupled with her intrigue in CS topics, has resulted in obtaining a position at the University of Arizona as a Cloud Engineer (way to go Elsie!). Elsie plans on working at UA and pursuing a graduate degree. During her free time, Elsie enjoys hiking, working out, and dancing.
Transcript of Elsie's responses can be found here.
Mahshad Habibpourparizi
Mahshad Habibpourparizi is a Department of Computer Science sophomore undergraduate student. Mahshad is pursuing the BS in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. Being an international student from Iran, Mahshad decided to attend the University of Arizona because of opportunities to get involved in research and other activities in and out of the classroom. She started computer science early - having been taught by great instructors since middle school and seeing her code run "like magic". Mahshad is doing research with Prof. Todd Proebsting and plans to attend graduate school to continue academic work and expand her knowledge. Besides being a full time student and doing research, Mahshad is also a Teaching Assistant for MATH 100 and a CS Buddy Mentor noting "it feels really good to be able to help people". During her free time, Mahshad enjoys reading poetry (especially Persian poems), going to the gym and playing sports with friends, hiking, being out in nature, and being out and about (away from the desk). Mahshad has these great pieces of advice for incoming UA CS students : "be patient...there are resources at the University of Arizona...reach out to your advisor...ask for help".
Transcript of Mahshad's responses can be found here.
Connor Olive
Connor Olive is a Department of Computer Science senior undergraduate student. Connor is pursuing the BA in Computer Science with a thematic minor. Connor considers Tucson his home even though he has moved around a bit. He choose to stay in Tucson and enroll at the University of Arizona to be close to family and because of the UA Study Abroad Programs. Computer Science was not Connor's first major - he initially started with physics. It was during the pandemic that Connor developed an interested with computers and "fell in love with programming and hacking." Connor created the Hack the Flag club at University of Arizona in Spring 2022. The club helps members learn the types of hacking techniques and participates in the National Cyber League (NCL). In their first competition in NCL Fall 2022, the UA club placed 10th nationally out of 470 universities and 214th out of 3,926 teams that competed (which includes security companies)! During his free time, Connor enjoys making music, learning instruments, hacking, shooting indie movies, making animations, and staying up way too late.
Transcript of Connor's responses can be found here.
Eric Yoon
Eric Yoon is a first year Department of Computer Science undergraduate student. Eric is pursuing the BS in Computer Science with a minor in Statistics and Data Science. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Eric decided to attend the University of Arizona because of the large campus, class sizes, alumni network, and proximity to family (as well as the beautiful weather). Eric grew up around computers (his dad worked in the field for around 15 years) and found that CS was a great fit for his goals and interests. Eric recently started an internship with HealthTrio - a direct result of attending the CS Career Fair. During his free time, Eric enjoys basketball, watching college and professional sports, and spending time with friends and family. Eric is also Spikeball champ of his high school!
Transcript of Eric's responses can be found here.
Anthony Hsu
Anthony Hsu is a senior pursuing dual majors: BS in Mathematics, Applied Emphasis and Computer Science. A native Tucsonan, Anthony attended and graduated from University High School. Anthony chose to attend the UA, in part because of his father (a ECE and MBA alum). Anthony's exposure to IBM Watson on Jeopardy piqued an interest in AI, computer science applications, and computer analytics. He learned more about CS during middle school and high school - teaching himself how to code in Python. Anthony is a CS TA - helping others succeed in CSC 110. Eventually, Anthony hopes to develop or use ML and AI to break down large amounts of data and explore findings. In this interview, Anthony discusses his experience with AZCyber Initiative, his research experience with Dr. Chi-Kwan Chan and provides insights/advice to UA students.
Transcript of Anthony's responses can be found here. Learn more about AZCyber Initiative and on Instagram (@azcyberinitiative).
Amy Paul
Amy Paul graduated from the UA Department of Computer Science with a BS in Computer Science and minor in Mathematics (Fall '21). Amy decided to continue her quest for knowledge by pursuing the MS in Computer Science. Born and raised in Champaign, Illinois, Amy decided to attend the University of Arizona, in part, because of her grandparents' proximity (during half of the year) to Tucson and scholarships earned. Amy is currently serving as the President for the Department of Computer Science Graduate Student Council (CSGSC). In this interview, Amy discusses her experience in the department, CSGSC initiatives, and the importance of getting involved. During her free time, Amy enjoys reading, singing, playing the oboe, and planning homemade escape rooms for friends.
Transcript of Amy's responses can be found here. Learn more about the Department of Computer Science Graduate Student Council, including how to get involved, officers, and events by visiting the CS Graduate Student Council page.
Rachel Whitaker
Rachel Whitaker is a junior pursuing dual degrees: BS in Computer Science with a minor in Korean Language and BSECE in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. A native Tucsonan, Rachel attended and graduated from University High School. She is currently involved in the Engineering Ambassadors, Tau Beta Pi, and serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of WiCys (Women in Cybersecurity). When not doing academics/clubs, Rachel enjoys hiking, camping, skiing, and waterskiing. Rachel has hiked the Grand Canyon multiple times, has done a river trip through the length of the canyon and plans to do more hiking there. She also plans on doing a study abroad experience in South Korea next semester. Rachel answers questions about her experience at UA and the AZCyber Initiative.
Transcript of Rachel's responses can be found here. Learn more about AZCyber Initiative and on Instagram (@azcyberinitiative)