Recent News & Accomplishments
2026
How CS major Amedeo Ercole helped develop a minimalist social app.
Social networking platforms are built to keep users scrolling, liking and reacting, often delaying direct interaction in favor of curated feeds. For Amedeo Ercole , that structure raised a simple question: What if conversation came first instead? A senior majoring in computer science at the University of Maryland, Ercole has spent the past year helping to develop Vex , a mobile app that connects users around shared interests with as few interactions as possible. The platform allows users to state what they want to talk about and be matched with someone interested in the same topic, removing... read more
Anirud Aggarwal, Grace Cai and Steven Su were named honorable mentions for work spanning computer vision, micro-mobility modeling and privacy research.
Three undergraduate students from the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science have received honorable mention recognition from the 2025–2026 Computing Research Association (CRA) Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award . Recent graduate Anirud Aggarwal (B.S. ’25, computer science ; B.S. '25, mathematics ) and seniors Grace Cai (B.S. '26, computer science; B.S. '26, physics) and Steven Su (B.S. ’26, computer science) were recognized for research projects addressing challenges in computer vision systems, micro-mobility modeling and online privacy and security. The CRA... read more
He focuses on combining computer architecture and bioinformatics to make large-scale genomic data analysis faster, more efficient and more accessible for health research.
From understanding our genomic traits to monitoring how diseases spread, genomic data has become a powerful tool for science and medicine. But analyzing this data quickly and accurately remains a major challenge. For example, sequencing human genomes on a global scale can often involve millions of gigabytes data. Can Firtina, who joined the University of Maryland in Fall 2025 as an assistant professor of computer science, is developing algorithmic and hardware-based solutions to make that process faster and more accessible. He recently received an affiliate appointment in the University of... read more
Jim Purtilo discusses why protecting data now matters as quantum computers move closer to real-world use.
There has been speculation for several years that quantum computing would deliver a revolutionary advance, capable of solving complex problems exponentially faster than classical computers. It could also tackle problems that have so far been too complex for even the most powerful supercomputers. That has the potential to design new technologies, but there are also concerns that it could break virtually all current encryption, threatening sensitive data, financial systems, and critical infrastructure. 2025 has been described as the year of “Quantum Awareness,” with the United Nations... read more
He was selected from a national pool for a two-year fellowship supporting research in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Ming Li , a Ph.D. student in the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Apple Scholars in AI/ML PhD Fellowship , a competitive national program that supports doctoral students conducting research in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Li is among a small group of doctoral students nationwide selected for the fellowship this year. The program recognizes emerging researchers whose work shows strong potential to advance academic research in AI and machine learning, while also supporting their development through funding,... read more
He discusses his career path, his research on physical intelligence and the role of security and energy efficiency in computing systems.
Nirupam Roy is an associate professor in the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science, where he leads research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and physical sensing. Affiliated with the iCoSMoS Lab , Roy’s work focuses on what he describes as “physical intelligence,” systems that integrate AI with real-world signals to enable more context-aware, secure and energy-efficient technologies. In this Q&A, he reflects on the experiences that led him to academia, the evolution of his research focus and the broader impact he hopes his work will have. What initially led... read more
CS major Esha Singhai blends computer science and product management to help students navigate off-campus housing with the Diamondback Apartment Finder.
The search for off-campus housing has long been a source of uncertainty for University of Maryland students, often shaped by incomplete information, informal advice and tight timelines. As enrollment has grown and competition for nearby apartments has increased, students have increasingly relied on scattered online sources to guide major financial decisions. For Esha Singhai (B.S. ’26, computer science), those shared frustrations became the starting point for a project aimed at bringing clarity to a process many students find daunting . That effort resulted in Diamondback Apartment Finder , a... read more
The tech company expands experiential learning opportunities for University of Maryland computing students.
Fifteen years ago, Nick Gramsky (M.S. ’12, computer science; Ph.D. ’18, computer science) had a conversation with his advisor, Computer Science Professor Ashok Agrawala , about how incorporating more practical learning experiences could enhance the University of Maryland’s computer science curriculum. He never imagined being the one to help make it happen. Today, as a Principal Security Architect for Microsoft Exchange and the D.C. Engineering Site Lead for Microsoft, Gramsky works with university staff to provide students with real-world learning experiences. “Becoming D.C. Site Lead... read more
Ishaan Chakraborty and Urjit Chakraborty developed ThinkEx to help users capture, organize and synthesize information beyond traditional AI chat interfaces.
Large language models have become standard tools for students navigating coursework, research projects and independent study. They can explain concepts quickly, summarize dense material and respond to follow-up questions in real time. As their use has expanded, however, a recurring limitation has emerged: information generated through AI often remains buried in long chat histories that are difficult to revisit, compare or connect. That challenge is central to ThinkEx , a digital platform developed by University of Maryland computer science students Ishaan Chakraborty (B.S. ’27, computer... read more
Michelle Mazurek helped lead a national workshop guiding early-career faculty through the National Science Foundation’s cybersecurity funding process.
University of Maryland researchers played a key role in a recent national workshop aimed at helping early-career faculty strengthen their cybersecurity research proposals and compete for National Science Foundation (NSF) funding. The 2025 NSF Security, Privacy, and Trust in Cyberspace (SaTC) Aspiring Principal Investigator Workshop—held on December 15–16 at George Washington University—brought together more than 65 early-career faculty from across the country. The attendees were all researchers involved with security, privacy and trustworthy computing that had previously not received SaTC... read more