Recent News & Accomplishments
2026
He discusses his path into computing, his work in computational genomics and advice for students interested in computational biology.
University of Maryland Associate Professor of Computer Science Rob Patro works in computational genomics, where his research addresses the growing need to process and interpret large amounts of biological sequencing data. He leads the COMBINE Lab , a group that develops computational methods, software tools and data structures for studying gene expression and making biological data easier to organize, search and analyze. His work aims to give scientists better ways to search biological data, similar to how search engines help users find information across the internet. In this Q&A, Patro... read more
Graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies honored 1,191 computer science students.
For many students, commencement is measured in brief moments: a name called from the stage, a handshake, a photo with family or a final walk with classmates. Behind those moments are years of coursework, research, teaching, mentoring and career preparation. The University of Maryland Department of Computer Science recognized those milestones during the 2026 College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences commencement ceremonies, held May 19 and 20, honoring 1,191 graduates across its undergraduate and graduate programs. The class included 1,000 undergraduate students and 191 graduate... read more
Her research examines how irrelevant information can influence reasoning in large language models.
University of Maryland Department of Computer Science Ph.D. student Hillary Owusu received an ACM-W scholarship to attend the 64th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics , where she will present research examining irrational reasoning behaviors in large language models (LLMs). ACL 2026 is an international conference focused on natural language processing and computational linguistics. Owusu, who is advised by Affiliate Associate Professor of Computer Science Naomi Feldman , studies how AI systems can be influenced by irrelevant numerical information, a phenomenon... read more
Mohammad Hajiaghayi and CS Ph.D. students are developing AI systems that can generate, test and refine mathematical ideas.
At the University of Maryland, researchers aren’t just building smarter AI—they’re trying to teach machines how to reason. Led by computer science professor Mohammad Hajiaghayi , a UMD team is working toward an ambitious goal: AI systems that can generate, test and refine mathematical ideas on their own. Backed by a $2.6 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) grant, the project aims to compress years of research into days—and potentially reshape how knowledge is produced. UMD computer science Ph.D. students (from left) Iman Gholami, Arshia Soltani, and Danny Mittal are... read more
CS majors Sujay Konda and Ishan Raghavendra each ranked in the top 200 out of more than 4,300 competitors in one of the most prestigious mathematics contests for undergraduates in North America.
Every winter, thousands of college students across the United States and Canada sit down for six hours to take the 12-question Putnam Competition exam, widely considered one of the most difficult undergraduate math contests in the world. Most people who tackle the test walk away with a score of zero. Getting even a single point is considered an accomplishment. But in December 2025, three University of Maryland students—computer science majors Sujay Konda and Ishan Raghavendra and mathematics major Daniel Yuan—represented UMD as a team and individually finished in the top 200 out of over 4,300... read more
Her work examines how multilingual AI systems can facilitate cross-language communication, including in settings where translation errors can affect how people understand information.
University of Maryland Associate Professor of Computer Science, Marine Carpuat , studies natural language processing, with a focus on multilingual artificial intelligence and cross-language communication. Her work examines how AI systems can help people communicate across languages while addressing the technical and human challenges that remain when translation tools are used in real-world settings. In this Q&A, Carpuat discusses her career path, current projects, lab environment and advice for students entering NLP and AI research. Thinking back, was there a defining moment that shaped... read more
Andrew Childs and CS Ph.D. student Mahathi Vempati are part of two finalist teams in the international quantum computing challenge.
Researchers affiliated with the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) are part of two of the five finalist teams selected in the $5 million XPRIZE Quantum Applications competition, an international effort to identify practical applications where quantum computing can outperform classical approaches. The competition challenges teams to demonstrate meaningful quantum advantage in solving real-world problems across science and industry. As finalists move into Phase II of the competition, teams will further validate and benchmark their approaches using realistic... read more
Computer Science Assistant Professor Ruohan Gao and Distinguished University Professor Ming Lin turned a single image into an explorable world that sounds like the real thing.
Ruohan Gao didn’t set out to study sound. He began his work in computer vision, drawn to what he calls the most “obvious” way humans understand the world: by sight. “Vision is so fundamental for many creatures, certainly for humans,” he said. “Think of how much vision has shaped the evolution of living things!” But he knew that perspective was incomplete. “Of course, when we interact with the world, we also listen, we also touch, we also feel,” he said. When Gao joined the University of Maryland in 2025 as an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, that broader thinking... read more
Michelle Mazurek and collaborators examine how chatbots’ polished responses can lead users to mistake confidence for reliability.
We are conditioned to look for subtle cues—a professional tone, steady confidence, and outward politeness—to decide if a stranger is trustworthy. But when that “stranger” is an AI chatbot, these deeply ingrained social instincts can backfire. This is the mechanism behind the “charisma trap,” a psychological blind spot where the sheer competence of a machine’s delivery masks the potential unreliability of its data. This phenomenon is at the heart of a research project led by Michelle Mazurek , an associate professor of computer science who serves as director of the Maryland Cybersecurity... read more
The event featured ventures focused on mindfulness, financial access, property monitoring and AI-supported research.
University of Maryland students and recent alumni developing startups through the Mokhtarzada Hatchery program presented their work on May 4, 2026, during the initiative’s fifth annual Demo Day. Established in 2021 by UMD alumni Haroon Mokhtarzada (B.A. ’01, economics), Idris Mokhtarzada (B.S. ’10, computer science) and Zeki Mokhtarzada (B.S. ’01, computer science), the Hatchery supports early-stage student ventures with funding, guidance and workspace in the Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering. The program selects up to four teams each year and provides mentorship from... read more