Recent News & Accomplishments
2026
Computer science major Oluwatoyin Olaniyi received a ‘life-changing’ scholarship from Brenda Fonseca (B.A. ’75, French).
One of the first things Oluwatoyin Olaniyi heard when she arrived at the University of Maryland was, “You belong in computing.” That message came from Computer Science Lecturer Elias Gonzalez (B.S. ’17, computer science; M.Ed. ’18, curriculum and instruction), who taught Olaniyi’s object-oriented programming course, CMSC131. “Elias was one of my favorite professors,” said Olaniyi, who is now a junior computer science major. “Coming into Maryland and having him as my first professor meant so much to me. He told us on that first day, ‘Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t belong in computing... read more
Suho Shin and Zeyu Yan are recognized for research on algorithmic delegation and sustainable electronics.
The University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science has announced alumni Suho Shin (Ph.D. ’26, computer science) and Zeyu Yan (Ph.D. ’26, computer science) as recipients of the 2026 Larry S. Davis Doctoral Dissertation Award. Shin is now a joint postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while Yan is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The award recognizes dissertations for their technical depth, significance, potential impact and presentation quality. Named after Professor Emeritus Larry S. Davis ,... read more
Selected for UMD's Mokhtarzada Hatchery program, PulseFi is developing technology to monitor vital signs and movement patterns without wearable devices or cameras.
Monitoring an older adult's health often depends on devices they must remember to wear or cameras that can raise privacy concerns. A student-led startup at the University of Maryland is exploring another approach: using Wi-Fi signals to track vital signs and movement without requiring people to wear or carry anything. PulseFi , co-founded by UMD undergraduate Pranay Kocheta (B.S. ’30, computer engineering) and University of California, Santa Cruz doctoral student Nayan Bhatia (Ph.D. ’27, computer science and engineering), is developing a system intended to measure heart rate, breathing... read more
UMD researchers developed AV-MSF, a system that combines visual geometry and acoustic physics to generate realistic, responsive sounds for 3D digital objects.
Set a transparent glass vase next to an acrylic plastic replica, and from across the room, the eye can easily be deceived. Both objects share the same contours, reflecting light and casting shadows in nearly identical ways. Yet one light tap with a spoon reveals the difference: the glass rings out with a clear, sharp resonance, while the plastic produces a dull, muted thud. While modern computer graphics can render stunningly photorealistic 3D models, digital environments remain largely silent or rely on generic audio effects. Today’s digital objects typically reproduce appearance but omit... read more
UMD Researchers Identify Brain Signals Linked to Cybersickness in Immersive Environments
For years, developers of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have worked to address an unwanted side effect many users experience: cybersickness, a type of motion sickness triggered by moving digital content. In a new study published on September 25, 2026, in the journal Virtual Reality , University of Maryland scientists used electroencephalography (EEG) to identify changes in brain wave activity while participants viewed virtual content designed to induce cybersickness. The findings offer real-time signals that could help designers detect and reduce cybersickness... read more
The annual hackathon brought more than 1,000 students together to develop technology projects, explore new skills and connect with industry mentors.
Students gathered at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center on Oct. 17-18 for Technica 2026, a student-organized hackathon that brought together participants with different levels of programming experience for a weekend of coding, workshops and collaboration. Now in its 12th year, the University of Maryland event welcomed over 1,000 in-person and virtual participants under the theme "Dare to Dive." Technica is the world’s largest hackathon celebrating underrepresented genders, giving beginners and experienced programmers a space to build projects and learn from one another... read more
How Phil Crosby (B.S. ’06, computer science; B.A. ’06, economics) made his lifelong tech startup dream a reality as co-founder of the mobile advertising platform Liftoff.
In June 2026, California tech company Liftoff went public on the Nasdaq Stock Market. For the company, it was a milestone 14 years in the making. For Phil Crosby (B.S. ’06, computer science; B.A. ’06, economics), the company’s co-founder, the adventure started way before that. “In middle school and in high school, I always knew I wanted to do a startup, so starting the company came naturally from my childhood and my early work experience at the University of Maryland. I just couldn't imagine life without it,” Crosby said. “What I did not imagine was that it would come this far, that this... read more
For Jacqueline Deprey (B.S. ’20, computer science; B.S. ’20, operations management and business analytics), a personal loss and a passion for problem-solving inspired Perpetua, a digital toolkit designed to simplify estate settlement.
From her first coding experience in high school, Jacqueline Deprey (B.S. ’20, computer science; B.S. ’20, operations management and business analytics) has always been drawn to the problem-solving power of computing. “I don't know that I ever loved coding, but once I understood the impact it could make on other people, I just developed a passion for it that I couldn't give up,” she said. “And that's what motivated me to major in computer science at Maryland.” This year, leveraging the software engineering and business expertise she built over the past decade at the University of Maryland and... read more
He will collaborate with the University of Melbourne on artificial intelligence risks, national security and policy development.
As artificial intelligence becomes more widely used in national security, government operations and other critical areas, questions about its safety and reliability are drawing increased attention. University of Maryland computer science Professor William Regli (Ph.D. '95, computer science) will examine these challenges through an international collaboration in Australia. Regli has received a Fulbright Specialist Program award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board . Through the program, he will conduct educational and training activities in computer... read more
CS Ph.D. student Naitri Rajyaguru and collaborators developed polarization-based methods that help robots detect transparent and reflective surfaces.
A glass wall can look like an open path to a robot. Reflections and transparency can fool its sensors, leaving it with a faulty map—and a route that could end in a collision. University of Maryland computer science doctoral student Naitri Rajyaguru and collaborators are helping robots recognize those barriers using information ordinary cameras miss: the polarization of light. Their work earned two honors at workshops associated with the 2026 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), held Sept. 27–Oct. 1 in Pittsburgh. In all, UMD’s Perception and Robotics... read more