Recent News & Accomplishments
2026
The annual event connects student founders with experienced entrepreneurs for feedback on early-stage startup ideas.
Student entrepreneurs at the University of Maryland presented business ideas to a panel of judges during the annual Pitch Perfect event, organized by the Department of Computer Science’s Mokhtarzada Hatchery program and Startup Shell . Held at the Idea Factory , the event allowed students to pitch startup concepts and respond to questions from entrepreneurs with experience in business and investing. This year’s judges included Manpreet Singh (B.S. ’03, finance), chief investment officer at Singh Capital Partners, and Zeki Mokhtarzada (B.S. ’01, computer science), a co-founder of the Hatchery... read more
From human health to environmental sustainability, microscopic communities play a critical role in shaping the world around us. But understanding these complex ecosystems remains a major scientific challenge. At the University of Maryland, bioinformatics engineer Nazifa Ahmed Moumi is working to bridge that gap by developing faster, more accessible tools to analyze vast amounts of genetic data. Moumi’s research focuses on metagenomics, the study of genetic material collected directly from environmental samples. Unlike traditional approaches that examine a single organism in isolation,... read more
The ranking highlights strength in artificial intelligence, systems and theory, all ranked in the top 20.
The University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science ranked No. 12 overall in the 2027 Best Graduate Schools list released by U.S. News & World Report , marking a four-spot increase from the previous year. Among public institutions, the program ranks No. 7 overall. Several computer science specialties were also placed in the top 20, including artificial intelligence at No. 16, systems at No. 17 and theory at No. 19. The rankings are based largely on peer assessment surveys and are widely referenced by prospective graduate students evaluating academic programs. “I’m very pleased to... read more
The research, which received a Best Paper Honorable Mention at ACM CHI 2026, explores an exoskeleton-based system that examines how wearable technologies can guide users earlier in the learning process.
From learning to play an instrument to performing a surgical procedure, mastering physical skills often depends on repetition and correcting mistakes over time. Researchers in human-computer interaction are examining whether technology can reshape that process by physically nudging users earlier in motor execution, rather than relying solely on post-error correction. At the University of Maryland, Kyungyeon Lee , a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science, is contributing to that effort through research to be presented on April 12 at ACM CHI 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. The paper,... read more
Researchers at the University of Maryland are advancing the frontiers of robotics with a new initiative designed to enable humanoid systems to perform complex, real-world household tasks with greater autonomy and reliability. Built on NVIDIA AI infrastructure through its Academic Grant Program, the project integrates breakthroughs in trustworthy machine learning, sequential decision-making and generative AI to create robotic systems that can reason, adapt and act in dynamic home environments. The effort is led by Furong Huang , an associate professor of computer science, and Tom Goldstein, a... read more
The Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering will host hands-on demos, student showcases and workshops highlighting computing innovation at Maryland Day.
Explore innovation at the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science during Maryland Day, with hands-on demos, student showcases and interactive workshops at the Brendan Iribe Center. Meet students, faculty and innovators shaping the future of computing. Maryland Day takes place Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Computer Science Prospective Student Workshop Learn more about the computer science major from academic advisers with an opportunity for a Q&A session with current students. Fifty-minute workshops will take place at 11 a... read more
Taewon Kang's research examines how generative models can produce coherent, structured, and controllable narratives and content across scenes, characters, and diverse media formats.
A short video clip may capture a moment, but building a full narrative with consistent characters and dialogue remains a challenge for artificial intelligence systems. At the University of Maryland, one doctoral student is working to extend those capabilities by focusing on story-driven content across scenes. Taewon Kang , a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science, studies generative artificial intelligence with a focus on controllable and multimodal generation. Advised by Distinguished University Professor Ming C. Lin , Kang explores how diffusion-based models integrate visual... read more
As artificial intelligence systems become more powerful, one of the field’s most pressing questions is whether they will remain understandable to the humans who build and oversee them. Sarah Wiegreffe , an assistant professor of computer science with an affiliate appointment at the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS), is leading a new research effort aimed at answering that question. Her work will test whether the reasoning processes used by advanced AI systems will remain transparent—or whether future models might learn to bypass the explanation-generating... read more
The third-place finish secures the South Division title and advances the team to the World Finals in Dubai.
A student team from the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science earned a silver medal at the 2026 North America Championship of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) , held March 22 at the University of Central Florida. The team placed third overall among 52 qualifying teams from universities across the United States and Canada, securing the North America South Division title and advancing to the World Finals , scheduled for November 15- 20, 2026, in Dubai. Representing UMD were graduate student Danny Mittal and undergraduate students Sujay Konda and Austin... read more
The partnership aims to develop standards and tools to evaluate safety, reliability and long-term performance of AI-driven health technologies.
Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled medical devices are advancing at an unprecedented pace—from software that helps interpret medical images to detect cancerous growths or identify biomarkers for specific diseases to algorithms that analyze ECGs for potentially fatal heart arrhythmias—unlocking new opportunities for care while also raising regulatory questions about how to evaluate safety and performance over time. The University of Maryland’s College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) is launching a new research collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s... read more