UMD Computer Science Team Medals at ICPC North America Championship for Third Consecutive Year

A student team from the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science earned a bronze medal at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) North America Championship on May 26 at the University of Central Florida. The competition featured 52 teams from universities in the United States and Canada, with the top 19 advancing to the World Finals. The University of Maryland’s fifth-place finish secured both the bronze medal and a spot in the upcoming finals in Baku, Azerbaijan, scheduled for Aug. 31 through Sept. 5, 2025. This marks the third consecutive year that UMD has earned a medal, making the achievement even more impressive.

Representing UMD were graduate students Danny Mittal and Mahdi Jafari, along with undergraduate student Kelin Zhu. The team was coached by Professor of Computer Science Mohammad Hajiaghayi and supported by student assistant coach Sam Lee.

The ICPC, one of the oldest and most prominent programming competitions worldwide, tests students’ abilities in programming, problem-solving and teamwork during a live five-hour contest. The scoreboard updates in real-time throughout the event, heightening the atmosphere and intensity for both participants and the audience.

The event marks the 12th time that the University of Maryland has advanced to the World Finals since 1999, including nine appearances under Hajiaghayi’s tenure as coach, which began in 2011. In addition to placing fifth overall, the team secured the North America South Division Championship—one of four regional divisions.

Hajiaghayi said the ICPC provides a unique opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning in a high-pressure, real-world environment.

“These competitions are an incredible proving ground for our CS students, pushing their problem-solving, teamwork and algorithmic thinking to the highest levels,” said Hajiaghayi, who holds the Jack and Rita G. Minker Professorship and has a joint appointment in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. “Success at ICPC not only highlights the exceptional talent we cultivate at UMD but also elevates the university’s reputation on both national and international stages. It fosters a culture of excellence, attracts top-tier students and strengthens our connections with leading partners in industry and academia.”

He also noted that the team’s consistent success demonstrates the depth of UMD’s talent pipeline.

“These accomplishments reflect the exceptional depth and quality of our student talent, demonstrated over the years by individuals such as Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who competed in these contests and went on to achieve remarkable success,” Hajiaghayi said. “This growing reputation has even attracted industry interest, with companies like Windsurf, formerly Codeium, now providing sponsorship for our UMD team this year.”

The NAC ICPC attracts top-tier talent from major universities, making the bronze medal a significant recognition of the team’s effort and skill. UMD’s performance outpaced that of institutions such as Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley and Princeton University.

For Mittal, the experience of competing at the North American Championship extended beyond the contest itself.

“I had a lot of fun competing and am happy with the results we were able to attain,” Mittal said. “However, I think what turned out to be the most fun about the competition was meeting and interacting with a lot of different people. Some of them were past friends, some were people I only knew by their Codeforces handle before, and some I didn’t know at all, but all of them were pretty interesting and made NAC a delightful experience. Also, we were the only team to use Kotlin (a programming language made by one of the sponsors) in the competition, so we got a special call out for that, which was fun.”

Jafari shared that the contest underscores the importance of adapting quickly to new challenges and collaborating effectively under pressure.

“Winning bronze at NAC ICPC was a proud moment for our team,” Jafari said. “Facing top schools in North America and coming away with a medal was both thrilling and deeply humbling. We’re grateful for everyone’s support and even more inspired as we look toward the World Finals.”

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications