Alumni News & Stories
UNC CS introduces CS Career Connections on the Heels Engage Network
UNC Computer Science Department invites all alumni, current UNC students, faculty and staff to connect with each other through the new virtual networking community, CS Career Connections via Heels Engage.
Bayraktar draws on UNC experience in Turkey earthquake relief
After graduating in 2023, computer science alumna Rida Bayraktar traveled to Turkey to teach and mentor children and teens in refugee camps and to improve educational infrastructure with her non-profit organization Pink STREAM.
UNC Computer Science introduces 7 new faculty members
The Department of Computer Science is excited to announce the addition of several new faculty members in 2023 and 2024. Six faculty members have already begun their work for the Fall 2023 semester, and another will join for Fall 2024.
Beyond the Binary: Bayraktar (’23) breaks stereotypes and inspires change
While many 2023 grads are preparing for their next steps in industry or academia, Rida Bayraktar is digging deeper into work she started as an undergraduate by bringing STEM education programs and infrastructure to earthquake relief centers in Turkey.
Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community in Tech
June marks the month-long celebration of LGBTQ+ pride and community. UNC CS honors Pride Month and supports LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff by sharing campus, local, and national resources and highlighting the history of LGBTQ+ individuals in tech.
Brooks remembered by colleagues with professional memorial service
The Department of Computer Science held a professional memorial service for Department Founder Frederick P. Brooks, Jr. on March 4, 2023. Brooks was remembered in panel discussions featuring colleagues from throughout his long career in the computing industry and academia.
Alumnus Kim wins second Academy Award for animation
Theodore Kim (Ph.D. 2006) received the Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the development of the elastic simulation system Fizt2. First used in Coco (2017), Fizt2 improves speed, robustness, and generality of simulation for both cloth and flesh.
Aniket Bera (Ph.D. 2017) works to help AI comprehend human emotions
Purdue University computer scientist Aniket Bera and others are working to help a variety of robots “better incorporate and understand human behavior and emotion.” While the focus is on the robots’ abilities, the changes lead to increased medium-as-social-actor presence, improved human-machine communication, and important positive – even life-saving – outcomes.
Alumna Tanya Amert awarded 2022 ACM SIGBED Paul Caspi Memorial Dissertation Award
Alumna Tanya Amert (Ph.D. 2021) was awarded the 2022 ACM SIGBED Paul Caspi Memorial Dissertation Award. The award recognizes outstanding doctoral dissertations that significantly advance the state of the art in the science of embedded systems.
Announcement: Apply to the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity is pleased to announce the availability of postdoctoral research appointments for a period of two years. The purpose of the Program is to develop scholars from underrepresented groups for possible tenure track appointments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and other research universities.
Department Commencement ceremony honors largest graduating class
Honoring the largest graduating class in department history, the Class of 2022 gathered in Carmichael Arena amongst family, friends and loved ones on May 8th, 2022 for the traditional department commencement ceremony.
Alumnus Levoy elected to National Academy of Engineering
UNC Computer Science alumnus Marc Levoy (Ph.D. ‘89) was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Membership to the Academy is considered one of the highest professional honors for an engineer.
Islam (Ph.D. 2021) named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 – Science
Doctoral alumna Bashima Islam, 28, is engineering the next generation of internet of things devices to operate without batteries. She is developing intermittently powered devices using solar energy and radio frequency, as well as an acoustic sensing wearable to warn pedestrians of the danger of approaching cars.
UNC CS – Focused on Making an Impact
The past 18 months have been a testament to the dedication and determination of the students, staff and faculty here at UNC Computer Science. Read the department’s retrospective Fall 2021 Impact Report, featuring stories of our research and department life, as well as awards and recognition.
At long last, UNC CS celebrates Class of 2020 in Chapel Hill
Seventeen months after taking their final exams as Tar Heels, the Class of 2020 was welcomed back to Chapel Hill for a long-awaited send-off. The Department of Computer Science honored its graduates with two events over the weekend: a Class of 2020 celebration and a hybrid-format doctoral hooding ceremony.
UNC CS faculty call on Board of Trustees to review Nikole Hannah-Jones’ tenure case
The faculty of the Department of Computer Science have written an open letter condemning the inaction of the UNC Board of Trustees in the tenure case of Nikole Hannah-Jones and urging the Board to review the case at its next meeting in July.
Alumni news story (not a profile)
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Alumni Feature 1
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Alumni Profile: Joe Puccio (B.S. 2016), Co-founder, Coursicle
As an incoming student in 2012, Joe Puccio faced a familiar challenge for college students, organizing and planning for course registration. With co-founder Tara Aida, he developed a program that would track course openings and automatically text students when a spot opened in their course. Now, Coursicle is used by more than 900 college campuses.
UNC Computer Science faculty issue open invitation toward equity in tech
The events of the past few weeks have called on all of us. We have been asked to reflect on the roles power and privilege play in our lives, both individually and within our communities. We have been charged with dismantling systems in which we all participate that continue to perpetuate racism and violence against Black people in America. Many of us — probably most of us — have come to realize that we cannot do this as individuals; more now than ever, we need to come together as a community to do better.
UNC Computer Science Honors 2020 Graduates with Virtual Celebration
May 10, 2020 would have marked the annual UNC Department of Computer Science Commencement ceremony, but with commencement ceremonies postponed in response to the COVID-19 crisis, spring graduates were honored through creative virtual celebrations, hosted by both the university and the department.
