U of MN Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Congrats to Professor Maria Gini for being elected as a by ! We are of your extraordinary contributions to science.

Gini is a leader in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and multi-agent systems, and her work is globally known for its novel approach and practical, real-world impact. She is also the fifth CS&E faculty member to be named an AAAS Fellow.

Learn more: https://z.umn.edu/GiniAAASFellow

Professor Zhi-Li Zhang is the PI on a two-year, $7M project that aims to improve 5G networks in order to enable autonomous vehicle teleoperations. The grant is part of the NSF Breaking Low Initiative, a $17 million investment that aims to identify and solve critical architectural, technical and technological issues that address key barriers in current 5G and next-generation wireless networks.

Learn more: z.umn.edu/Zhang7MGrant

CS&E Regents Professor Vipin Kumar was named to the UN Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, the first global scientific body dedicated entirely to artificial intelligence and established by the UN General Assembly.

Selected from more than 2,600 applications worldwide through an independent UN-led review process, the 40-member panel will provide independent, evidence-based assessments of AI and to inform global understanding of its opportunities, risks, and societal impacts. It will serve as the UN’s authoritative scientific voice on AI.

Learn more: z.umn.edu/VipinUNPanel

As the world navigates the AI boom, CS&E continues to expand and evolve the curriculum to prepare students for their future careers in tech. Leaning on the expertise of our world-renowned faculty in AI and machine learning, CS&E has developed two new courses and an AI minor to ensure that students across the entire University of Minnesota have access to AI training.

“I like to use the analogy of AI and cooking," Assistant Professor Mattia Fazzini said. "Anyone can use AI to create code, just like anyone can be a home cook and follow a recipe. However, only someone who really understands the flavors and cooking techniques can be a restaurant-quality chef. My course is preparing the next generation of chefs to create quality software using all the tools at their disposal in the most efficient and productive ways.”

Learn more about our latest initiatives here: https://z.umn.edu/NewAICourses

Professor Daniel F. Keefe is exploring how 3D drawing in a virtual space can aid observation and discovery. His novel 3D drawing techniques are being implemented in a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary art class.

Read the full story: https://z.umn.edu/KeefeVCStory

Congratulations to the 29 undergraduate students that were selected to receive scholarships for the 2025-26 academic year!

Learn more at the link in our bio!

We are of Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CS&E) PhD student Xiang Zhang. He recently won the Best Talk Award at the 17th Great Lakes Bioinformatics (GLBIO) conference in Minneapolis for his presentation titled, “A deep learning approach for predicting synthetic lethality in human cells.”

Learn more at the link in our bio!

CS&E students took home multiple awards at the 2025 University of Minnesota Founder’s Day, including the Best Overall Award and Audience Favorite Award! Robotics MS students Abhishek Chaudhari and David Aviles Hinostroza, and Swapnil Puranik won the Best Overall Award for Omni Agrobot, and computer science students Lalitaditya Divakarla (PhD) and Nicole Vu (MS) earned the Audience Favorite Award for their project titled, Vivarent. Eleven additional CS&E students were featured at the event.

Learn more:

CS&E Students Win Multiple Awards at 2025 Founder’s Day Event Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CS&E) students won multiple awards at the 2025 University of Minnesota Founder’s Day, including the Best Overall Award and Audience Favorite Award. Robotics MS students Abhishek Chaudhari and David Aviles Hinostroza, and Swapnil Puranik won the Best Ov...

Congratulations to our Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) Award winners for the 2025-26 academic year!

Charles Broadbent
Zae Myung Kim
Tongyu Nie
Arvind Renganathan
Xinran Wang

Full story here: https://z.umn.edu/DDFWinners

Professor Loren Terveen has been appointed as the new Department Head for Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Terveen previously served as the Associate Department Head under Professor Mats Heimdahl from 2019-25. His term will officially start in July 2025 and will run through June 2030.

Learn more about Professor Terveen's career here: https://z.umn.edu/LorenTerveen