Princeton Computer Science

At the end of May, David Beeson ‘26, graduated from Princeton University with a degree in computer science. In the fall, he will enroll at the University of Oxford to pursue a master’s degree in computer science with a specialization in artificial intelligence.

At Princeton, Beeson was a member of the varsity squash team and was named a Scholar-Athlete by the College Squash Association. One of the most important things he learned at Princeton, Beeson said, was “how to incorporate my passions into my work.”

Working in the Princeton Visual AI Lab and advised by Olga Russakovsky, Beeson was able to combine his interests in squash and computer science, developing methods for reconstructing 3D squash ball trajectories from 2D video footage of squash matches. This project became his senior thesis.

For his junior independent work, also advised by Russakovsky, he combined his interests in conservation and technology, working with Mary Stoddard’s lab on a project to detect hummingbirds in long-form video. Applying computer vision techniques to ecological field work, he found ways to automate hummingbird detection.

Beeson’s favorite class at Princeton was COS 360: Computational Models of Cognition, taught by Tom Griffiths. The course, cross-listed in psychology, explores the development of computational brain models in parallel to the way AI systems have been developed. “It was the coolest interdisciplinary COS experience,” Beeson said. “It was fascinating to see how insights from one field can help inform our understanding of another.”

Adji Bousso Dieng has won a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a top honor for early career faculty!

Dieng, an assistant professor of computer science, will use the grant to build AI methods for discovering new molecules and materials. Dieng’s research seeks to create a new paradigm for AI, introducing diversity-centered mathematical frameworks across the entire machine learning pipeline, forcing AI systems to actively hunt for novelty, rarity, and untapped chemical structures.

Ultimately, research aims to provide open-source tools to help the broader scientific community bypass current AI limitations, transforming AI into a method of scientific exploration capable of uncovering revolutionary new materials that will shape the future of science across disciplines.

https://bit.ly/4udRPRK

Last week, Brian Zhou ’26 graduated from Princeton University with a degree in computer science. Soon, he will begin work as an engineer at Cognition, helping to build AI tools for government.

Zhou said the most important thing the computer science department taught him was how to learn. Approaching new, complex ideas is a skill that he uses every day, especially across different fields. “Princeton does a great job of giving us the tools to be both deeply technical and broadly versatile,” he said.

Zhou’s favorite experience as an undergrad was interning at SpaceX. He helped redesign Starlink’s wifi telemetry system and even recalled using a lecture from COS 240: Reasoning about Computation in the process. Zhou later returned as part of the software team that launched Starlink Aviation, a popular product now on many commercial airlines.

Zhou was also part of the Army ROTC program at Princeton, where he led the region’s battalion as a senior. It was "tough but rewarding," he said, to balance his summer internships with other commitments, like the Army’s Air Assault School.

Other great experiences included working with Olga Russakovsky and physics researchers to improve quantum material discovery via computer vision. He also went with Princeton’s AI Alignment Club to Anthropic’s first alignment hackathon at their San Francisco office. “That pretty spontaneous trip ended up inspiring my senior thesis,” Zhou said.

For his thesis, advised by Arvind Narayanan, he researched how to make LLM systems more reliable in unique government environments — a problem he will now be working on full-time.

🏆 Congratulations to Anha Khan on winning first place in 2026 ACM Student Research Competition Grand Finals! Over 300 students participated in the competition.

💻 Khan's research involved developing and evaluating an LLM for teaching in COS 324: Introduction to Machine Learning. The work, which was also her senior thesis, was originally presented at the ACM SIGCSE conference in February. The research was advised by graduate student Romina Mahinpei and teaching faculty members Victoria Dean, Maryam Hedayati and Ruth Fong.

🎓 Khan graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science just a few days ago and is returning to Princeton in the fall as a master's student.

Congratulations to Kevin McAllister, recent computer science grad and now a second lieutenant in the United States Space Force! 🚀 🎓

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! 🧡🎉

The department honored its graduating seniors in a Class Day ceremony on Monday, conferring honors and awards for outstanding academic achievement.

The department's top honor for academic excellence, the Phillip Goldman '86 Senior Prize in Computer Science, was awarded to Dylan Epstein-Gross and Devan Shah.

https://bit.ly/4wY3w1G

Congratulations to Ed Felten on receiving the ACM Policy Award!

The award honors Felten's many contributions to technology policy, including work on electronic voting, copyright, consumer protection and AI.

According to the ACM - Association for Computing Machinery, Felten's "work has aided policymakers directly, influenced major national debates and inspired a generation of computer scientists to pursue research with immediate policy relevance."

Now emeritus, Felten spent 28 years on the Princeton University faculty. He founded Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy in 2005 and led it for 13 years.

https://bit.ly/42L22tK

Elizabeth Mieczkowski has been recognized with a Graduate Teaching Award from Princeton University Graduate School! 🏆

A fourth-year graduate student in computer science, Mieczkowski was honored for her work as the head teaching assistant for “Computational Models of Cognition," taught by Brenden Lake and Tom Griffiths.

Multiple students wrote letters recommending Mieczkowski for this award. They appreciated the effort she put into advising students on class research projects, one of which was submitted to a conference. One student said Mieczkowski created a classroom environment that was “respectful, engaging, and supportive.”

https://bit.ly/4tFVsQ7

Tom Griffiths will receive a 2026 Graduate Mentoring Award for his exceptional guidance of graduate students!

One student wrote that Griffiths, "has opened doors I did not know existed, offered guidance without agenda, and shown a quiet, consistent care for my growth as both a scientist and a person.”

Griffiths is the director of the Computational Cognitive Science Lab and, since September 2024, the inaugural director of The Princeton Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence. When he came to Princeton in 2018, he was the first faculty member to be jointly appointed in the departments of Psychology and Computer Science.

Graduate students and former students nominate faculty for the annual awards, which are co-sponsored by the Princeton University Graduate School and the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning.

https://bit.ly/4tAIqTX