Department of Computer Science at The University of Arizona

Ojas Sanghi (spring 2026 graduate) made the most of his time at the University of Arizona - undergraduate research, internships, and prestigious accolades including being selected as a Udall Scholar, Truman Scholar and College of Science Outstanding Senior. His success centers on his belief that a single person can take action and do something meaningful.

Ojas learned about the climate crisis in high school and did something many others don't do - he chose to do something about it. Ojas became active in the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, serving as the Tucson Co-Lead. His work with AZ YCC, led to a commitment from Tucson Unified School District as part of a climate action resolution with enormous impact (see here: https://bit.ly/4vW6vX7).

Two of Ojas's pieces of advice to students: "trust your gut on what is a good use of your time....pursuing a unique path is really scary but also a really good feeling"

Ojas is using his passion for climate policy and computer science to pursue the MS in Technology and Policy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Check out the Student Spotlight interview (https://bit.ly/4vLiXsw) to learn more about Ojas's experiences at the University of Arizona, his work on climate action plans, shoutout to CS instructor Melanie Lotz, and advice on overcoming barriers (self-imposed and external).

🎓 🎓 🎓 Congrats class of 2026! 🎓 🎓 🎓 We are excited for you and feel very lucky to have been a small part of your time here. We will miss you, but know that you are going off to do amazing things! Welcome to the CS Alumni Community!

Alumni Spotlight!! Sam Liang() (MS '93) arrived in Tucson to pursue the MS in Computer Science in Fall 1991, after being on his first 🛬 plane ride and with only “a few hundred dollars” in his pocket.

He was ready to start his American experience and pursue the “American dream.” Sam learned from renowned/notable UA CS faculty - Ralph Griswold (department’s first department head), Udi Manber, and Gregg Andrews. After graduating in 1994, Sam went on to attend Stanford University in pursuit of a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Internet Distributed Systems. After spending some time in industry (including Cisco, Tropos Networks, Google, DFJ), Sam decided it was time to start his own company - Alohar Mobile Inc (Acquired by Alibaba). Fast forward to February 2016 - Sam co-founded and is CEO of Otter.ai, which pioneered the AI Meeting Assistant category, with over 35 million users world wide and over $100M in annual revenue.

Watch the interview (https://youtu.be/m0hUs8OKUZ0) as Sam reflects on his experience at UA, discusses Otter.ai, provides advice for students, and shares his story.

🙌 🙌 Super Sam! Sam Morrow, Sr. Academic Advisor, was recognized for Staff Shoutout by Professor John Kececioglu.

Prof. Kececioglu recognized her because "Sam has done an outstanding job as our staff member on the Department's Awards Committee. Sam has shown remarkable initiative in informing our students of the award application process, setting up forms for collecting nominee submissions, assisting in the awardee selection process within the Awards Committee, and demonstrating incredible follow-through in all these activities. She is a gem!"

Sam has been an CS academic advisor for 5 years. During that time, she has advised countless students on their journey through the undergraduate programs. Sam enjoys "seeing students find their passion" and strongly believes "the truth is that everyone is just a person. Faculty, staff, students, we are all just doing our best and have to eat, sleep, and survive just like everyone else. Be kind, be generous when you can, and don't let a title or degree intimidate you."

Sam's advice to students during their time at UA:
"New [student]: It's okay and good t[o] ask for help.
Middle [undergrad experience]: You're allowed to change your mind.
End [graduating student]: Enjoy this part - you'll miss it, and you've earned it."

Outside of work, Sam enjoys painting🎨 and other art📸 . She also has a large collection of rubber ducks 🦆 throughout her office - stop by and check it out!

Thank you Sam, for your dedication to helping our students and the department!

🥳🙌 Congratulations Ramya Ramachandran - Department of Computer Science Outstanding Service Awardee! Ramya was recognized by the department for her service and direct impact on the department's community. As President of the Department of Computer Science Graduate Student Council, Ramya led the group to host community building events such as board game nights, group hikes, faculty candidate meetings, and our inaugural Graduate Student Showcase and Photography contest. Her initiatives have led to an increase in the sense of belonging for our graduate students.

Ramya is graduating this May and will be joining another amazing group: CS Alumni! What did Ramya enjoy most about her time at U of A? "The opportunity to make mistakes...branch out to explore...professors who direct you and listen to you...the friends that I made here - people to look up to and have a lot of fun with."

Watch the Student Spotlight interview to learn more about Ramya, her experience at UA, and advice for her peers to make the most out of their time as graduate students: https://bit.ly/49hNYLM

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🎉 🎉 Congratulations Aunabil - TA of the Month! Aunabil was recognized by Professor John Kececioglu - "Aunabil has done an outstanding job as a TA for CSC 450, our undergraduate algorithms in bioinformatics course. The homework and exams in this course have quite challenging long-answer problems, and Aunabil has done an excellent job carefully understanding the students' submissions, and applying appropriate grading. He is also invariably timely in completing everything -- and with a much-appreciated cheerful demeanor as well!"

Aunabil came to the University of Arizona, from Bangladesh, because of the "Great CS department and research environment." He is working with Associate Professor Eduardo Blanco and Professor Mihai Surdeanu in the research area of Natural Language Processing.

Aunabil's advice to students in his course: "Answer concisely and precisely."

When Aunabil isn't in class, doing research, or TAing, he can be found playing soccer⚽ and going on hikes🥾 .

Thanks for being a great TA and role model! Your actions will have lasting impact!

Another amazing recognition for the University of Arizona Department of Computer Science Faculty! Congrats Assistant Professor Takanori Fujiwara for earning the IEEE Pacific Visualization Symposium (PacificVis) Early Career Award!

Read about Dr. Fujiwara's award, research, and more here: https://bit.ly/4cXX7Ku

Hooray Dr. Fujiwara! Great work!

👀 Check this out! University of Arizona Department of Computer Science Professor Mihai Surdeanu was named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar. Read about Prof. Surdeanu, his research, this recognition and more here: https://bit.ly/4tDD2jO

🥳 🥳 Congrats Prof. Surdeanu! Well deserved!

🥳 🥳 Congrats Alec Schmitt - Student Shoutout! Alec was recognized by CS Career Coordinator, V Alonso, for being an "incredible representative of the mission and vision behind the CS Ambassadors program...leadership sets the tone... “we can do this” attitude has been both motivating and contagious. .... people others naturally turn to, dependable, solutions oriented, and always willing to step in and help."

Alec has many family members who are University of Arizona alumni and live in Tucson🌵 . That was one of the reasons he chose to make the decision to leave his hometown of Los Angeles, California, to attend the U of A. After being on this journey for 4 years, Alec is graduating this May with a BA in Computer Science and minor in Economics.

Why did Alec choose to pursue computer science? "I love creating things and finding new ways to solve problems."

As a CS Ambassador, Alec really enjoyed the creativity permitted in the program - helping increase the engagement and sense of community. Alec's advice to students looking to get involved on campus: "Just try things! There are so many amazing opportunities available, just show up/apply and see what you enjoy doing." Alec encourages students to "take advantage of your time at UofA! There are so many amazing opportunities, both professionally and socially. Try and get out of your comfort zone and you can have a lot of fun!"

When Alec isn't in class or participating in CS Ambassador events, he enjoys watching sports🏀 , reading📖 , playing guitar🎸 and piano🎹 , and was even in a band!

As for the next chapter in Alec's life: "I'm excited to graduate and to start the next chapter of life, but I'm gonna miss all the friends I've made and the experiences I've had at UofA."

Congrats on your upcoming graduation🎓 Alec! We know that you will do great at whatever comes next. Thanks for all you have done for the CS Ambassadors!

🙌 Brenna Carson - Staff Shoutout!🎉 Brenna was recognized by V Alonso because "[Brenna]has gone above and beyond for her students, building strong, meaningful relationships that are already making a clear impact...connects students to career resources...students frequently mention how kind, respectful, and approachable she is during our career conversations, which speaks volumes about the trust and connection she has built in such a short time. She is also a fantastic team player, always willing to collaborate and support others."

From Colorado Springs, CO, Brenna has been a CS undergrad advisor for the last 9 months and making a huge impact on the students and the department! "What I enjoy most about being an academic advisor is getting to know students and being a part of the University of Arizona campus community."

Brenna's advice to new students: "I would encourage you to try all the things. Take interesting classes, go to club meetings, play IM sports, attend games, be open to new friendships, etc. You never know where you’ll find new passions and college is a great time to explore. I would also recommend that you talk to your advisor about studying abroad someday; and yes, Computer Science students can study abroad! :) Midway through your undergraduate career, you’ll have many things vying for your attention, so learn to say no and engage fully with what you say yes to. Being involved in too many things can lead to burn out and stress (trust me, I’ve been there!), so make your “yes” count and jump in with both feet. Lastly, at the end of your undergraduate career, think about the lessons and skills you want to take with you when you graduate. Invest in the people around you and enjoy the end of your journey at UA!"

What does Brenna enjoy? "I love watching movies, running and being active, spending time with friends, and getting ice cream at Handel's. I also recently competed in my first triathlon! While challenging, I loved getting to work hard towards achieving a goal and seeing the results of the time and effort I dedicated. I’m already planning my next one!" 🚴‍♀️ 🏊‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️

Brenna is a rockstar🤩!!

🪨 ⭐