The ����vlog��Ƶ School of STEM is excited to welcome four new talented faculty members into the Department of Computing & Software Systems.

They join three other new faculty members at UW Bothell in the School of Business and School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences. Welcome to all the new faculty joining our community! We’re excited to have you here.

Murat Seçkin Ayhan

Assistant professor

Department of Computing & Software Systems

Dr. Murat Seçkin Ayhan (he/him) has both a doctorate and master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and master’s and bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from Başkent University. He worked as an assistant professor at the Department of Computer Engineering at Isik University in Istanbul, Turkey and joined the University of Tübingen in Germany as a researcher, developing deep learning solutions within the context of ophthalmology. After five years, he moved to London and joined University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital as a senior research fellow.

Contact: msayhan@uw.edu

Research focus: machine learning, medical image analysis, medical AI

Courses taught at UW Bothell:

• CSS 342 Data Structures, Algorithms, and Discrete Mathematics I 
• CSS 343 Data Structures, Algorithms, and Discrete Mathematics II 

Kaylea Champion

Assistant professor

Department of Computing & Software Systems

Dr. Kaylea Champion (she/her) has a doctorate in Communication from the University of Washington, a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Chicago, and a background in Information Technology. She is a postdoctoral scholar in the Community Data Science Collective, working at the intersection of human-computer interaction, empirical software engineering, cybersecurity, privacy, and organizational communication. Her research investigates how people cooperate to build and maintain public goods like software and knowledge.

Contact: kaylea@uw.edu

Research focus: computer-supported cooperative work, empirical software engineering, human-computer interaction, applied machine learning, cybersecurity

Courses taught at UW Bothell:

• CSS 350 Management Principles for Computing Professionals
• CSS 360 Software Engineering

Mia Champion

Assistant teaching professor

Department of Computing & Software Systems

Dr. Mia Champion (she/her) holds a Ph.D. in Genomics from the University of California, Davis, and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Michigan. She has previously taught graduate-level classes at the University of Washington and worked at Amazon Web Services in leadership roles overseeing Health AI products like Amazon HealthLake, Amazon Genomics CLI, and AWS HealthOmics. Additionally, Dr. Champion conducted bioinformatics research at the Mayo Clinic, ASU, and the Broad Institute. She is also the founder of consulting firm Unalomia LLC where she supports innovation across industries.

Contact: miachamp@uw.edu

Research focus: cloud computing, deep learning, explainable AI, bioinformatics, product management

Courses taught at UW Bothell:

• CSS 142 Computer Programming I
• CSS 350 Management Principles for Computing Professionals
• CSS 581 Introduction to Machine Learning
• CSS 586 Deep Learning
• CSS532 Internet of Things
• CSS 382A Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
• CSS 566A Software Management

Zachery (Zak) Rubin

Assistant teaching professor

Department of Computing & Software Systems

Dr. Zachery (Zak) Rubin (they/them) has a doctorate in Computer Engineering from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. They are currently the director of the network engineering programs at Renton Technical College in Renton, Washington. Outside of academics, they have nearly 20 years of experience in the games and entertainment industry, working with major musicians including Beyoncé and Gogol Bordello, and AAA titles including World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo.

Contact: zarubin@uw.edu

Research focus: human computer interaction, assistive technology, signal processing, human factors

Courses taught at UW Bothell:

• CSS 301 Technical Writing 
• CSS 350 Management Principles for Computing Professionals 

Learn more about all of the 27+ faculty in the Department of Computing & Software Systems.

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Bringing together innovation, excellence, and impact, the School of STEM held its 2nd annual award recognition ceremony, applauding students, faculty, and community partners who exemplify our dedication to solving the pressing problems and confronting challenges that shape our communities, region, nation, and world.

Today, we come together to recognize those who have gone above and beyond, those who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, DEIJ values, innovation, service, and a deep commitment to their disciplines and communities. These awards are more than just honors; they reflect the values we hold dear in the School of STEM.

Jennifer McLoud-Mann, dean, School of STEM

Faculty awards

Sr. Chief Ronald G. Gamboa Endowed UW Bothell STEM Faculty Fellowship Award

In recognition of outstanding contributions in undergraduate research mentorship, broadening participation from underserved communities and inspiring the next generation of UW Bothell School of STEM graduates to make a positive impact in their broader community and the world.

Recipient: Dr. Afra Mashhadi, assistant professor, Computing & Software Systems Division

Michelle Gamboa created this endowment in honor of her father, Sr. Chief Ronald G. Gamboa. Discover the story behind the STEM faculty fellowship Michelle founded and find out how you can establish a fellowship to support the next generation of STEM leaders.

Philanthropic recognition

Scott Grosenick — a proud “Double Dawg,” earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Computing & Software Systems here at UW Bothell in 2000 and 2012 — has created an endowment that will make a lasting impact for generations of students to come.

Read more about Grosenick in a UW Bothell article, Inspired by computer science rockstars.

This year, we were able to recognize and celebrate student excellence in an exceptional way, awarding our student honorees a monetary prize made possible by the generous support of Dr. Sheree Wen.

In addition to this support, generous donors came together last year to help fund undergraduate research scholarships for summer 2025. These scholarships open doors for students to engage in meaningful experiential learning, work closely with faculty mentors, and apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world research that prepares them for their future careers.

We are deeply grateful for our donors’ thoughtfulness and generosity to the School of STEM — a testament to the strength of our community and the lifelong connection our graduates and community partners feel to UW Bothell.

Computing & Software Systems (CSS) awards

CSS Best Poster

In recognition of the best Computing & Software Systems (CSS) Division poster presentation during the Capstone Colloquium.

Recipients:

• Spring 2025: Sarah Anderson
• Winter 2025: James Day
• Autumn 2024: Aditya Pillai
• Summer 2024: Lily Aguirre

CSSE Outstanding Academic Performance

In recognition for high academic achievement for students graduating between summer 2024 and spring 2025 with a major in Computer Science & Software Engineering.  

Recipient: Jordan Lavigueure

Applied Computing Outstanding Academic Performance

In recognition for high academic achievement for students graduating between summer 2024 and spring 2025 with a major in Applied Computing.

Recipient: Anni Khanal

CSS Graduate Studies Best Thesis Award

In recognition of the most outstanding thesis from a Computing & Software Systems graduate student during the past year. 

Recipient: Phat Tran

CSS Graduate Studies Best Thesis or Capstone Project that Incorporates Diversity, Equity, inclusion, and/or Justice

In recognition of the most outstanding thesis or project from a Computing & Software Systems graduate student during the past year that made an impact in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and/or Justice. 

Recipient: Elias Martin 

Physical Sciences Division (PSD) awards

Student Success Award

In recognition of outstanding contributions to the chemistry or physics program through achievements in mentoring, service, scholarship, and research.

• Physics: Carol Miu

Academic Achievement Award

In recognition of outstanding performance in chemistry or physics coursework.

• Chemistry: Zach Thomas 
• Physics: Jayron Yucker 
• Earth System Sciences: Dash Paulson

Outstanding Peer Facilitator

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments as a peer facilitator and helping other students achieve their goals and potential.

• Chemistry: Ethan Gause
• Physics: Morrigan

Outstanding Researcher

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments in chemistry or physics research.

• Chemistry: Zach Thomas
• Physics: Liliana Flores
• Earth System Sciences: Brendan McCindle 

Physical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Award 

Winners of this award show excellent potential as researchers, and they receive a stipend from the chair of the Physical Sciences Division to support summer research. 

Recipients:

• Kaito T. Hasebe, working with Dr. Joey Shapiro Key on their project “Fast Radio Bursts”
• Jude Pazier, working with Dr. Subramanian Ramachandran on their project “The Design of a Sample Stage and Search for Resistive Transition in the Superconducting State of Bulk MgB2”
• Tobias Roetteler, working with Dr. Lori Robins on their project “Stability of Chronic Wound Dressings”
• Hana Yu, working with Dr. Hyung Kim on their project “New Proteins in the Nitrogen Cycle”

Earth System Sciences Recognition of Community Engagement

In recognition of outstanding contributions to the community through achievements in mentoring, service, scholarship, and research.

Recipient: Aidan McQuilkin

Biological Sciences (BIO) awards

Outstanding Biology Community Engagement Award 

In recognition of outstanding contributions to the community through leadership, outreach, and service. 

Recipient: Jiwan Tib

Outstanding Biology Equity and Justice Award

In recognition of outstanding contributions to the community through equity and inclusion service, outreach, and leadership work. 

Recipient: Gurleen Dosanjh 

Outstanding Biology Peer Facilitator Award

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments as a peer facilitator and helping other students achieve their goals and potential. 

Recipient: Newton Austria Ball 

Outstanding Biology Peer Award

In recognition of outstanding contributions as a peer and colleague, demonstrating kindness, support, collegiality, support, and mentorship to fellow Biology students.  

Recipients:

• Vivian Lam 
• Hadiya Amjad

Outstanding Biology Independent Researcher Award

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments in Biology research. 

Recipients:

• Christian Paulos
• Joanna Agana

Engineering & Mathematics (E&M) awards

E&M Academic Excellence Award

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments in mathematics or engineering research.

• Electrical Engineering: Giovanni Dominguez
• Mechanical Engineering: Charlotte Morrison
• Computer Engineering: Hong K Nguyen
• Mathematics: Alex Lewis
• Mathematics: David Z. Gershnik

E&M Leadership and Service Award

In recognition of contributions to the mathematics or engineering programs through achievements in mentoring, service, scholarship, and research.

• Electrical Engineering: John Vertner
• Electrical Engineering: Jason Truong
• Mechanical Engineering: Brooke Ojala
• Computer Engineering: David Kim
• Mathematics: Cassandra Humarang

E&M Resilience Award

In recognition of resilience in overcoming significant obstacles and challenges in the mathematics and engineering programs.

• Electrical Engineering: Kenneth Ho
• Electrical Engineering: Julianne DeGuzman
• Mechanical Engineering: Haley James
• Computer Engineering: Husai Ehrari
• Mathematics: Bryan Zeutenhorst

Celebrating achievement

Each award recipient demonstrated exceptional dedication and innovation within their respective fields. Their accomplishments reflect academic excellence and highlight their commitment to advancing research, fostering community engagement, and representing the School of STEM’s vision and mission.

The School of STEM congratulates all award winners and expresses gratitude to the countless faculty, staff, students, and partners for their continuous support and contributions to making the 2nd annual STEM Symposium a resounding success.

Learn more about the School of STEM Symposium.

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The Division of CSS was also proud to serve as a Gold Sponsor of WiCyS 2025, demonstrating the school’s strong commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM — especially in cybersecurity.

Finding opportunity and community

Master’s student Azmeen Mohammad came to UW Bothell curious about cybersecurity, despite having no formal background in the field.

“Cyber is something which is not very much talked about by many people,” Mohammad said. “But there are so many opportunities in cyber.”

She discovered the UW Bothell WiCyS chapter through friends and took a cybersecurity elective during her first year. Although her initial application for conference sponsorship was unsuccessful, her dedication remained strong. She later became a club officer and reapplied in her second year – this time earning a sponsorship from the CSS division to attend WiCyS 2025.

While other conferences she’s attended have been gender-inclusive, the WiCyS conference is specifically geared towards women – the recruitment, retention and advancement of women in cybersecurity.

“It felt so empowering to see all these women coming together and working in an area that is usually so male-dominated,” she said.

Jui Bangali, a master’s student and current president of the UW Bothell WiCyS chapter, followed a similar path. Having worked in cybersecurity at Dell before graduate school, Bangali was familiar with WiCyS but hadn’t been directly involved. After joining UW Bothell, she dove into the club and eventually became chapter president.

As a chapter president, Bangali received a sponsorship to attend the conference from WiCyS itself. She noted the exclusivity of the event as it’s open only to sponsored students and industry partners, which creates stronger networking opportunities.

Exploring the WiCyS 2025 experience

The conference featured a mix of technical workshops, hands-on labs, mental wellness sessions, and networking socials hosted by major companies. The focus on mental health and work-life balance was a standout for both students.

“They didn’t just concentrate on the technical aspect of the conference, but they also made sure that there were a few sessions which were related to mental wellbeing,” Mohammad said.

To offset travel costs, Bangali signed up to volunteer at the conference. She volunteered to help with some of the speaker sessions, which she says allowed her more networking time.

“You get an opportunity to be closer to the speaker,” Bangali said. “Everybody kind of got to ask questions, but because you’re a volunteer, it adds another layer.”

The conference also included a career fair, where students received specific feedback on their résumés from recruiters.

“They actually take your resume and read out the resume and they pinpoint things like ‘these need to be changed if you’re applying for our company,’” Mohammad said. “There were a few companies who were giving very detailed feedback.”

Bangali found the opportunity to practice elevator pitches on recruiters helpful. Some of the workshops throughout the conference focused on this skill, and the career fair was the perfect place to practice.

“It’s an important skill; you barely get one minute with the person,” Bangali said. “So, you want to make sure you’re able to convey everything.”

Building a future in cybersecurity

The School of STEM Graduate Programs continue to attend the conference and share information about how to advance as a professional in the field with the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering.

continues to grow as a supportive, inclusive space for students interested in cybersecurity. Sponsorship opportunities through WiCyS and the CSS division continue to serve as an investment in our students and their opportunities to gain leadership skills, industry connections and the confidence to lead in STEM.

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In response, an interdisciplinary group of data science educators from multiple institutions put together the Data for Good in Education Workshop Series, a collection of intensive day-long workshops that convene data science educators to surface and promote strategies to face the obstacle of grounding data science education in people-centered community-informed practice. The first two workshops have garnered the participation of 75 educators and a third workshop is planned for 2025.  

Dr. Dharma Dailey, assistant teaching professor in the School of STEM, is among the organizers of Data for Good in Education Workshop series leading efforts in teaching data for good and shares highlights from the workshop series. 

The challenges of teaching data ethics 

Attendees gain the opportunity to network with and learn from their peers while workshop organizers map common opportunities and challenges Data for Good educators face. There are different challenges that are surfacing:  

• Instructors teaching technical topics feel pressure to minimize time devoted to ethics or considering societal impacts.����

• Educators don’t feel qualified to broach ethics in their classrooms.����

• Program and resource constraints limit community-engaged experiences and capstone experiences that tie data science to social good.����

• No field-level consensus has emerged yet for specifying learning objectives pertaining to the social and human dimensions related to Data Science, nor for designing relevant learning activities or assessing them.����

Despite these challenges, the workshops showcase the breadth of approaches to teaching data for good that are being spearheaded by Data Science educators.  

Inspiring talks and hands on sessions 

At the most recent workshop held at the in Ann Arbor in October, participants convened for a series of inspiring talks on teaching Data Science with a social good lens, interspersed with interactive sessions. Keynote speaker graduate director of the Master of Science Data Science Program and associate professor of Africana Studies at Howard University, provided insight into designing Howard’s Masters for Data Science and Analytics, an online program that substantively interweaves social good with data science. The program prepares students to engage in real-world data analytics that serve a purpose. For example, one recent student capstone identified analytic discrepancies in air quality assessment in the Mossville community in Louisiana. 

In another talk focused on change-making work within existing degree programs, , research associate at the Human-Robot Interaction Lab and lecturer at Tufts University, related his experience working in human-robot interaction and ethics to lead a one-year project to more systematically integrate ethics into all computer science courses in the Department of Computer Science at Tufts University.  

, director of the at the University of Michigan, reflected on how community-engaged, collaborative projects may be incorporated into data for good education, drawing on case studies from his current book project, Appetite for Data: Race, Neighborhoods, and Digital Recipes for Racial and Class Solidarity.  

Offering insights into what can be done at the course level, assistant professor at the University of Michigan, shared a framework he has devised for conceiving of and executing data-science for-good projects in his courses that help future data science practitioners view the work of data science as a milestone within a social good project, helping students to make clearer connections between the work that comes before and after a more successful data science intervention. 

In considering activities that can be incorporated into a class session or course module, of Trinity Christian College described how he makes use of ethics case studies in his classes. of Tufts University led participants through an assessment of case studies being curated and distributed through the Methods for Teaching Ethics in Data Science Workshop.��

Workshop organizers & supporters 

Dr. Dharma Dailey of ����vlog��Ƶ’s School of STEM and , Technical Education Specialist and Data Science Fellow at the University of Washington’s eScience Institute, are among the organizers of Data for Good in Education Workshop series. Dailey and Alterman draw upon their experience as educators in the University of Washington’s Data Science for Social Good program and Dailey’s prior work through eScience Institute to identify and promote effective strategies for building out Data for Good programs including the Data for Good Growth Map — a resource being used by many educators in this space.  

The Data for Good in Education Workshop series is co-organized with faculty from Emory University, Iowa State University, Michigan State University, Montgomery College, Trinity Christian College, University of Notre Dame, and Washington & Jefferson College. Funding for the Data for Good in Education Workshop series has been provided by the National Science Foundation and the Responsible Computing Challenge, a partnership of Omidyar Network, Mozilla, Schmidt Futures, Craig Newmark Philanthropies and Mellon Foundation. 

Those interested in the 2025 workshop should contact the organizing committee at data4good.workshop@gmail.com.��

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Hovesepian realized during her undergraduate path that studying Biology and going into research probably wasn’t the right path for her and she didn’t really know where to go from there. 

“Basically, it was really just a combination of knowing that I needed to do something else — not knowing what that was,” Hovesepian said.  

From Biology to bytes 

As an employee at the University of Washington, she decided to utilize the and began taking entry level software engineering courses. She tried auditing and sitting in on an introduction to software engineering course but stopped attending two weeks into class. Her interest was sparked, but she lacked the belief in her abilities to be able to do the work. The following summer after chatting more with her friends who work in the software engineering industry, she found the motivation to enroll in the course.  

“The second time around, for some reason, things just started making sense,” Hovesepian said. “So I stuck with it. I finished it. Did pretty well.” 

Hovesepian looked into ways to further her education and pivot her career path, and she found the GCSDD program at UW Bothell.  

“It is an actual degree, even though it’s not a bachelor’s or a master’s,” Hovesepian said.  

“A lot of boot camps that I was looking at, they’re good in their own way and you get a different kind of experience,” she expanded. “But you don’t really get anything that you can show as a form of a degree, which tech doesn’t care about nearly as much as other industries.” 

Speed-running a tech transition 

The GCSDD is a part-time, nine-month curriculum intended for people interested in switching careers towards the software engineering industry. The program also provides a pathway for individuals to continue their education and pursue a Master of Science in Computer Science & Software Engineering or Master of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering. 

The program’s structure offered a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, tailored for individuals from non-traditional backgrounds. Hovesepian said that the courses gave her an understanding of the basics of a software engineering degree in a very short time frame which helped her to land a job in the field.  

“There’s only so much you can teach people in a part-time program in nine months,” Hovesepian said. “You get the basics of a software engineering degree, and a good amount of preparation for what you need to know to be able to interview for a job.” 

Community impact on career changes 

Despite the long hours of commitment to both the program and working a full-time job, Hovesepian said the greatest thing she gained from the program was her connections to her classmates. They all became a support system for each other, creating study groups and friendships to last much longer than nine months.  

“You’re just all in the same boat together, but you also are coming from similar backgrounds,” Hovesepian said. “I met at least two other people there who were also from Biology or basic science backgrounds who are now trying to switch into tech.” 

The study groups she and her peers formed supported each other through the classes and switching to the technology field in general.  

“It’s really hard to switch from any career to another, but tech especially is difficult to learn; it’s difficult to do,” Hovesepian said. “It’s so easy to get discouraged. Just being able to talk to people who have gone through the same thing or something similar was so huge for me.” 

Looking to the future 

Upon finishing her graduate certificate program, Hovesepian enrolled in the Master of Science in Computer Science & Software Engineering. She completed two quarters of the program before putting it on hold to invest all her time in a software development engineer position at Amazon. She didn’t want to stress about managing a new program while starting a new job and learning how to be a better engineer in a workplace was her priority.  

“I might come back to it,” Hovesepian said. “That just really depends on how work goes and how my goals change.” 

Hovesepian acknowledges that while formal education is incredibly helpful, practical experience can often be just as crucial. Her ability to adapt and prioritize her career goals has been key to her success following the GCSDD.  

Hovesepian’s journey underscores the impact that educational programs like the GCSDD at UW Bothell can have on career transitions. While the path from Biology to software engineering held challenges, Hovesepian’s story highlights the importance of perseverance, practical experience and the support from community. As she continues to navigate her career her experience reflects a broader truth: with dedication, belief in yourself, and the right resources, career shifts can lead to fulfilling new opportunities.  

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Enter the Founded in 2013 by Dr. Ambareen Siraj of Tennessee Tech University, WiCyS aims to recruit, retain, and advance women in cybersecurity, providing a platform for networking, mentorship, and professional development. As a leader in cybersecurity research and education, the ����vlog��Ƶ School of STEM Division of Computing & Software Systems (CSS) sponsored three students and one faculty member to attend the 2024 WiCyS conference in Nashville, Tennessee.  

Forging new paths  

Among the attendees was Anne Ha, a former medical resident and UW Bothell alumna of the bachelor’s degree in Computer Science & Software Engineering, Information Assurance and Cybersecurity option. Ha found reassurance in her academic journey as she noted the diverse backgrounds of the other attendees and speakers. 

“I realized that there are so many other women that have come to the field with different backgrounds, and that’s inspired me a lot,” Ha said. 

As Ha continued through her undergraduate journey, she became more interested in cybersecurity and landed her current internship in a security engineer role. She decided that she should take some cybersecurity classes to help prepare her for the internship when she received the invitation from the CSS division to apply for the WiCyS conference. 

Comprised of keynote speakers, workshops, resume reviews, and socials, the conference offered attendees valuable career insights and networking opportunities. Ha highlighted that this conference was unique in that connections with professionals didn’t feel transactional. She was able to speak with people for up to an hour about her resume, career tracks, interviewing skills, and more — an experience that she felt was unique to the WiCyS conference.    

Ha noted that she’s generally an introverted person but the genuine kindness and encouragement from industry professionals at the conference helped grow her confidence.  

“This conference made me more open to other people,” Ha said. ”And I’d like to offer the same help to other women, to other students, if I have a chance to.” 

Expanding expertise  

Graduate student Rithi Afra Jerald Jothi was working in a computer science role when she applied to UW Bothell’s Computer Science & Software Engineering master’s program. While in the program, she took classes to dive deeper into the cybersecurity side of computer science since she was already doing some of the work in her job. Seeking more guidance about career and academics paths, Rithi applied for the CSS scholarship to attend the WiCyS conference because she felt like it would be a good opportunity to learn more about the security side of the computer science field.  

“I was a little confused if I have to direct my career toward the software development side or security,” Rithi said. “So, I was just looking out for opportunities which would enhance my ideas on these domains so that it would give me a clearer picture.”  

At the conference, Rithi connected one on one with industry professionals and received a lot of advice on her career — valuable wisdom that she says she would not have been able to receive had she not attended.   

“All of them were able to give me insights on how to find professions which would combine both of these fields,” Rithi said. “So that was the first benefit, the biggest benefit, which helped me to shape my career at this point.”  

“I want to see more women in cybersecurity in my own classrooms and then in the industry and so on.”  

Dr. Geethapriya Thamilarasu

Empowerment through community  

For Dr. Geethapriya Thamilarasu, associate professor in the CSS division, the conference offered more than just professional development; it provided a sense of community and support.  

“I’m the only female faculty in cybersecurity here, so sometimes meeting with other women in the cybersecurity field provides that sense of community and support in a way that I don’t usually find here,” Thamilarasu said. 

Thamilarasu attended the conference twice before but shared that it’s always an inspiring experience because of all the different keynote speakers sharing their stories. 

“No matter what stage of career you are in, hearing from these successful women in cybersecurity can be extremely inspiring, motivating and empowering,” Thamilarasu said. “And then you come back ready to pass the torch on to get more women in the field. I want to see more women in cybersecurity in my own classrooms and then in the industry and so on.”  

Elevating voices  

Gender diversity in cybersecurity is something that resonates deeply with Thamilarasu as she is currently the only female faculty in cybersecurity at UW Bothell. She believes that recruiting and encouraging women to join these fields of study will be “extremely important for the growth of the industry as a whole.”  

Thamilarasu notes that a diverse workforce brings a broader range of perspectives and experiences to the table — essential for developing comprehensive cybersecurity strategies.  

“You don’t know if this is a field for you unless you go and see people who look like me, who talk like me, who think like me are leading this field in so many different ways,” Thamilarasu said.   

Thamilarasu’s commitment to diversity echoes the broader efforts at UW Bothell, where initiatives like sponsoring student conference attendance are championed to support women in STEM fields. The university’s investment in fostering diversity and inclusion is further demonstrated by the proactive actions of students like Lily Aguirre and Margaret Lanphere, the president and vice president of the , who secured funding through the Student Academic Enhancement Fund to attend the WiCyS conference. Their initiative underscores the importance of empowering students to take ownership of their learning and professional growth.

The students and professors who attended the conference all echo the same sentiment— they gained so much from their attendance.   

“The feeling of the inspiration and the empowerment that comes from the conference is unmatchable,” Thamilarasu said. “I think that is something everybody should experience.” 

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As a university that primarily serves underrepresented student populations — comprised of about 40% first-generation, 72% students of color, and 44% eligible for federal Pell Grants — imposter syndrome is a common feeling amongst ����vlog��Ƶ students.

Michael Cho, a 2022 UW Bothell alumnus knows this feeling exactly.

“I struggle with it a lot still myself,” Cho said regarding imposter syndrome. “But it is just about having the confidence in yourself that you can do these kinds of things.”

Second chance

Cho began his journey into academia from a prison cell through the This experiment grants people who are incarcerated eligibility to receive the Pell Grant for postsecondary programs. Cho was part of one of the six pilot programs through Centralia College and was the first graduate for Washington State Prisons. Following his release, Cho was admitted to the Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering program at UW Bothell.

“I realized that education’s really a great way to get out of the system and transformational for your life,” Cho said. “I was always learning, growing and I liked the academic environment.”

As an undergraduate student, Cho engaged in research with Assistant Professor Afra Mashhadi, focusing on federated machine learning. This research utilized edge devices – mobile phones – to collaboratively train a machine learning model to mitigate biases. This process allows for more diverse user-driven data, which ultimately can lead to more comprehensive research.

“He’s been a very inspirational person with the way he challenges himself, like really being motivated to learn more,” Mashhadi said. “When he said he wanted to do a Ph.D., I was just so happy because I think it really fits his personality of craving to be on top of research and learn more.”

Pursuing excellence

Cho accepted an electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. offer from the University of Georgia Institute of Technology after completing his degree at UW Bothell and is now working in a research lab focusing on the use of biosignals. More specifically, Cho is working on denoising, or making clearer, the signals from devices like smart watches and chest monitors. When the devices move on your wrist or chest, it can interrupt the signal and make it more difficult to interpret.

Inspired by his current work and the research he did as an undergraduate student, Cho decided to submit a research proposal to the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The NSF GRFP is the country’s oldest fellowship program that directly supports graduate students in various STEM fields. It provides students with a three-year stipend and access to opportunities for professional development. NSF GRFP fellows can become knowledge experts who significantly contribute to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to tell my story and try to apply for things that would make more of an impact,” Cho said.

Cho’s proposal for the fellowship combines his research in biosignals with his undergraduate work in federated machine learning. With enough user-generated data from a system like the one Cho proposes, the hope is that these biosignal watches or patches could more accurately detect things like cardiac diseases.

“It’d be cool to have a system that would be able to gather data from different sources and train it on these phones,” Cho said. “You can get more diversity of data and have the system more inclusive to other populations and demographics.”

Upon learning that he had received the fellowship, Cho recalled feeling excited, surprised, and very fortunate that he would be able to make his professors and advisors who helped him along the way proud.

Embracing the past, shaping the future

Previously, Cho stated his plans to one day teach science behind bars, and while that is still a goal, he is not entirely sure of his path going forward. While he completes his doctorate and fellowship, Cho has begun looking locally for opportunities to give back. One nonprofit he reached out to is Common Good Atlanta, an organization that provides people who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated with access to higher education.

“I definitely want to bring back some of the things that I learned and some of the benefits I have from my academic career to places where I’ve come from,” Cho said. “I still kind of don’t know exactly where I want to go, like whether it’s industry or academia, but I definitely want to try some volunteer opportunities, especially for prisons.”

Cho wasn’t immune to the imposter syndrome that challenges a lot of young academics, but his journey through academia is a testament to the resilience and determination of underrepresented students in academia.

“I always have that imposter syndrome, even at UW, but if you keep working at it and you’re passionate about what you do and you’re genuinely like a nice, friendly person, then I think that you’ll make it pretty big if you just keep trying,” Cho said.

Cho was honored by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Sharon Jones for his fellowship at the ����vlog��Ƶ Student Academic Showcase on May 16, 2024 – Mashhadi accepted the award on his behalf.

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Three students traveled to Orlando, Florida, to attend the 2023 in person and ten students logged on virtually. Students heard inspiring keynote speeches, attended workshops, expanded their network, met with company and higher education sponsors during the Career & Expo Hall, and felt empowered surrounded by a community of women and allies in the tech.

Increasing access and inspiring belief

The reality of attending a conference like GHC, especially out of state, feels out of reach for many students once they consider the costs to attend. Knowing this and recognizing the impact the GHC experience has on students is one of many reasons why the Division of CSS continues to sponsor the GHC conference every year and award full student scholarships to attend the conference in person or virtually.

For Greeshma Sree Parimi, a current Master of Science in Computer Science & Software Engineering (MSCSSE) student who attended GHC in person, the scholarship made the trip accessible. “It meant that I could fully immerse myself in the conference without the financial burden that often comes with attending such events,” she said.

Attending a large conference can also feel a bit overwhelming and intimidating. When Breanna Powell, a current MSCSSE student who graduated from the Graduate Certificate in Software Design & Development (GCSDD) bridge program at UW Bothell, learned she’d been awarded an in-person scholarship she felt a sense of validation.

“For me, it feels like people believe in me and my potential, even when I doubt myself,” said Powell.

“It gave me the push that I needed to go out there and search for jobs and apply,” she said. “It also encourages me to keep hosting events on campus through the UW Bothell Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) club and the Alliance 4 Sustainability club, because making connections is vital.”

For me, it feels like people believe in me and my potential, even when I doubt myself.

Breanna Powell, current MSCSSE student and GCSDD alumna

Opportunity through conversation

Networking at conferences specializing in a student’s major can create opportunities and propel their career forward.

Powell met a woman at GHC who was developing a VR application to help women practice tough work conversations and saw the potential in following up with them to see if they’d be willing to test it out with UW Bothell students.

“It was wonderful how open everyone was to just starting up a conversation, about anything they are doing, and how everyone really listened and seemed invested in connecting,” said Powell.

Shree Parimi had the chance to connect with several employers, exploring potential career opportunities and learning about the exciting projects and initiatives they’re working on.

“It was an invaluable experience to engage with these organizations and gain insights into what they are looking for in candidates,” she Shree Parimi.

One of Powell’s networking conversations led to an interview with the Los Alamos National Laboratory the next day. She fondly remembers that it was the least scared and most relaxed she had ever felt going into an interview because of their conversation the previous day.

Sustainability-focused sessions

GHC had a lot of sessions, so many that attendees had to prioritize what they wanted to attend (which was no easy choice!). Powell is very interested in green tech, so she was thrilled to see that there were several sustainability-focused sessions.

“Farm-to-Plate AI” from MathWorks was her favorite. It gave her an opportunity to use MATLAB for the first time and brought her together with a new friend, a student at the University of Missouri – St. Louis who shares her same interests.

“We got to see how to simulate a drone’s flight through a field and how computer vision and AI can help with every step of a mango’s journey to the table,” said Powell. “The strides that are being made in agrotech are going to have a huge impact on climate change initiatives.”

Growth experience

Students that attend GHC end the conference with new skills, inspiration, confidence, connections, career strategies, and a reinforced belief in the importance of diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.

When Powell thought about her experience, she realized it was not so scary to attend big conferences filled with software developers competing for jobs. Her experience got her thinking about how much of a difference it makes that these events exist.

“It made me even more excited to plan this year’s UW Bothell ACM student hackathon,” said Powell. The hackathon is a wonderful way for students to not only gain hands-on experience in programming and solving problems as a team, but it’s an opportunity to build their network and create something useful and fun.

Just like Powell, Sree Parimi would love to go back to GHC in the future.

“It’s an amazing event that fosters a sense of community and empowerment,” said Sree Parimi. “I believe it’s essential to continue attending such conferences to stay connected with the dynamic tech landscape and meet like-minded individuals.”

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“New technologies like AI are not only opportunities to make systems more robust against attack; they are also tools that can make the bad guys’ jobs easier,” Stiber tells Fortune. “Cybersecurity is our defense against such things and cybersecurity professionals are the digital makers and first responders keeping our increasingly digital lives safe.”

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This year’s symposium hosted presentations by undergraduates from across the three UW campuses. The UW Bothell students presented 20 different research projects and topics, ranging from “Nostalgic Analysis of Tweets During Crisis Events” to “Motivation in Non-Profit Organization Workers.”

The symposium featured research across a wide array of academic disciplines — from business to STEM — with the projects covering data and information from as far away as black holes in other galaxies to as close as the UW Bothell’s campus wetland.

In opening remarks for the symposium, Ed Taylor, UW’s vice provost and dean of undergraduate affairs, also recognized the faculty support that makes this depth and breadth of student research possible. He then announced and congratulated seven recipients of the����— including Dr. Paola Rodríguez Hidalgo, an assistant professor in UW Bothell’s��School of STEM.

Supporting their students

Students presenting in the symposium each year can nominate mentors who have had a profound impact on their education and research. A small committee of faculty and staff then reviews the nominations to select the award recipients.

“It was one of the most beautiful awards,” Rodríguez Hidalgo said. “It’s nice being recognized by the University, but it’s also thanks to my students — and that’s just so beautiful.”

She was nominated by two students from her quasar research group, Easton Robert Pierce and Alex Vong.

“Paola has been an amazing mentor. She has consistently pushed me to go beyond and motivated me to continue even when I’ve hit a wall,” said Pierce in his nomination for Rodríguez Hidalgo.

“Between her meetings, giving talks and writing papers, I’m not sure where she finds the time for it all,” he said. “She truly deserves to be recognized for all the hard work she puts into not only teaching classes but also mentoring students and leading the quasar research group.”

Understanding stars in the universe

Pierce is a senior majoring in physics at UW Bothell. He first developed a love of astronomy when his parents bought him a starter telescope when he was nine years old. He is now a NASA Space Grant scholar.

“What drew me to astronomy is the pure absurdity of the scale and energies of the objects in which we study,” he said.

At this year’s symposium, Pierce presented “” Quasars are a phenomenon where gas and dust from extremely luminous galactic cores fall into a supermassive black hole. This can sometimes produce winds known as outflows. Whether these outflows affect the evolution of their host galaxies remains unknown and continues to be a point of interest in ongoing research.

“Because of the large energies found in extremely high velocity outflows, we believe they may play a large role in the evolution of galaxies, specifically on their ability to form stars,” Pierce said.

Looking at ancient fires and fuels

In her presentation, “” Haley Brooks (Conservation & Restoration Science ’23) sampled 34 modern plant species from UW Herbarium collections to study charcoal morphometry — the measurement of sedimentary charcoal particle shape attributes — after burning the samples at 500 degrees Celsius.

Brooks investigated if charcoal aspect ratio is a valid method for determining fuel type. If this method can be used when looking at modern-day plants, she noted, it may provide important insights into ancient fire regimes. Her mentors for this research were both in the UW’s Department of Biology on the Seattle campus: Dr. Caroline Strömberg, professor; and Dr. Christopher Schiller, postdoctoral scholar.

With the rapidly changing climate, Brooks said it’s become a priority to gain a better understanding of how the changes will affect plant life to strategize conservation practices for the near future. “We’re in a climate crisis right now where we’ve never been in this climate zone, but the world has previously.

“So if we’re able to look at the climate zones of ancient fires and look at what burned at that time,” she said, “we can put that into our conservation practices and have retroactive success in protecting those plant species that are used for fuel — before it happens.”

Brooks noted in her presentation that continued research into the verification of charcoal morphometry as a means to verify fuel type could also help increase confidence in paleo reconstructions of ancient fuel types.

Examining learning during the pandemic

In his project, “” Eric Yoon Jae Shin analyzed student learning in a statistics course in both a pre-pandemic and pandemic setting. Dr. Caleb Trujillo, assistant professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, oversaw this research as Shin’s mentor.

“The main thing we wanted to find out was whether or not the COVID-19 disruptions affected students learning,” Shin said, a senior majoring Mathematical Thinking & Visualization.

Searching for answers, he looked to concept models — hand drawn models students use to write statistics concepts — to measure student learning. He analyzed 180 models from two different experiences and quarters: an in-person learning environment in a pre-pandemic quarter and an online learning environment during the pandemic.

“The key finding that we made was that students in the online quarter were adding concepts to their models at a lower rate than students in the previous quarter, which was before the coronavirus pandemic,” Shin said. “We came to the conclusion that the COVID-19 disruption had a major impact on a student’s learning in the statistics course.”

What makes this kind of research so important, Shin noted, is that it can be used by professors to better understand and assist college students as they learn in different spaces.

Discovering the possibilities

The presentations in this year’s symposium represent the broad range of research, scholarship and creative practice projects that students can undertake during their undergraduate studies.

Here is a small sampling of additional oral, poster and visual arts presentations UW Bothell students gave at this year’s symposium:

• “Fairness and Biases in Mobility Models”
  • presented by Daniel Wang, a senior in Computer Science & Software Engineering; mentored by Dr. Afra Mashhadi, assistant professor, School of STEM
• “Missing Maps: Identifying Remote Communities Using Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning”
  • presented by Inkar Kapen, a senior in Computer Science & Software Engineering and a Mary Gates Scholar; mentored by Dr. Afra Mashhadi, assistant professor, School of STEM
• “The Effect of Advanced Age and Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathology on Levels of the Tight Junction Protein, Occludin, in the Brain Microvasculature”
  • presented by Ali Mirzazadeh, a senior in Biology; mentored by Dr. May Reed, associate professor in the UW’s Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

A complete list of the research projects presented by UW Bothell students this year can be found on the .

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