UC San Diego computer scientist Ryan Kastner is the recipient of a 2025 CRA-E Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award from the Computing Research Association (CRA). Kastner is a professor in the Jacobs School of Engineering’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), where he holds the William Nachbar endowed chair.
Each year, CRA recognizes two or three individual faculty members with a Computer Research Award – Education for providing exceptional mentorship to undergraduates. Nominees are evaluated based on research experiences, guidance on graduate school, and matriculation of students to research-focused graduate programs in computing.
Kastner is the founder and co-director of the Engineers for Exploration program, which pairs undergraduates in research experiences with domain scientists in various fields. Through the program, he has led students on expeditions to Maya archaeological sites in Guatemala, remote Caribbean islands to track endangered species, and to southern Jamaica to assess the rehabilitation of mangroves.
“[Kastner’s] contributions in advising and mentoring undergraduates have been excellent. Exceptional mentoring efforts like [his] are crucial to the health of the computing research pipeline,” wrote Danys Poshyvanyk and Renee Bryce, co-chairs of the 2025 CRA-E award committee.
Kastner recalls how he was a first-generation university graduate who knew nothing about research or what it meant to be a professor.
“When I started as an undergraduate, I had no idea what a professor was. I would look at the door cards of my university instructors and wonder why they were called ‘Dr,’ “ Kastner said. “ I was given an opportunity to do research based on my performance in an undergraduate class. That forever changed my life. I've been trying to give many people the same opportunity since becoming a professor."
He went on to earn that “Dr.” title and joined UC San Diego as a professor in 2007. He has mentored more than 1,000 undergraduates in his career and more than 100 have gone on to graduate school.
Kastner is the first CRA-E Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award recipient from UC San Diego since its inception in 2016, joining a small and esteemed cohort of past honorees.
By Kimberley Clementi and Katie E. Ismael