CSE Students Celebrated for a Year of Achievements

Twenty-three stellar students from UC San Diego’s Computer Science and Engineering Department were recognized for their achievements in research, teaching, service/leadership and contributions to diversity during the End of the Year Celebration on June 7. 

“We have outstanding students who have made significant contributions to the field and to the department, impacting us at every level,” said CSE Chair Dean Tullsen. “This is one of the great CSE departments in the world, and our students are one of the biggest reasons why.” 

Among the many notable accomplishments of CSE students this past academic year, they have been a first author on four SIGGRAPH papers; helped improve security for users of the Chrome browser; revamped the CSE 141 course from the ground up; and played integral roles in the inaugural CSE Celebration of Diversity, in the Graduate Women in Computing (GradWIC) group and in the Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) organization. 

The ceremony recognized the following students:

Ph.D. Student Awards

• Doctoral Award for Excellence in Research: Zexiang Xu 
• Doctoral Award for Excellence in Teaching: Devon Merrill 
• Doctoral Awards for Excellence in Service/Leadership:  Ariana Mirian and Ailie Fraser 
• Doctoral Award for Excellence in Contributions to Diversity: Shraddha Barke

Master’s Student Awards

• Masters Award for Excellence in Research:  Michael Smith 
• Masters Award for Excellence in Teaching:  David Justo 
• Masters Award for Excellence in Service/Leadership:  Adam Rosenstein 
• Masters Award for Excellence in Contributions to Diversity:  Sothyrak Srey 

Undergraduate Student Awards

• Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Research:  Christopher Moyes 
• Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Teaching:  Albert Sterling Christensen 
• Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Service/Leadership: Hasan Al - Jamaly  
• Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Service/Leadership:  Nicole Martindale  
• Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Contributions to Diversity:  Priyal Rakesh Suneja 
• Undergraduate CSE Ring Ceremony Awards for Excellence:  Barbara Liu He and Rahul Sudheer Sabnis 

The field of students was so impressive the department also awarded eight Honorable Mention awards:

Master’s Students 

• Honorable Mention for Excellence in Research: Paarth Neekhara 
• Honorable Mention for Excellence in Teaching: Vignesh Gokul  

Undergraduate Students 

• Honorable Mention for Excellence in Research: Xuanang (Leon) Li 
• Honorable Mention for Excellence in Research: Purisa Jasmine Simmons 
• Honorable Mention for Excellence in Teaching:  Robin Osekowsky 
• Honorable Mention for Excellence in Teaching:  Derek Tse 
• Honorable Mention for Excellence in Contributions to Diversity:  Melissa Esther Wright 
• Honorable Mention for Excellence in Contributions to Diversity:  Kaylie Lu