CSE Showcase: What's Our Impact?

Welcome to the first CSE Showcase: What’s Our Impact? 

Our Department was inspired by the Triton Transfer Storytellers Contest and the beautiful works of art that were produced by participating transfer students. It made us reflect on all of the amazing contributions that UCSD students make to our campus community every day, and the far reaching impact they have on the world as a whole. 

In turn, we wanted to provide students with another opportunity to participate in a fun showcase that explores the concept of CSE’s impact on the world. All UCSD students were invited to reflect on the 2021 prompt below and submit a project in response to the topic. Students had the chance to discuss their projects with CSE Faculty/Instructors who served as Research Area Mentors, and make new connections within CSE. 

We are so excited to announce that our 2021 CSE Showcase Winner is Ashlyn Mahoney! 

With her permission, we are thrilled to share her winning project submission! Take a moment to watch her video, "A World Drowning in Smartphones" and read her written synopsis here

Updated 9.2.2021

Contest Guidelines
  • Students must register to participate (the registration form will open on June 14th and close on July 11th). 
  • Must be a UCSD student enrolled in Spring and Fall 2021, and planning to enroll in Winter 2022.
  • Open to both undergraduate and masters students (if enrolled accordingly as listed above).
  • Open to UCSD students in all majors, not just CSE majors.  
  • Students must submit a work that addresses the CSE Showcase Prompt, and includes both a visual component and written synopsis.
  • The visual component could include any form of art which can be submitted through a digital platform. Examples include: photography, videos, paintings, digital art, etc.
    • A note: if you do make a physical form of art, such as a painting or sculpture, we ask that you take a high quality photo(s) to showcase this piece to us. 
  • The written synopsis (1 - 2 pages) must explain your personal connection to the topic of your choice within the showcase prompt. 
  • Submissions will be made to a Google Drive and should be no larger than 10GB.
Contest Timeline

Contest Length: Summer Session 1, 2021 (5 weeks)

  • Registration Opens: Monday, June 14th
  • Registration Closes: Sunday, July 11th at 11:59 PM
  • Open Office Hours with Research Area Mentors Available Between: June 28th - July 9th
  • Showcase Submissions Accepted Between: June 28th - August 12th @ 11:59 PM 
Research Area Mentors

Throughout the first two weeks of the contest, CSE Faculty/Instructors will be available for consultation about your project submission. You can remotely drop in to their available office hours to discuss anything related to your project, whether that be specific ideas you have or more general discussion questions about the area of CS/CE your project falls into. This is a great opportunity to make a new connection with a CSE Faculty/Instructor and learn more about all of the amazing research happening in the field of CSE!

Instructors will host office hours over Zoom between the dates of June 28th and July 9th. You can find their availability and Zoom meeting details listed on the following google calendar

Meet your 2021 Research Area Mentors! Click on the name of each mentor below to read a brief bio about them, and then drop in to their available office hours listed on the calendar above: 

2021 CSE Showcase Prompt

Take a step back, look at your journey with computer science and engineering so far. Where does your passion lie within the community? Imagine money and time weren’t a factor - where would that passion take you? How would your passion and knowledge impact the world for better? 

Considering this prompt, submit a project centered on the impact of CSE. Your project must have both a visual component and a written synopsis explaining your personal connection to the topic you chose. Visual components can vary, for example, a painting, narrated video, photography collection, etc. Please review the contest guidelines below for further details on the required project components.

Prizes & Judging

Prize #1: $1,000 - Winner chosen by a panel of judges from the CSE Advising Staff. 

Judges will be reviewing project submissions according to the following rubric. Please review the rubric prior to your project submission to ensure you are following all contest guidelines and meeting all grading criteria.

Spread the Word!

This contest is open to UCSD students in all majors, so we'd love for everyone on campus to spread the word about this opportunity! Please see available advertising materials that you can download and share at your convenience. Thank you! 

CSE Showcase Advertising Materials Google Folder