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Four CS students earn major National Science Foundation fellowships

joze4324 — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:35:48 +0000

Four CS students earn major National Science Foundation fellowships joze4324 Thu, 04/16/2026 - 12:35

Jeff Zehnder

Four University of Colorado Boulder computer science students have earned prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program awards.

Adithya Bhaskara, Andy Gusty, Tanner Smith and Nora Su are 2026 recipients of the NSF GRFP awards, which rec support outstanding students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s or doctoral degrees.

Awardees receive a $37,000 annual stipend and cost of education allowance for the next three years as well as professional development opportunities.

Find out more about each honoree below

Adithya Bhaskara

Senior, double major in Computer Science and Mathematics

Will start at MIT in fall 2026.

Advisor: Rafael Frongillo

Voting theory is the study of making collective decisions given agents’ preferences. A voting rule is a map from a collection of voters' rankings over candidates to a winner. Common examples include plurality, instant runoff, and ranked pairs. There are several normative ideals that a given voting rule should satisfy, and different voting rules seek to implement different principles. In the United States, debates surrounding the merits of different voting rules have intensified in recent years. These debates have led to a flurry of both theoretical and empirical research studying the behavior of voting rules, often coming to contradictory conclusions. But to make informed policy decisions, it is important to resolve these differences and understand the resulting implications for both candidates and voters. As a result, I plan to research the structural causes of these discrepancies, and the incentives of both voters and candidates to strategically place themselves on an ideological spectrum.

Andy Gusty

Senior, double major in Computer Science and Mathematics

Will start at UC San Diego in fall 2026

Advisor: Emily Jensen

My GRFP proposal was based on my senior thesis research, which came about through a collaboration with Prof. Cody Scarborough’s EMRG research group. Our work studies how electrical circuits can be designed to generate short, high-frequency electromagnetic pulses used in medical imaging, radar, and communications systems. One circuit design that has shown success is the nonlinear transmission line (NLTL). These circuits are inexpensive, made of widely available components, and very reliable because they have no moving parts. However, tuning the design of NLTLs to generate pulses with desired properties is not well understood due to their nonlinear dynamics. Our work uses numerical optimization together with tools from partial differential equations and lattice dynamical systems to determine what pulses can be generated by NLTLs, and how to systematically tune circuit parameters to achieve them.

Tanner Smith

1st Year PhD Student

Advisor: Ramin Ayanzadeh
Lab: Quantum Architecture, Systems, and Applications Research Lab (QUASAR)

My research will be on the development of a compilation framework for heterogeneous quantum architectures that integrates diverse qubit technologies. Currently, there are various quantum technologies being researched to implement qubits. These range from superconducting qubits, to trapped ion, to neutral atoms and photonics. Current quantum systems are constrained by platform-specific trade-offs between factors like gate speed, coherence times, and connectivity. One promising direction in quantum computing is to design systems that combine various hardwares. However, this introduces the problem of cross-platform circuit compilation. My goal is to research current qubit technologies and develop a hardware-aware compiler for heterogeneous systems that can balance the benefits and drawbacks of each hardware during qubit routing, mapping, and circuit optimization.

Nora Su

Senior, Computer Science

Will begin at Carnegie Mellon University in fall 2026.

Advisor: Bradley Hayes
Lab: CAIRo Lab

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Achey earns Department of Defense NDSEG fellowship

Charles Ferrer — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 19:03:18 +0000

Achey earns Department of Defense NDSEG fellowship Charles Ferrer Tue, 08/26/2025 - 13:03

Charles Ferrer

Lorin Achey has earned the prestigious 2025 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship for her promising research in robotic perception systems.

Achey, a second-year PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at �鶹��Ƶ received the prestigious Department of Defense fellowship. The fellowship was established to recognize and support science and engineering PhD students in disciplines of military importance.

The award includes a three-year monthly stipend and coverage of tuition, fees and insurance, along with a travel budget for professional development to present research findings at conferences and workshops.

We sat down with Achey to share some thoughts on her research and how it could impact robotic systems in the future.

Where did your academic journey begin and what drew you to robotics?

I started in community college while working full-time. I was frustrated at the limited mobility available to those without a college degree and that pushed me to consider a degree in STEM. I could see the growing popularity of computing and coding and it seemed like an exciting field so I decided to pursue computer science. After I graduated from undergrad, I worked as a software engineer for a few years. I enjoyed it, but I really missed doing research.

I decided to return to graduate school for a PhD. I was drawn to robotics because it’s still a new and rapidly evolving field. It’s full of opportunities to contribute! Now, I work on enhancing robotic perception systems. My research helps a robot reason over the information it gets from its sensors so that it can predict, plan and move around its environment. The goal is to improve the robot’s understanding of the world so that it can operate more efficiently and safely around humans.

What do you hope your robotic research will inform in the future?

Robots are awesome, but they aren’t always predictable, trustworthy and safe for humans to interact with. While there has been a lot of progress in the field, there are still safety concerns. I hope that my research will lead to robots and humans being able to coexist safely.

What project are you focusing on for the fellowship?

I have so many projects I am excited about! Right now, I’m working on a multi-agent robotic exploration project where a team of two robots works together to explore and map an environment. After that, I plan to focus on new projects that incorporate Vision Language Models into navigation and decision-making for mobile robots.

Can you share how your robotic exploration project hopes to open new lifesaving discoveries?

The idea for the multi-agent robot pair exploration project comes from domains like search and rescue or even extraterrestrial exploration. The robot team we’re using consists of an aerial vehicle and ground vehicle. The aerial vehicle can scout ahead of the ground vehicle, looking for signs of a missing person, alerting the ground vehicle of dangerous terrain traps or in the case of extraterrestrial exploration, notifying the ground vehicle of an interesting location to do a scientific task like sample recovery. The goal is to speed up the information gathering process and to help avoid catastrophic navigation failures. In search and rescue scenarios, time is of the essence. If we can search, locate and navigate to someone more efficiently, it could be life saving.

We are working on an algorithm to do this type of information sharing more efficiently so that we can improve the resource utilization for the aerial platform. We are hoping that the project leads to some exciting robotics field work where we prove our algorithm in an abandoned mine or other cave-like environment using real hardware rather than just evaluating it in simulation.

What does earning this fellowship mean to you and what most excites you about it?

It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me. Like so many others, I have struggled with imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Being awarded this fellowship makes me feel like the hard work I put in has been seen and recognized. I am really excited for the opportunity to focus solely on my research and not have to worry about changing funding sources. Typically, we are juggling work on other research grants or teaching responsibilities in addition to our own research projects. With a fellowship, you get to focus solely on your research which is really freeing!

What has been one of the most fulfilling experiences for you here at �鶹��Ƶ?

I’ve really enjoyed getting to know other PhD students and faculty, both in my lab and in other labs around campus. I have met so many smart, funny, kind and inspiring people who I would not have met if I hadn’t been accepted to grad school here. There’s a collaborative spirit at �鶹��Ƶ that is pretty unique. It encourages us to see each other as collaborators not competitors and that has made the experience of being here on campus fulfilling and enriching in a way I couldn’t have predicted.

What's next for you after completing your PhD?

I hope to continue my research as an industry researcher or tenure-track faculty member at a research institution. I think both roles would be fulfilling in their own ways. I haven’t decided which would be the best fit yet.

What are some hobbies that keep you grounded while not researching?

I love the typical Boulder hobbies like skiing and trail running, but I’m also a member of the CU Gymnastics Club! Gymnastics is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it has helped me build strength and mental resilience. When I feel stuck in my research, I go to practice to unwind and celebrate new skills I’ve learned. Somehow it always cheers me up to jump on a trampoline and flip around!

Any words of wisdom for students looking at a STEM field?

I think I’d like readers, especially those who are struggling with their education, to know that you don’t have to be perfect. You can fail at things, make countless mistakes, still succeed and achieve things you never thought possible. Just don’t give up.

Lorin Achey, a second-year computer science PhD student, has earned the prestigious 2025 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship for her promising research in robotic perception systems. The Department of Defense fellowship was established to recognize and support science and engineering PhD students in disciplines of military importance.

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CS PhD student is making waves in research and the open water

Alexander James Servantez — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 21:22:14 +0000

CS PhD student is making waves in research and the open water Alexander Jame… Tue, 07/08/2025 - 15:22

Alexander Servantez

When a COVID-19 outbreak swept through a choir rehearsal in early 2020, it didn’t just spark headlines—it ignited a research journey for Corey Murphey.

Murphey, a fifth-year PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at �鶹��Ƶ, is using computational modeling to explore how aerosols are generated by the vocal folds during everyday actions such as speech and even singing. Her work aims to understand the spread of pathogens through these aerosols and limit the transmission of airborne, infectious diseases.

“There has been a fair amount of aerosol and air quality research done here at �鶹��Ƶ, but I am trying to explore the modeling side of things,” said Murphey. “I think it will give us a more mechanistic understanding of where these aerosols are being generated. If we can understand where they are coming from, we might gain insight into what pathogens are making their way out.”

The early inspiration and research

The work is inspired by the global COVID-19 pandemic. But Murphey said there was one specific moment that really caught her attention and guided her down this path: the infamous choir rehearsal in Skagit Valley, Washington.

One of the earliest and most significant outbreaks in the United States, the Skagit Valley choir outbreak was lethal. Of the 61 attendees, 53 were infected with COVID-19, according to CNN. Two of the participants ultimately died.

PhD student Corey Murphey performing some testing in the lab.

Many people see the superspreader event as a pivotal moment that heavily influenced public health policies related to indoor gatherings. For researchers, it raised another alarm—could the act of singing have caused the virus to spread at a higher rate?

“I grew up singing in choirs and whatnot, so seeing a two-and-a-half hour choir rehearsal affect that many people was difficult,” Murphey said. “There was something related to singing—the severity of phonation that occurs when singing—that caused this event. I just wanted to continue some of the experimental research that was already being done.”

Murphey hopes her models can help guide public health policy in the event of another pandemic. Or could help raise awareness between the connection between speech and pathogen emission so that people are more cognizant of their actions.

“We’re looking at patient-specific diagnostic tools that can help us determine how certain voice disorders or geometries can change aerosol production. It will help us look at what types of public health measures we can propose—or even things as simple as adapting certain vocal ranges during a rehearsal if the risk of admitting aerosol is high,” said Murphey. “We also want people to just talk about the dangers of speech. Everybody knows the mantras ‘cover your mouth when you cough’ or ‘cover your nose when you sneeze.’ It’s the same sort of principle here with speech.”

The outlet outside of research

Murphey is not just a skilled researcher. She is also a talented swimmer with roots going all the way back to her childhood.

Growing up, Murphey excelled as a pool swimmer. She started competing on swim teams at the young age of three and continued through high school, winning a handful of meets along the way.

Murphey holding up a medal for an open-water swimming competition.

When she started her college journey at Stanford University, Murphey competed for a club team in Palo Alto, California. It allowed her to stay engaged in the swim community while also providing room for academics.

“It actually worked out really well,” Murphey said. “I was able to get on board as the manager of the women’s swim team during my senior year. It allowed me to continue swimming and it provided me with some structure. I was able to be involved in the community and still have time to focus on my engineering degree.”

After receiving her undergraduate degree, Murphey also acquired her master’s degree at the same university. She decided her next step was achieving a PhD from �鶹��Ƶ, but another life event awaited her.

At the age of 32, Murphey’s grandfather had a laryngectomy—a surgical procedure to remove part of the voice box. This left him with an open larynx and put him at a higher risk during the pandemic because masks failed to cover his stoma.

Concerned for his health, Murphey took on the responsibility of being his caretaker. To cope with the stress of caretaking, she said there was a void that needed to be filled.

“I was looking for an outlet with swimming, but I felt like I needed something different,” said Murphey. “I wanted to swim peacefully and focus on enjoying it.”

That outlet for Murphey was open-water swimming. Unlike pool swimming, there is no lap structure, stroke restrictions, rigid distance limit or even emphasis on speed. Wherever there was open water—like a reservoir or a lake—she could swim until her heart desires.

“The departure from the controlled environment of pool swimming was exactly what I needed,” Murphey said. “Nothing in open water, whether it's the temperature or the conditions, is controlled and it feels liberating. It’s completely free.”

The harmony of research and hobby

Murphey is considered a marathon open-water swimmer, meaning anything longer than six miles. Her current sights are set on 20 mile swims in environments around the country that can change in seconds.

Murphey swimming on an open-water competition alongside a kayaker.

Recently, Murphey took first-place in the SCAR Swim Challenge, a four-day swim stage race in Arizona that spans a total cumulative distance of 41.7 miles. It’s one of the largest organized marathon swims in the world and it took Murphey over 15 cumulative hours to complete.

“I went into the competition just wanting to finish. I really wasn’t expecting to win,” said Murphey. “It was the experience that I was more grateful for—the people that I met and the overall challenge I endured.”

It’s Murphey’s time in the open water that allows her to unplug from the world and be at peace with herself. But those benefits don’t leave when she exits the water. Every swim brings along a new perspective that she can carry into her research career, as well.

“Being completely disconnected from the world when I am in the water is truly meditative,” Murphey said. “I have some time out there to clear my head, but also think through life and research problems. It allows me to be more mindful when I come back to the lab or my teaching.”

On the flip side, there is also a fluid-structure connection in Murphey’s research that gives her a unique upper hand when she sets foot on a long swim. She said her background as an engineer has actually made her a better swimmer, fundamentally changing the way she views the sport.

“Sometimes I make changes to my strokes, head position and even breathing when I am in the water depending on the fluid mechanics and conditions of the environment,” said Murphey. “There are a lot of little changes you can make to fight currents or save energy. I’ve learned to approach these situations in a fun, scientific way.”

Murphey has her eyes on some future swim events and another year of research. Both come with their challenges, but one thing is for certain: as long as she can feel the water, she can conquer the tide.

Corey Murphey is a fifth-year PhD student working to understand the spread of pathogens through these aerosols and limit the transmission of airborne, infectious diseases. But she's also an accomplished marathon open-water swimmer who recently took first-place in the SCAR Swim Challenge.

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Corey Murphey (middle) with her mother and friend during the SCAR Swim Challenge

PhD student earns major National Science Foundation fellowship

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:58:22 +0000

PhD student earns major National Science Foundation fellowship Jeff Zehnder Tue, 06/24/2025 - 08:58

Jeff Zehnder

Livia Betti has earned a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program award.

The NSF program supports outstanding grad students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s or doctoral degree.

Betti, a computer science PhD student advised by Assistant Professor Esther Rolf, is advancing research at the intersection of data-centric AI and machine learning theory, with a focus on understanding what makes a dataset effective for model training.

"My latest project explores factors of dataset composition in geospatial applications. I'm really motivated by opportunities for my work to inform real-world decisions and policy, such as data collection and dataset design decisions. Ultimately, I aim to develop theoretical foundations that explain and guide these choices, to help bridge empirical insights with a formal understanding," Betti said.

GRFP awardees receive a $37,000 annual stipend and cost of education allowance for the next three years as well as professional development opportunities.

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�鶹��Ƶ receives $1 million grant to fund minority PhD STEM students

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 20:54:10 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ receives $1 million grant to fund minority PhD STEM students Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/25/2022 - 14:54

Grace Wilson

The fellowship will provide tuition support, a $34,000 stipend for two years and a unique support system for 12 students to advance their PhD studies and research in computer science and other fields.

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PhD students explore trust between humans and robots with augmented reality version of Minesweeper

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 21:55:09 +0000

PhD students explore trust between humans and robots with augmented reality version of Minesweeper Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/25/2022 - 15:55

Ellen Fike

When you should trust your robot teammate? Computer science PhD students Aaquib Tabrez and Matthew Luebbers, along with their advisor Assistant Professor Bradley Hayes, used augmented reality minesweeper to gain insight into a robot’s decision-making process and were awarded runner-up for best student paper at AAMAS 2022.

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How to turn throwaway cardboard into a DIY arcade game

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 15:48:09 +0000

How to turn throwaway cardboard into a DIY arcade game Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/22/2022 - 09:48

Daniel Strain

Tinycade, the brainchild of Gyory and his colleagues at ATLAS, brings a do-it-yourself spirit to the world of video games. Tinycade allows anyone, anywhere to make a working arcade machine that can fit on a side table, with just a smartphone, some cardboard, two small mirrors and bric-a-brac like rubber bands and toothpicks.

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�鶹��Ƶ researchers explore the engineering of bee honeycombs

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 19:20:43 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ researchers explore the engineering of bee honeycombs Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/19/2022 - 13:20

Jeff Zehnder

Assistant professor Orit Peleg in the Department of Computer Science will work on a new $497,000 grant with aerospace assistant professor López Jiménez Ann to explore how bees build honeycombs, research that supports bio-inspired system designs in swarm robotics and lightweight cellular structures.

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$20M ESIIL center aims to foster a “revolution” in environmental data science

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 18:45:58 +0000

$20M ESIIL center aims to foster a “revolution” in environmental data science Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/11/2022 - 12:45

Computer Science Associate Professor Claire Monteleoni is the AI/Machine Learning Lead for a new $20M NSF Center at �鶹��Ƶ, housed in CIRES, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. The new center is a major new data science and diversity effort including partners from multiple institutions around the world.

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�鶹��Ƶ part of $5.8M grant to improve cyber-physical transportation systems

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 06:00:00 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ part of $5.8M grant to improve cyber-physical transportation systems Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/29/2022 - 00:00

CS assistant professor Majid Zamani and his team are part of a new $5.8M grant from the NSF to help build the intelligent transportation systems of the future.

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