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DECEMBER 2025
The Monthly Build
A newsletter for the alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the University of Maryland's Department of Computer Science.
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Message from the Chair
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 Dear Students,
As we wrap up the fall semester, I want to recognize and applaud the hard work and commitment you’ve shown across your courses, projects and extracurricular activities. Your dedication strengthens our community and continues to make a meaningful impact throughout the department. Your work this semester reflects the steady growth that comes from engaging deeply with a challenging, evolving and rewarding field.
The end of the year offers a chance to reflect on your progress and prepare for what’s ahead. Over winter break, I hope you are able to get some well-deserved rest, spend time with friends and family, and return with renewed focus for the spring semester.
I wish you the very best on your final exams!
Warm regards,
Matthias Zwicker
Chair
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Features
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Champion of “Computing for All” Honored with a Named Space in the Brendan Iribe Center
A gift from alum Brendan Iribe named a student lounge in honor of Computer Science Principal Lecturer Emerita Jandelyn Plane. Read More » |
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Technica Marks Another Year of Innovation in Tech
UMD’s annual hackathon continues to create a space for collaboration, learning and community. Read More »
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CS Majors Revive Communal Saving Through Technology
Robel Endashaw and Abubakr Hussien create Cube, a digital platform inspired by traditional Ethiopian money pools that promotes shared saving and accountability. Read More »
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Students
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CS Majors Launch Platform to Protect Vacant Properties
Edward Marine and Viswanath Vasa developed SenseGuard, a long-range sensor system that helps organizations monitor environmental conditions in unattended sites. READ MORE »
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Two Ph.D. Graduates Receive Larry S. Davis Doctoral Dissertation Awards
Angeline May Aguinaldo and Songwei Ge received the awards for the 2025-26 academic year. READ MORE »
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UMD Students Build 33 Projects at Gemini Hack Night
The Google Developer Student Club hosted a 12-hour AI-focused event with 120 participants. READ MORE »
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Interdisciplinary AI Courses to Take This Spring at UMD
These classes help undergraduates understand and apply artificial intelligence. READ MORE »
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Faculty AND Research
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Huaishu Peng Blends the Digital and Physical Worlds
He discusses his career path, his research on human-computer interaction and the importance of sustainable innovation. READ MORE » |
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Q&A with Leo Zhicheng Liu on Bridging AI and Human Insight
He discusses his journey into data visualization and human-centered AI. READ MORE »
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Furong Huang Awarded Grant to Study Evasive AI Behavior
The project funded by Coefficient Giving (formerly Open Philanthropy) examines how language models bypass safeguards through subtle rewrites and context shifts. READ MORE »
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Building AI That Keeps Users Safe Across Cultures and Crises
Jordan Boyd-Graber is part of a team developing tools to detect cultural and linguistic inconsistencies in AI-generated answers. READ MORE »
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Robots That Measure Without Rulers
UMD researchers explore biologically inspired sensing to help robots navigate without predefined measurements. READ MORE »
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Finding Inspiration at the Intersection of Art and Technology
Matthew Nolan brings his experiences in music, art, computing and game design to the Immersive Media Design program. READ MORE »
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ALUMS
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Dave Baggett ’92 on Computing, Game Development and Building Startups
He reflects on his early influences, the creation of “Crash Bandicoot” and what he learned growing companies in the tech sector. READ MORE » |
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We are grateful to alumni and friends whose generosity supports current and future students. To learn more about how you can make a difference, please visit cs.umd.edu/giving.
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