News for Alumni and Friends, November 2023

B(U)ILT housewarming a success
Siebel Center for Computer Science now has a dedicated space for minority students studying computing-related fields. On October 12, student nonprofit organization B(U)ILT hosted a housewarming social in their new office, located in Siebel Center Room 0212. B(U)ILT stands for Black, (Underrepresented), Indigenous, and Latinos in Tech. The organization strives to act as a strong support system for minorities in computing-related fields while seeking to improve diversity in the workplace. The housewarming event allowed participants to decorate the B(U)ILT office, meet other minority students studying computer science, and network with CS professors. Read More

Amato wins inaugural Robotics Medal from MassRobotics
Computer science department head Nancy Amato has spent years pursuing dual passions: researching robotics and broadening participation among women in computing and robotics. MassRobotics, a leading nonprofit robotics innovation organization, lauded Amato for her achievements in these two areas, awarding her its first Robotics Medal at the Inaugural Women in Robotics Gala held at the Museum of Science in Boston, Massachusetts. The Robotics Medal is the world’s first major prize to acknowledge the impactful contributions of female researchers to the field of robotics. Read More

Amazon names Huang and Zhong as inaugural AICE fellows
Amazon has awarded two CS Ph.D. candidates, Kung-Hsiang (Steeve) Huang and Ming Zhong, fellowships for the upcoming year to support their research in conversational AI at the Amazon-Illinois Center on AI for Interactive Conversational Experiences AICE Center. Huang and Zhong are the first two winners of the annual prize gifted by Amazon. This collaboration between Amazon and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aims to develop novel approaches to conversational AI systems, specifically those that demonstrate contextual understanding and emotional intelligence while being ethical and fair. Read More

Using the graph algorithm to understand behavior in two worlds
“We want to use the graph algorithm to understand human behavior in two worlds. One is in the online, virtual world and how people interact with each other on some social media platform; the other world is the physical world and how people engage in various activities and interact with each other.” That’s how CS Professor Hanghang Tong described the linked research interests of three collaborative projects he is involved in. His involvement in these groups has resulted in a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MUR) grant from the U.S. Air Force, a National Science Foundation grant, and a Visa Faculty Award. Read More

Competition-style exam drives student innovation
Teams of CS students enthusiastically searching the Siebel Center atrium for hidden spy cameras could only mean one thing: it was the middle of Professor Elahe Soltanaghai’s CS 437 mid-term exam. “With the advances in smart systems, we are seeing more and more instances of these IoT devices being misused. This has been particularly problematic in hotel rooms and Airbnbs, with many reported incidents of cameras or microphones with wireless connectivity being used to spy on guests. So, the competition's main goal was to build a spy camera finder based on the wireless traffic of IoT devices,” Soltanaghai said. Read More

Support Grows for the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act
CS Professor and Department Head Nancy Amato voices support for the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act. (Committee on Science, Space, and Technology)

The Beatles new song "Now and Then" used AI to lift out John Lennon's voice
CS Professor Paris Smaragdis was interviewed about the implications of the artificial intelligence technology used to create the Beatles song "Now and Then." (Quartz)

AI fake nudes are booming. It’s ruining real teens’ lives.
CS Professor Gang Wang explained how  AI software can be used to create fake pornographic videos.  (The Washington Post)

Amazon and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announce funded research projects
Amazon and Illinois announce the inaugural slate of funded research projects. (Amazon Science)

The future of airport security is facial recognition
CS Professor Sheldon H. Jacobson wrote about the use of biometric facial recognition technology by the TSA in airport security checkpoints. (The Hill)

CS professors contribute to evaluation of new Intel server chips
CS professors Nam Sung Kim and Tiayin Xu were part of a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign team that evaluated the performance of New Intel server chips, code-named Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest. (The New Stack)

CS professor Guan named to 2023 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list
CS professor Kaiyu Guan has been named to the 2023 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list. He has been recognized as a research scientist who has demonstrated exceptional influence through the publication of multiple papers frequently cited by his peers during the last decade. (Clarivate)

Computer Science Graduation Open House
December 16, 2023, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Siebel Center for Computer Science
There will be an informal meet and greet, buffet lunch, graduates' gift + pop-up shop order pick-up, and photo opportunities. Learn More

Illinois Computer Science Speaker Series
Attend hybrid events where prominent leaders and experts share their ideas about essential challenges and topics in the discipline. Recordings are often available. View the Calendar