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Computing Science

For students interested in research, the MSc degree provides the opportunity to start a PhD research project in any of the related topics at a university in the Netherlands or abroad. Such positions are regularly available within Utrecht University. There are ample contacts with other universities as well, partly through the nationwide Dutch research school SIKS (School for Knowledge and Information Systems). Some positions are sponsored by companies or the Dutch research council. Graduates may also find challenging positions in R&D departments of international companies, governments, and the banking and insurance sectors.

Doing a PhD

If you have completed your Master's programme, and you are enthusiastic about doing research in your field, then maybe doing a Doctorate (PhD) will interest you. A Doctor’s degree is the highest academic degree awarded by a Dutch university. You start as 'assistant in training' (aio) or 'researcher in training' (oio).

At Utrecht University

At Utrecht University you take part in education in one of the Graduate Schools and often also teach students. During the four-year PhD programme you work under the guidance of a professor on creating a research project that results in a dissertation or a series of articles in scientific journals. You can search for positions on research projects on offer or a position whereby you are free to submit your own research proposal. Read more on doing a  PhD  at Utrecht University. 

Other options

The best way to find a PhD position is through networking with the professor in the field you wish to specialize. Another option is to search via  www.academictransfer.nl . Here you can also find more information on doing PhD research in the Netherlands. 

Follow Utrecht University

Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50

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Graduate School of Science

Computer Science

PhD candidates carry out a programme of independent research and additional (limited) course work, culminating in production of a PhD thesis in typically 4 years.

A detailed description of the research projects can be found on the website of the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS) .

Requirements

Specific requirements of the PhD programme depend on the specialisation chosen and are determined in agreement with the supervisor of the thesis. The students actively participate in national and international meetings as a part of their training. The PhD thesis is written in English, the language commonly used in the research groups.

An MSc degree is required for admission to the PhD programme. If appropriate, the PhD project will be a continuation of an MSc research project. Every year, the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science has paid positions available for PhD candidates, that are filled on a merit basis.

A paid position includes limited assistance in undergraduate teaching. It may also be possible to enter the PhD programme with self-obtained grants. Grants must provide for costs of living and for a bench fee.

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Computer Science & AI

The Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS) is a centre of excellence for multidisciplinary research and education in computer science and artificial intelligence (AI).

The mission of LIACS is t o advance computer science for a sustainable future of society.  C omputer Science, including Artificial Intelligence, will play a paramount role in creating a sustainable future for society and environment. At LIACS, we strive for advancing algorithms, systems and foundations of Artificial Intelligence for supporting this goal. Excellent science, a professional attitude and an inclusive, respectful, compassionate treatment of our people and all stakeholders characterize our approach. Within ten years, we have grown to be a leading center for fundamental and applied research in this domain.

  LIACS performs  research  within a number of themes. We concentrate on the study of theoretical foundations and formal methods, and focus on applications in the field of artificial intelligence and data science. And we cooperate with knowledge institutes, governments and corporate organisations. As a consequence of our broad and international working field, we offer complete and outstanding  education . 

• Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS)

• 21 May PhD defence Reasoning about object-oriented programs: from classes to interfaces J. Bian
• 21 May Festival | We are Science week Beat the Professor PubQuiz
• 23 May PhD defence Tailoring X-ray tomography techniques for cultural heritage research F.G. Bossema
• 23 May PhD defence New Foundations for Separation Logic H..A. Hiep

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• 2 PhD Candidates, Reinforcement Learning for Sustainable Energy
• Postdoc Automated Reasoning in Quantum Computing (0.8-1.0 FTE)

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Best Global Universities for Computer Science in the Netherlands

These are the top universities in the Netherlands for computer science, based on their reputation and research in the field. Read the methodology »

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Here are the best global universities for computer science in the Netherlands

Delft university of technology, university of amsterdam, eindhoven university of technology, university of twente, leiden university, utrecht university, vrije universiteit amsterdam, radboud university nijmegen, wageningen university & research, university of groningen.

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• # 65 in Best Universities for Computer Science
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• # 123 in Best Universities for Computer Science  (tie)
• # 342 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 186 in Best Universities for Computer Science  (tie)
• # 400 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 227 in Best Universities for Computer Science  (tie)
• # 74 in Best Global Universities  (tie)

Leiden University is a public institution that was founded in 1575, making it the oldest university in the Netherlands... Read More

• # 230 in Best Universities for Computer Science  (tie)
• # 44 in Best Global Universities

Utrecht University is a public institution that was founded in 1636. It is located in the city of Utrecht in the... Read More

• # 245 in Best Universities for Computer Science
• # 82 in Best Global Universities

VU University Amsterdam is a public institution that was founded in 1880. The Dutch university is located in the Zuidas... Read More

• # 248 in Best Universities for Computer Science  (tie)
• # 106 in Best Global Universities
• # 345 in Best Universities for Computer Science  (tie)
• # 89 in Best Global Universities  (tie)

• # 415 in Best Universities for Computer Science  (tie)
• # 88 in Best Global Universities

The University of Groningen is a public institution that was founded in 1614, making it one of the oldest universities... Read More

The science behind the computers

Computer science.

The last couple of decades have brought forth major changes to our society. Perhaps the most prominent one is the proliferation of computing devices. By 2021 it is safe to say that the number of computing devices exceeds the number of human beings in any given living or work space in the developed world. A closely related trend is that of connectivity. Devices and their owners are connected, forming a world wide web. The global network, also known as the Internet, is augmented by local ones in virtually all homes and offices. Our lives are not only interwoven with computers, but also inherently networked. It is this background that sets the scene for the Department of Computer Science. 

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Research in the Department of Computer Science is organised in the following domain related sections: Artificial Intelligence Bioinformatics Computer Systems and Security Sustainable Digital Society Theoretical Computer Science

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PhD research fellow immuno- informatics in inflammatory bowel disease

16 May 2024 Job Information Organisation/Company Amsterdam UMC Research Field Medical sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Country Netherlands Application Deadline 1 Jun 2024 - 21

PhD Candidate: Neuromorphic Computing for Science

(UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme ? Not funded by an EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a

PhD in Computational Chemistry

industrial printing. Tasks and responsibilities: Perform research in the computational chemistry theme of the van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences ; Be an active member of the computational chemistry

degree in Chemical engineering, Physics , Scientific Computing or Applied Mathematics (familiarity with Statistical Physics or Soft Matter is an advantage); A strong background in chemistry, physics

: •    Perform research in the computational chemistry theme of the van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences ; •    Be an active member of the computational chemistry theme ; •    Take part actively in

of the project (2x per year); •    Provide assistance with teaching at HIMS. Requirements Your experience and profile: •    A recent MSc degree in Chemical engineering, Physics , Scientific Computing or Applied

PhD's on neuromorphic computing & engineering: algorithms &hardware architectures

Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description The Neuromorphic Edge Computing Systems (NECS) Lab at the Eindhoven University of Technology invites applications

Irène Curie Fellowship No Department(s) Electrical Engineering Reference number V36.7370 Job description The Neuromorphic Edge Computing Systems (NECS) Lab at the Eindhoven University of Technology

PhD Position in Computational Biology: Using Machine Learning to Understand the Immune System

computer vision ? Would you like to apply AI and machine learning for fundamental research in biology? Then you have a part to play as a PhD candidate. By combining simulations and machine learning, you will

aspiring data science researcher with an interest in human immunology, causal inference in dynamical systems, and/or computer vision ? Would you like to apply AI and machine learning for fundamental research

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PhD research

PhD research is at the heart of what we do as a University. Around 2000 PhD candidates are involved in research and education at the UvA and around 400 doctorates are conferred each year. Two-thirds of these are in the Sciences or Medicine.

PhD vacancies

Getting your PhD at the UvA

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This PDF brings together all kinds of information about the PhD process, from the regulations and different steps in the process to terms of employment and facilities you can make use of as a PhD candidate.

Doctoral programme: from admission to completion

Documents and forms, phd contact information, central phd council, cookie consent.

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PhD at Utrecht University

Phd programmes.

At Utrecht University, earning a PhD is a hands-on process that involves relatively little coursework.

You will conduct research from day one, which will allow you to develop your own ideas within the research group's theme. You will remain in close contact with your supervisors throughout the programme.

All information for both prospective and current PhD students can be found in the PhD Manual (pdf).

About PhD Programmes

Interested in a PhD programme in Utrecht?

A partnership with impact: Anton de Kom University of Suriname

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Municipalities taking a different course in the reception and assistance of refugees

Work in process: Unearthing Meaning using Process Mining

“We should see workarounds as valuable feedback, rather than turning a blind eye”

PhD Defense: Various colors of resilience in the face of disease-related challenges

PhD defence: Antigen-Specific Immune Tolerance through Dendritic Cell Modulation

PhD Defense: Biomarker-driven treatment strategies in solid tumors; Insights from clinical and translational research

Phd defense: advancing the frontiers of mr-guided radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer.

PhD defense: It is about power! Unveiling power and empowerment in grassroots agri-food initiatives

Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50

How to become a PhD candidate

To become a PhD candidate you can apply to a specific PhD position that can be found on our vacancy website . If you can't find vacancies fitting your research interest, please consider sending an open application to the secretary of the research department of your interest .

Admission requirements

To apply for a PhD position you must:

• Be familiar with the theory and methodology of the research field
• Have a Dutch master’s degree (or a foreign equivalent)
• Be proficient in English

Please read the job description carefully for any additional requirements. 

English language requirement

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that you are able to:

• Communicate and interact well
• Participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses
• Write scientific articles and your dissertation
• Successfully defend your PhD dissertation

Here's the minimum requirement if you want to apply for a PhD or EngD programme at TU Delft:

• IELTS Overall band score is 7.0 (with scores of at least 6.5 for all sections)
• TOEFL Overall band score is 100 (with scores of at least 21 for all sections) Note: The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted for the English proficiency, the TOEFL MyBest scores is not accepted.

You do not need to present the test results as part of your application; these results will be requested at a later stage during the selection procedure.

Accommodations for test takers with disabilities or health-related needs

The testing institutions IELTS and TOEFL have accommodations available for test takers with a specific learning difficulty – for instance dyslexia or a motor disability – or health related needs. If you, for example, need an extension of the test time, you can discuss this personally with the testing institution. For more information please visit the  IELTS website  and the  TOEFL IBT Test website .

Exemptions from English proficiency test

Native speakers will be exempt from the English test requirement, as well as, in principle, non-native applicants who have obtained an English-taught Master’s degree. If during the selection process it is deemed that the English proficiency of the candidate with an English-taught Master’s degree does not meet the requirements, they may also be asked to do a test. 

Directly to:

• Doctoral regulations & Implementation Decree

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Fees and Funding

Career Perspectives

Industrial PhD positions in Computer Science, in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Israel - QUARC (MSCA)

The European Doctoral Network “ QUARC ” is an Industrial Doctorate, offering 8 positions to immerse in research and development teams at  NVIDIA . The positions are mixed academia and industry; this means you will spend 18 months in  Eindhoven  (The Netherlands) or  Copenhagen  (Denmark) and 18 months in  Yokneam  (Israel) or  Roskilde  (Denmark).

The project includes not only research activities but also training opportunities in science, technology, business and entrepreneurship.

The topic of QUARC is in the area of networking, in particular the utilization of data-processing units (DPUs) to enable quantum resistance communications.

This topic is multidisciplinary, meaning there is no predetermined profile for the researcher: computer scientist, mathematicians, electrical engineers, electronic engineers… the project offers enough room to find an angle to apply your background.

The positions are open to fill as of September 2022 to start right away; we will keep the positions open until filled, hence do not hesitate in contacting us regardless of when you see this ad, as chances as we are still looking for you. The industrial researchers will be enrolled in a PhD program, and hence, at the end of the three years, they will graduate with a doctorate in the field.

The salary conditions are according to the Marie Curie Guidelines - these vary from country to country, but are normally higher than salaries for regular academic PhDs.

Skills/Qualifications

Applicants should have or about to receive a Master of Science degree or equivalent education (5 years university degree) in the area of computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, physics, statistics or telecommunication engineering.

You need to like programming and coding, this is an important part of the day-to-day work.

We don't have any language requirement besides English, which needs to be sufficient for quality communication.

Application

Contact us through this  website  and or via this email address  [email protected]  we will reach out immediately; do not forget to send your CV and a few lines about your background, and we will matchmake you into the right position.

more information here

Deadline: The positions are open to fill as of September 2022 to start right away; we will keep the positions open until filled, hence do not hesitate in contacting us regardless of when you see this ad, as chances as we are still looking for you. The industrial researchers will be enrolled in a PhD program, and hence, at the end of the three years they will graduate with a doctorate in the field. 

PhD Computer Science & IT programs in Netherlands

System and network engineering: forensics.

University of Amsterdam

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is the only global university performance table to judge research-intensive universities across all of their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

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Delft University of Technology

Computer engineering, software science (major of computer science).

Eindhoven University of Technology

Electrical and electronic engineering — advanced sensor applications.

Hanze University of Applied Sciences

Logistics management engineering (english).

Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Advanced technology.

University of Twente

Creative technology, information and communication technology (english), technology of nuclear fusion, computing science.

University of Groningen

Free University Amsterdam

Software technology, computer science and engineering, computer science: computer science and science-based business.

Leiden University

Parallel and distributed computer systems, sensor system engineering, computer science: computer science and advanced data analytics, computer science: bioinformatics, game design, internet science and technology, master in game technology.

Breda University of Applied Sciences

Data science.

Tilburg University

Computer science and economics, information technology.

Stenden University

Game design and development.

Utrecht School of the Arts

Technical computer science.

Utrecht University

Radboud University

Knowledge engineering.

Maastricht University

Vision and strategy building for cities and regions, social and cultural science, bioinformatics and systems biology, software engineering, actuarial science, deadline information, best universities with computer science & it in netherlands.

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• 13 May 2024

Brain-reading device is best yet at decoding ‘internal speech’

• Miryam Naddaf

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Illustration showing the supramarginal gyrus (orange), a region of the brain involved in speech. Credit: My Box/Alamy

Scientists have developed brain implants that can decode internal speech — identifying words that two people spoke in their minds without moving their lips or making a sound.

Although the technology is at an early stage — it was shown to work with only a handful of words, and not phrases or sentences — it could have clinical applications in future.

Similar brain–computer interface (BCI) devices, which translate signals in the brain into text, have reached speeds of 62–78 words per minute for some people . But these technologies were trained to interpret speech that is at least partly vocalized or mimed.

The latest study — published in Nature Human Behaviour on 13 May 1 — is the first to decode words spoken entirely internally, by recording signals from individual neurons in the brain in real time.

“It's probably the most advanced study so far on decoding imagined speech,” says Silvia Marchesotti, a neuroengineer at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

“This technology would be particularly useful for people that have no means of movement any more,” says study co-author Sarah Wandelt, a neural engineer who was at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena at the time the research was done. “For instance, we can think about a condition like locked-in syndrome.”

Mind-reading tech

The researchers implanted arrays of tiny electrodes in the brains of two people with spinal-cord injuries. They placed the devices in the supramarginal gyrus (SMG), a region of the brain that had not been previously explored in speech-decoding BCIs.

Figuring out the best places in the brain to implant BCIs is one of the key challenges for decoding internal speech, says Marchesotti. The authors decided to measure the activity of neurons in the SMG on the basis of previous studies showing that this part of the brain is active in subvocal speech and in tasks such as deciding whether words rhyme.

Two weeks after the participants were implanted with microelectrode arrays in their left SMG, the researchers began collecting data. They trained the BCI on six words (battlefield, cowboy, python, spoon, swimming and telephone) and two meaningless pseudowords (nifzig and bindip). “The point here was to see if meaning was necessary for representation,” says Wandelt.

The rise of brain-reading technology: what you need to know

Over three days, the team asked each participant to imagine speaking the words shown on a screen and repeated this process several times for each word. The BCI then combined measurements of the participants’ brain activity with a computer model to predict their internal speech in real time.

For the first participant, the BCI captured distinct neural signals for all of the words and was able to identify them with 79% accuracy. But the decoding accuracy was only 23% for the second participant, who showed preferential representation for ‘spoon’ and ‘swimming’ and had fewer neurons that were uniquely active for each word. “It's possible that different sub-areas in the supramarginal gyrus are more, or less, involved in the process,” says Wandelt.

Christian Herff, a computational neuroscientist at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, thinks these results might highlight the different ways in which people process internal speech. “Previous studies showed that there are different abilities in performing the imagined task and also different BCI control abilities,” adds Marchesotti.

The authors also found that 82–85% of neurons that were active during internal speech were also active when the participants vocalized the words. But some neurons were active only during internal speech, or responded differently to specific words in the different tasks.

Although the study represents significant progress in decoding internal speech, clinical applications are still a long way off, and many questions remain unanswered.

“The problem with internal speech is we don't know what’s happening and how is it processed,” says Herff. For example, researchers have not been able to determine whether the brain represents internal speech phonetically (by sound) or semantically (by meaning). “What I think we need are larger vocabularies” for the experiments, says Herff.

Marchesotti also wonders whether the technology can be generalized to people who have lost the ability to speak, given that the two study participants are able to talk and have intact brain speech areas. “This is one of the things that I think in the future can be addressed,” she says.

The next step for the team will be to test whether the BCI can distinguish between the letters of the alphabet. “We could maybe have an internal speech speller, which would then really help patients to spell words,” says Wandelt.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01424-7

Wandelt, S. K. et al. Nature Hum. Behav . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01867-y (2024).

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2024 CS Annual Award Winners

Northwestern cs recognized 10 faculty, staff, and students with annual department awards.

Every academic year, Northwestern Computer Science honors faculty, staff, and students who provided exceptional service to the department or excelled in research projects.

“Congratulations to the deserving winners, who won in a highly competitive field of candidates,” said Samir Khuller , Peter and Adrienne Barris Chair of Computer Science at Northwestern Engineering. “I am proud and inspired by the dedication and passion of all our faculty, staff, and students. The awards recognize just a small subset of amazing individuals in the department, and our work is always a collaborative team effort.”

Staff Hero: Madeleine Agaton Lantin

Lantin was commended for her commitment to improving processes, advocating for students, and sharing her wealth of knowledge about University and community resources.

“Her genuine concern for student success and her unwavering support have made her an invaluable asset to the department and the wider academic community,” a nominator said.

Instructors of the Year: Michael Horn and Zach Wood-Doughty

In his COMP_SCI 313, 413: Tangible Interaction Design and Learning course, for example, Horn guided students through intensive projects that fostered exploratory and collaborative learning experiences.

“Mike goes above and beyond by getting to know each student personally, providing tailored support and encouragement,” a nominator said. “With his passion for innovative teaching approaches, he inspires students to push beyond traditional constraints and nurtures both their technical and creative skills.”

Wood-Doughty , assistant professor of instruction, was honored for his dedication to helping students learn and succeed through carefully planned lectures and homework assignments, extra office hours, and online support. Students appreciated his energy and passion for teaching, clear explanations, and fair grading.

“His hard work in providing excellent instruction, well-designed course materials, and supportive guidance for students is outstanding,” a nominator said.

Faculty Service Award: Vincent St-Amour

“Vincent selflessly serves on several committees, consistently being a proactive voice for improving policies and increasing support for faculty,” a nominator said. “His wide-ranging service efforts have immensely benefited the department.”

Research Mentor Awards: Matthew Kay and Fumeng Yang

“Professor Kay's studious mentorship approach fosters independence by guiding students with insightful questioning rather than directives,” a nominator said. “He also creates an inclusive lab environment by prioritizing his students' holistic wellbeing.”

Yang , a postdoctoral fellow in Kay’s Midwest Uncertainty Collective (MU Collective) lab, was also honored with the Research Mentor Award for going above and beyond to support junior researchers.

“Her brilliant communication skills, structured advice, and endless kindness have helped countless students navigate research challenges and develop critical skills,” a nominator said. “Fumeng's dedication to elevating the next generation of researchers, even while facing immense pressures herself, embodied the ideal research mentor and set an inspirational example to follow.”

PhD Student Research Award: Hyeok Kim

Kim’s research in data visualization lies at the intersection of programming, statistics, and linguistics. He led an influential research program in responsive visualization design, publishing five first-author papers in top venues.

Kim’s research interests also include multi-context visualization, data sonification, narrative and communicative visualization, and design approaches to address societal problems.

In addition to his academic achievements, Kim passionately advocated for diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups in his roles as a teaching assistant and mentor.

Student Heroes: Melissa Chen, Nathan Grenier, and Maryam Hedayati

“Her leadership, dedication, and numerous initiatives have fostered a supportive and inclusive environment for all students,” a nominator said.

Grenier , a PhD student in computer science advised by Simone Campanoni , was an instrumental member of CSPAC and the Computer Science Social Initiative.

“His tireless efforts in coordinating with faculty, attending meetings, hosting events, and fostering collaboration between organizations have been crucial in creating a supportive environment,” a nominator said.

Hedayati , a PhD student in computer science and learning sciences advised by Kay, made a profound impact on the department as a dedicated mentor, community builder, and advocate for women. Hedayati also helped lead the inaugural year of the Research Track program, served as a teaching assistant, and participated in CSPAC and GWiC.

“Maryam's unwavering commitment to guiding new students and sharing her insights for success has positively influenced many in the department,” a nominator said.

Awards celebration

The department award winners will be honored during the End of Year Awards Celebration event on Thursday, May 30, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the first floor lobby of Mudd Hall.

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Fresno State's top academic students were recognized Thursday. Nathan Theng, at left, was selected as the President’s Undergraduate Medalist, while Angel Rojas was selected as the President’s Graduate Medalist. (Fresno State)

• Fresno State's top undergraduate and graduate students were recognized Thursday.
• Nathan Theng was selected as the President’s Undergraduate Medalist, while Angel Rojas was selected as the President’s Graduate Medalist.
• Theng and Rojas were chosen from nine undergraduate and graduate dean's medalists by President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval for the top awards.

Fresno State students Nathan Theng and Angel Rojas have been awarded the university’s top academic honors for the class of 2024.

Fresno State News

Chosen from a group of nine Undergraduate Deans’ Medalists and nine Graduate Deans’ Medalists, they were surprised with the honor during the President’s Recognition Reception on Thursday, May 16.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations on this well-deserved honor,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “Angel and Nathan have committed themselves wholeheartedly to making our community a better place, and through their own lived experiences, have chosen to pursue an education and professional path that uplifts others. They both represent the dynamic and creative intelligence that characterizes our Fresno State students.”

Theng, of Fresno, was selected as the President’s Undergraduate Medalist, the university’s top honor for an undergraduate student. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a 3.97 GPA, was a semi-finalist for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in 2023 and is a semi-finalist for a Fulbright Greece Fellowship.

Rojas, of Fresno, was selected as the President’s Graduate Medalist, Fresno State’s top honor for a graduate student. He earned a master’s degree in history with a 3.92 GPA. He is the first in his family to attend and graduate from a four-year university and the first to graduate with his master’s. He will attend the University of Pittsburgh in the fall to pursue a doctoral degree in history.

Related Story: Fresno State’s Class of ’24 by the Numbers. Which Major Has the ...

Nathan Theng, President’s Undergraduate Medalist

A Smittcamp Family Honors College Scholar, Theng originally studied biochemistry with a plan to pursue medicine, but he realized how programming and technology could transform health care as he took classes virtually, scribed for physicians via telehealth and got professional certifications in applied artificial intelligence and machine learning specializations during the pandemic.

He has received several awards and scholarships as his academics soared but he also developed a passion for community service. He mentored students and tutored adults through the Computer Science Department, volunteered at Camp Kesem to support children who have family members diagnosed with cancer, and volunteered at the Fresno Needle Exchange/Fresno Free Clinic. He interned with the Hub of Digital Transformation and Innovation, and Northwestern Mutual. Theng plans to pursue a doctoral degree in computer science. His goal is to research computational diagnosis tools for underserved communities.

Angel Rojas, President’s Graduate Medalist

Rojas was interested in pursuing chemistry but, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rojas learned about the structural disadvantages that harm marginalized communities in health care. He spent his graduate program understanding the early modern dynamics of science as an institution and voice of power and authority. His thesis, on the intersection of British colonial and indigenous medical practices, required learning how to read in Latin and French. Rojas took courses in both languages at Fresno State and attended a summer session at the Middlebury Language Institute in Vermont to learn more French.

He presented his research at more than 10 conferences, served as vice president of the History Graduate Student Association for two years and is now president. He hopes to become an educator and mentor at a four-year public university where he can inspire others from a background like his to pursue higher education, teaching or to become amazing people.

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Graduate Student Spotlight: Vitica Arnold’s Background in Psychology Informs Tech Design

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In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day , recognized the third Thursday in May each year, Vitica Arnold talks about her research as an informatics Ph.D. student in UC Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences ( ICS ). As a member of the Accessibility Research Collective (ARC) group, Vitica’s work explores how to design technology to better support people with cognitive disorders such as ADHD and Alzheimer’s Disease. With a bachelor’s degree in psychological science from UCI and experience conducting research in the Social & Technological Action Research (STAR) lab, Vitica shares what led to her interest in blending psychology and technology, and why everyone should care about digital accessibility.

What first sparked your interest in blending psychology and tech? I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychological science — which, at the time, was called psychology and social behavior. I started at a community college and then transferred to UCI. I had a year and a half on campus, and then the pandemic happened, moving everything online. A lot of my coursework and research abruptly transitioned online, and we had to stop our clinical trials because we couldn’t be in person. So, I started thinking about how I could study people’s behavior with technology and social media. One of my first projects involved studying how people’s fear of missing out was facilitated through FaceTime and video technology applications. That’s when I first learned about “human computer interaction.”

Thinking about how we could transition our psychology background to study human behavior online is what introduced me to informatics and human computer interaction — which, I like to tell people, is a combination of psychology and technology. That’s when I decided to look up some research labs on campus, and I joined the STAR lab and started working with Dr. Jazette Johnson , helping with her accessibility research.

After I joined Jazette’s research, I applied to and participated in a tech incubator boot camp called Data Skills 4 All , focused on increasing diversity in the tech industry space. As a DS4A fellow, I learned data science techniques and amassed technical skills in Python, learning how to use SQL libraries and packages — Pandas , Matplotlib , NumPy  and statsmodels — to create an interactive Tableau dashboard and Datafolio . This program is ultimately what gave me the technical confidence to apply for a Ph.D. in computing.

What motivated you to stay at UCI for grad school? I felt like I just didn’t have enough time at UCI, and in the time that I was here, I made a lot of connections. As an undergrad, I started a student organization called MIX, which stands for multicultural interracial experience. It was a club for mixed students to come together and bond over their interracial identities. Through that organization, I connected with a lot of student leadership administrators, such as Dean Sherwyn Umali , and with other faculty like Dr. Adisa Ajamu of the Center for Black Culture, Resources, and Research and Dr. Sereseres of the Summer Academic Enrichment Program . I met a lot of people who helped shape me and encouraged me to pursue graduate studies before I even knew what that was. So, it prompted me to come back. Also, I’m from Orange County, so I wanted to stay local to my community and establish some roots here.

Can you also talk about your involvement with the STAR lab and ARC group? I joined Dr. Jazette Johnson’s research project on the role of online social support for people living with Dementia and their caregivers, which was my first introduction to accessibility research. I really liked it, so I talked to Gillian Hayes , who runs the STAR lab, and I asked where else I could help. Then, during my gap year — after graduating from UCI but before applying to grad school — Gillian put me in touch with Dr. Franceli Cibrian at Chapman University, a STAR alum. That is where I got to work on my first project on the topic of ADHD, which is now my focus. We worked on designing technology for clinicians to help give a more accurate and efficient diagnosis for people with ADHD.

Then when I applied to UCI for grad school, I got in, but what’s funny is that I didn’t get matched with anyone in the STAR lab originally! Instead, I got matched with the ARC group and began my Ph.D. journey working with Dr. Anne Marie Piper , further developing my research into designing assistive technology for people with ADHD. During the second year, I re-joined the STAR lab and am now co-advised by Hayes and Piper. I already have a clinical research background, so now I’m venturing out a bit, looking at online communities with ADHD college students to see what kind of assistive or educational technology they’re using, and what I can create to help them achieve academic success.

What motivated you to explore this research area? This topic stems from my experience as a first-gen college student. I didn’t even know about grad school or research until I transferred to UCI. All this kind of just came at me, but with that I realized how this opened so many doors for me. But it was also really hard, especially as someone with ADHD who has executive functioning challenges. There’s definitely a lot of invisible labor and extra work that you have to do to get to the same places as people who might not have these kinds of difficulties. Just because you can’t see a disability doesn’t mean people aren’t struggling. So that really inspired me to see how students with ADHD are surviving, what technology they’re using to achieve academic success, and how might that technology be further adapted to meet their specific needs.

And you served as a student accessibility volunteer at the 2023 UbiComp conference. How was that? It was amazing. It was my first in-person conference and my first computer science and technology conference, so it was a lot of new things all at once. I learned so much. The person that was running it was from a school in the UK, where there are a lot more guidelines and safeguards for people who have disabilities and just for neurodivergent people in general.

For example, we’re familiar with people who have different sensory needs — we might have a quiet room for someone with autism who is over stimulated. But UK guidelines don’t limit it to just people with disabilities. They also use the quiet room for people who want to pray or for people who might just need a place to calm their thoughts; they don’t necessarily have a disability, but they need to stretch or move their body. It was nice to see how these spaces that were designed around people with disabilities were also being used for people who don’t have disabilities, so it normalized low-sensory, low-stimulation places, recognizing different sensory challenges that are not exclusive to people with disabilities.

Do you have any advice for prospective graduate students, particularly for first-gen students? I’ll start with being first-gen. We often come from a working class background, and that makes us think that our worldview isn’t valuable. But in academia, our world view is extremely valuable! We bring a lot of new perspectives, and that’s a strength. So, for any first-gen students who feel like they don’t fit in, lean into where you came from. It’s going to help you overcome a lot of things.

And for all grad students, keep trying new things. Do the things that you have always wanted to do. Even if you’re not confident, just do it; don’t wait until you’re ready. That’s actually how I got a lot of my fellowships and research projects, just always saying yes to new opportunities.

Another thing is to really anchor into your community — both your academic community, connecting with faculty, but also people outside of academia. Find the people who will ground you and remind you why you’re here. I am an immigrant child too, which adds another layer of complexity. There are a lot of responsibilities, like translating and helping your parents figure out how to live in a country where they don’t speak the language, but it builds resilience and grit — and that resilience has helped push me in grad school.

What’s one thing you wish everyone better understood about accessible technology? The first thing I learned in one of my accessibility classes is that accessibility is not exclusive to people with disabilities. Everyone will be “disabled” at some point in their life — whether it’s through a temporary injury or natural causes like aging — and these technologies will be there to support them. So, it’s really important that we invest in accessibility and disability studies because it does affect everyone, even if you are able-bodied.

— Shani Murray

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Online Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Certificate

Gain a competitive edge with our graduate-level Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Certificate. This program equips both novices and seasoned professionals with the essential skills to harness the power of modern Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in their domain. Upon completion, participants will master statistical analysis and machine learning techniques, enabling them to dissect complex data sets. Armed with the ability to synthesize and evaluate AI models, graduates will confidently tackle real-world challenges, leveraging cutting-edge tools to derive actionable insights and drive innovation in their respective fields.

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Certificate Overview

The Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning certificate is a 12-credit program that equips novices and seasoned professionals with the essential skills to harness the power of modern Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in their respective fields of operation.

Technical Qualifications

To be successful in this program, prospective students must demonstrate an understanding of core concepts in computer science or equivalent covered in the categories below:

• Program Design and Concepts : programming proficiency through problem-solving with a high-level programming language, emphasizing computational thinking, data types, object-oriented design, dynamic memory management, and error handling for robust program development.
• Data Structures : implementing essential abstract data types and algorithms covering stacks, queues, sorting, searching, graphs, and hashing; examining performance trade-offs, analyzing runtime and memory usage.
• Algorithms : computer algorithms for numeric and non-numeric problems; design paradigms; analysis of time and space requirements of algorithms; correctness of algorithms.
• Discrete Structures for Computing : foundations from discrete mathematics for algorithm analysis, focusing on correctness and performance; introducing models like finite state machines and Turing machines.
• Mathematical Foundations : Calculus, Probability, and Linear Algebra.

Students must take four out of five possible courses to complete this certificate. See course information below.

Information

To qualify for this certificate, you must complete 12 semester credit hours (SCH) of coursework from the following list of courses. All courses must be completed with a grade of C or above. Each course is linked to its course description within the catalog.

Courses (12 credits):

Select four of the following:*

• CSCE 625 - Artificial Intelligence
• CSCE 633 - Machine Learning
• CSCE 635 - AI Robotics
• CSCE 636 - Deep Learning
• CSCE 642 - Deep Reinforcement Learning

* Additional courses are available with the consultation of an academic advisor.

For more information, please see the course catalog .

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Reducing distrust in social media is not straightforward, computer scientists warn

A study led by William & Mary computer scientists investigates users’ trust and distrust in social media platforms in relation to their anti-misinformation strategies.

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The study revealed that trust and distrust in social media coexisted in the participants, emerging as distinct features and not simply as opposite ends of a spectrum. Graphic by Emmaline Nelsen

Are anti-misinformation interventions on social media working as intended? It depends, according to a new study led by William & Mary researchers and  published in the Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’24). 

Their study surveyed over 1,700 participants in the United States, revealing that anti-misinformation features increased users’ awareness of misinformation in social media; but did not make them more likely to share information on social media, or more willing to receive information from the platforms. Both trust and distrust coexisted in the participants, emerging as distinct features and not simply as opposite ends of a spectrum. 

“Trust and distrust dynamics are the backbone of society,” said Yixuan (Janice) Zhang, an assistant professor in the William & Mary Department of Computer Science. The study, based on work funded by an unrestricted gift from Google, defined and measured these concepts, also providing a validated survey for future use.

Zhang served as lead author alongside Yimeng (Yvonne) Wang, a W&M Ph.D. student in computer science; the author group also included researchers from universities in three countries, all contributing to the multidisciplinary field of human-computer interaction. 

“HCI has a lot to do with equitable computing, because we are dealing with human subjects,” said Zhang. Her HCI expertise aligns with William & Mary’s position in the evolution of the liberal arts and sciences, aptly expressed by the  proposed school  in computing, data science and physics.

The study focused on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube and TikTok as commonly used sources of news and information, expressly targeting the period from January 2017 to January 2023 as coinciding with the rise of major misinformation campaigns.

During the period examined, these platforms had all enacted anti-misinformation strategies such as labeling false information, curating credible content and linking to additional sources. Examples of these interventions were shown to study participants who had recently engaged with the platforms.

Then, responders were asked to express their level of agreement with eight statements, which measured four facets of trust and four facets of distrust.

For example, statements using the trust dimension of “competence” probed users’ confidence in the platforms’ ability to combat misinformation; statements using the distrust dimension of “malevolence” assessed the users’ belief in the platforms’ purported spread of misinformation. Other facets of trust included benevolence, reliability and reliance; distrust entailed skepticism, dishonesty and fear. 

Additionally, the study investigated how specific anti-misinformation interventions related to users’ trust and distrust in social media and how their experience with those features influenced their attitudes and behaviors.

An analysis of the results highlighted a cluster of respondents with high trust and high distrust, potentially indicating that users were discerning in the specific aspects of the platforms they endorsed. Also, this phenomenon suggested a discrepancy between the participants’ perception of a given platform and their interaction experiences. This means that users, for example, may trust other users to share reliable information while being skeptical of the platform’s ability to address misinformation.

The researchers also observed that trust and distrust perceptions varied across platforms and were influenced by demographic factors. These findings, they argued, may be useful to policymakers and regulators in tailoring interventions to users’ specific cultures and contexts.

As a HCI researcher, Zhang believes in human-centered computing and in the collaboration between diverse disciplines. In addition to designing and implementing computational technologies, during her Ph.D. program she got acquainted with educational and social science theories.

Wang’s interests, too, lie in the interaction between humans and computers. She is now investigating the use of technology in addressing mental health concerns and building trustworthy platforms for users to enhance their mental wellbeing.

“As we focus on human beings, we really want to know if our work can help them,” she said.

Antonella Di Marzio , Senior Research Writer

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