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CSE celebrates grad student achievements at 2025 recognition reception
The CSE community came together on Monday, April 28 to celebrate the outstanding achievements of its grad students at the third annual Graduate Student Recognition Reception, which was held in the Ford Robotics Building.
Organized by the CSE Graduate Programs Office, the event recognized the many contributions CSE’s grad students have made throughout the year, including awards received, service performed, and more. The program also included presentation of this year’s CSE Service Awards and the CSE HACKS Spirit Award.
Prof. Chris Peikert, CSE Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs, welcomed attendees, and Prof. Emily Mower Provost, CSE Sr. Associate Chair, delivered introductory remarks. Prof. Mower Provost spoke about the importance of CSE’s HACKS values and asked that attendees reflect on how we should each individually determine how to live our values, saying “as we are continually buffeted by the winds of change, by factors that seem so impossibly outside of our control, remember that you control your values. You set your agenda. You determine what matters.”
Dr. Jasmin Stubblefield, CSE Graduate Programs Manager, recognized the many accomplishments of CSE’s grad students from over the past year, including numerous awards, fellowships, and competitions won. She also highlighted the contributions of the CSE Graduate Student Organization (CSEG) and VoiCSEs in building a strong, vibrant grad student community.
CSE Climate and Culture Project Manager Taj Williams presented the CSE Service Awards, which recognize students who have made extraordinary contributions to advancing the interests of fellow graduate students, improving graduate students’ quality of life on campus, and/or contributing to serving the larger academic community at the department, college, or university-level.
In introducing the recipients, Williams said, “This year’s Service Awards recipients have demonstrated for us the importance of working together to create a more inclusive CSE in which we can all thrive. These students have shown a powerful commitment to uphold CSE’s HACKS values and promote inclusivity through leadership, research, and activism.”
The recipients of the CSE Service Award were Angana Borah, Anindya Das Antar, Yara El-Tawil, Meera Krishnamoorthy, and Muhammad Khalifa.
Prof. Peikert then made the presentation of this year’s CSE HACKS Spirit Award, which recognizes one graduate student annually who exemplifies the Division’s values of honesty, achievement, cooperation, knowledge, and service (HACKS).
He presented the award to PhD student Yara El-Tawil for her exceptional leadership and service in CSE, and concluded his remarks by quoting a nominator who said, “In sum, Yara is always looking for the ways in which she can positively contribute to the CSE department, community, and program. She is always willing to lend a hand when asked, and puts the maximum effort into everything she does.”
Dr. Stubblefield’s closing remarks emphasized the importance of CSE’s graduate student community in supporting CSE’s climate, values, and reputation. “We’re truly proud to call you peers, colleagues, collaborators, and partners in making CSE a better community,” she said. “Thank you for your dedication, brilliance, and for being the heart of this extraordinary community. We cannot wait to see what you’ll achieve next!”