Mid-Year Team Update 2024

Exiting Changes and New Faces

As we hit the mid-year mark of 2024, our computer science lab has experienced a rollercoaster of changes, marked by both farewells and fresh beginnings. This update serves to highlight the most significant events and introduce the new talents joining our journey.

Farewell and New Beginnings

First, we bid a heartfelt farewell to our postdoctoral researcher, Felipe Cabarcas. Felipe has returned to the Universidad de Antioquia in Medellin, Colombia, to further his academic career. His contributions to our lab have been invaluable; from training new talents to bringing a cheerful and positive atmosphere, Felipe’s presence will be greatly missed. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Another significant change is the departure of Chris Munley, who is now making waves at NVIDIA. Chris’s work here laid a solid foundation for many of our current projects, including our LLM research, and we are thrilled to see him advance his career with such a prestigious company. His move is a testament to the caliber of talent within our lab.

We also lost Pinar Kullu, was apart of the AI Center of Excellence at UD. But she was like family to us. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Welcoming New Talents

As we say goodbye to Felipe and Chris, we are excited to welcome new faces of undergraduates and PhD students to our lab. Each of these new members brings a new perspective and fresh ideas to their respective projects. We are eager to see the impact they will make on our research and the lab’s overall dynamic.

Graduate Students

We are thrilled to welcome two new PhD students to our lab: Aaron Jarmusch and Giorgi Gvalia. Aaron has been apart of our lab since his first year as an undergrad student. While Giorgi is coming from the country Georgia. Both Aaron and Giorgi have shown exceptional promise in their respective fields, and we are excited to see how they will contribute to the DOE S4PST project.

Undergraduate Researchers

Our new undergraduate students, Ray Escobar, Zach Sollenberger, Jay Patel, Saieda Ali Zada, and Zahra Temori, are diving into various groundbreaking projects. From exploring the intricacies of machine learning algorithms to developing innovative software solutions, their enthusiasm and fresh ideas are already making an impact.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward, the lab is buzzing with energy and anticipation. The integration of new team members is fostering a collaborative environment, rich with creativity and intellectual curiosity. We are confident that these changes will lead to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements.

In conclusion, while we miss our former colleagues, we are immensely proud of their achievements and thrilled about the future. The lab’s ongoing projects and the infusion of new talent promise an exciting and productive second half of 2024. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to innovate and excel in the ever-evolving field of computer science.