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Two University of Texas at Dallas students have been awarded Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholarships from the Department of Defense. Computer engineering doctoral student Victoria Gammenthaler BS’23 and mechanical engineering senior Kevin Dinh, both students in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, received the scholarship.

Leaders at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas recognized faculty, staff and graduate students at its annual meeting and awards ceremony held in the spring.
Dr. Stephanie G. Adams, dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair, congratulated the award winners and thanked everyone for their perseverance and contributions during the year. She reminded participants of her charge to make 2024-25 a “Year of Creativity” and highlighted that engineers and computer scientists are highly creative people, despite stereotypes of left-brained STEM professionals.

For Stephanie Barnard BS’25, receiving the Mason Brown Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship was more than necessary practical help. It was emotional.
“I was really encouraged when I received the scholarship,” said Barnard, who completed her degree in electrical and computer engineering in May 2025. “Obviously, there was the financial impact, but also I knew that someone believes in me.”

A University of Texas at Dallas researcher’s pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) technology to reduce traffic delays and emissions developed in collaboration with the city of Richardson was named a Smart 20 Award winner and one of the top three projects at the 2025 Smart Cities Connect Spring Conference and Expo.

Last fall, a group of talented UT Dallas ECS students earned top honors at UT Austin’s HackTX 2024 with their innovative project, Angel’s Protection. The team—Le Duy Pham and Bryant Hargreaves (senior software engineering students), Dan Nguyen (a senior computer engineering student) and Sunay Shehaan (a computer science freshman attending his first hackathon)—secured three first place awards: “Best Use of Intel AI,” “Best Use of GenAI with InterSystems IRIS Vector Search,” and “Best Ground-Up Model.” Their prizes included laptops, $10,000 in cloud credits, and $2,400 in cash.

Dr. Weili (Lily) Wu, professor of computer science in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas, was recently named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for her contributions to the study of data communication and processing in wireless sensor networks. According to the IEEE, the fellow designation is reserved for individuals with extraordinary professional distinction. Less than .1 percent of members are named fellows each year.

At The University of Texas at Dallas, computer science and software engineering students thrive in a vibrant, collaborative environment. HackUTD, the university’s premier hackathon, has grown from 120 participants in 2015 to over 1,200 today. It is now the largest hackathon in Texas and the second largest in the United States. HackUTD is more than a hackathon—it’s a playground for innovation where ideas turn into impactful creations.

During the recent fall 2024 commencement ceremonies, computer science got a special moment in the spotlight, thanks to featured speaker Eddie Villarreal MS’24.

Villarreal spoke at both commencement ceremonies on Dec. 17, having graduated from the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science with a master’s degree in software engineering.

Several computer science graduates worked as student web developers in the Jonsson School’s Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications during the 2024 academic year. We caught up with three of them to find out what they would take away from their time at UT Dallas.

Jason Thanh Nguyen BS’24 intends to apply the skills he acquired through study as well as his work in the Jonsson School to further his career. “This experience taught me how to adapt my communication style to suit different roles and perspectives, ensuring that everyone was aligned toward a common goal,” Nguyen said. “This will be a valuable skillset that will be very helpful for me in my career after graduation.”