Category: Alumni

Being a PhD student is a significant undertaking that takes time and requires dedication, effort, and patience. During your PhD you are both a researcher and a student. Knowing what to expect can help you learn to adapt to various changes and challenges that may occur when working toward your PhD. With the following interview series, we seek to engage students who want to learn more about the PhD program by learning from those who have gone through it. The following interview is with 2018 PhD alumni, Harish Arunachalam, who now works as a principal engineer with Verizon Communications where he develops enterprise-scale Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) systems, studies advanced AI/ML techniques, tools, frameworks, and business applications, and works on developing responsible, innovative solutions.

Computer science and software engineering PhD holders today enjoy a great variety of employment prospects. Opportunities are ample, ranging from working in research and product development divisions of companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon, to becoming faculty members in academia to working for or creating their own technology startup. Higher-level positions at companies are also becoming more accessible to computer science and software engineering PhD graduates, as it is common for employers to reserve their top-ranked positions for doctoral degree holders. With the following interview series, we hope to engage students who want to learn more about the PhD program by learning about those who have gone through it.

Computer science experts are in high demand as technologies advance at breakneck speed. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the employment of computer and information technology occupations to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Experts also believe demand for educators in the field will also increase, calling for more PhD holders in computer science and software engineering. With the following interview series, we hope to engage students who want to learn more about the PhD program by learning about those who have gone through it.

As technology trends show, the tech industry is always one step ahead regarding innovation. However, one region seems to be lagging behind—gender diversity. The World Bank reports that globally women make up less than 40% of the global workforce. Women are consistently highly underrepresented in the technology field. Women in the tech industry face many challenges, from education to employment and business. In order to help foster a stronger community for women in tech, the UT Dallas Computer Science Department has hosted a monthly lecture series called the Grace Series since the Fall of 2015. Since its inception, 39 speakers have given talks. The Grace Series recognizes women and their accomplishments. The Grace Series aims to offer fresh perspectives and different approaches for women to navigate the technology field, whether in academia or industry. The second spring 2023 Grace Series speaker featured Saritha Reddy, Cybersecurity Leader and Director, Product Security at Capital One and UT Dallas CS Alumna.

State Farm Internship Program Equips Students for Future Success Former Interns Land Full-Time Roles after Graduation with Insurance Giant Since 2016 the State Farm internship program at The University of Texas at Dallas has provided opportunities for dozens of students to gain hands-on experience with a notable Fortune 500 company. Now in its fifth year, […]

UT Dallas SE PhD Alumni, Dr. Oscar Chaparro, Earns the 2020 David Daniel Thesis Award UT Dallas Software Engineering Ph.D. Alumni, Dr. Oscar Chaparro, was named one of two students to earn this year’s David Daniel Thesis Award. The award is supported by an endowment established in 2006 by Dr. David Daniel, president emeritus of […]

Graduating Software Engineering Student Veteran Discovers Perfect Balance in Service, Studies Software engineering senior and student veteran Yugesh Taksari has managed to balance his duties in the Army Reserve with his coursework at The University of Texas at Dallas — all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, he has spent one weekend […]

Not Just Any Science: Computer Science – Getting a BS CS or BS SE @ UT Dallas Technology is increasingly impacting our lives, from smartphones, social media, devices such as Alexa, the sharing economy of Uber, Airbnb, etc., to the promise of self-driving cars and artificial intelligence. What is common among all these technological advancements […]

UTD CS Alumni Creates a Viral COVID-19 Visualization that Promotes Honest, Accessible, Transparent Access to Case Data In mid-March with less than 2,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, UT-Dallas CS alumni Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider (BS’05, MS’06) had questions on the growth and spread of the soon-to-be pandemic.  Over a period of two days, […]

Alumni Step Up To Help Protect Health Care Workers on COVID-19 Front Lines Two University of Texas at Dallas alumni have designed and manufactured a valve attachment that can convert a snorkel mask into safety gear for health care workers in the event of a shortage of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. James […]