Allen School News

Shortly after Anat Caspi arrived at the University of Washington to lead the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, she advised a group of students to first place in Seattle’s Hack the Commute competition with a trip planning tool dubbed AccessMap. In the years that followed, she continued to build capacity, both on campus and in the community, for advancing technology designed “for the fullness of human experience” — leading the development of data collection and mapping tools to support urban mobility, project-based courses and summer camps that empower students to apply artificial intelligence and data science to create more inclusive communities, a workshop and toolkit addressing ableism in AI, and more. The Seattle Human Rights Commission recently honored Caspi with its Human Rights Educator Award. Read more →

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In the late 1990’s, members of the Allen School faculty experimented with a new way to mark the conclusion of Visit Days, the annual pilgrimage made by prospective graduate students to computer science programs around the country. To commemorate the visitors’ time in Seattle, professors would send them on their way with a surprise parting gift: a palm-sized chunk of concrete. The concrete had become dislodged from the crumbling facade of Sieg Hall — home to what was then the Department of Computer Science & Engineering. In 1999, the department stepped up its campaign for a new, permanent home; on October 9, 2003, it celebrated the dedication of the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering, which set off a chain of events that made the Allen School into the powerhouse it is today. Read more →

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Ayan Gupta and Faraz Qureshi are the co-founders of Cledge, a college advising platform that uses artificial intelligence to help students plan their path forward. The pair recently led their young startup to the Herbert B. Jones Foundation Grand Prize of $25,000 at the 26th annual Dempsey Startup Competition organized by the UW Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship. Read more →

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On Friday, June 9, more than 4,000 family and friends from near and far gathered on the University of Washington campus to celebrate the Allen School’s 2023 graduates. The celebration commenced with a casual open house and meet-and-greet with faculty and staff in the Paul G. Allen Center and Bill & Melinda Gates Center. It culminated in a formal event in the Hec Edmundson Pavilion at the Alaskan Airlines Arena, where graduates made the brief journey across the stage to mark the start of a new journey as Allen School alumni. Read more →

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“There is not one area of the school that she does not touch in some way.” “She” is Jennifer Worrell, the Allen School’s director of finance and administration. And that observation was made by a colleague advancing her successful nomination for a 2023 Professional Staff Award from the University of Washington College of Engineering. Each year, these awards honor faculty, research and teaching assistants, and staff like Worrell whose extraordinary contributions benefit the college community. Read more →

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Champion, advocate, role model…based on her colleagues’ descriptions, Chloe Dolese Mandeville sounds like a regular Girl Scout. Which, it so happens, she is: for the past two and a half years, the Allen School’s Assistant Director for Diversity & Access has volunteered as a troop leader for the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, hosting activities on campus and inspiring girls to see computing as a potential career path. It is but one example of the many ways in which Dolese Mandeville has helped students to engage with the field — efforts that have now earned her a 2023 Distinguished Staff Award from the University of Washington. Read more →

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Six Allen School students were recently named to the 2023 class of the Husky 100, an honor recognizing undergraduate and graduate students who are making the most of their time at the University of Washington. Husky 100 students make connections in and out of the classroom, making a positive impact on campus and in their communities. This year’s Allen School inductees are living those values, proving Huskies are stronger when in a pack.  Read more →

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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, one out of every three adults in the United States have prediabetes, a condition marked by elevated blood sugar levels that could lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. The good news is that, if detected early, prediabetes can be reversed through lifestyle changes such as improved diet and exercise. The bad news? Eight out of 10 Americans with prediabetes don’t know that they have it... Read more →

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Each December, the Allen School invites prospective students and families to join us for a week-long celebration of Computer Science Education Week, a nationwide event that aims to inspire students, advance equity, and honor those who are contributing to the field and to society. After being compelled to go fully virtual due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the school’s Diversity & Access Team was thrilled to offer a hybrid celebration this year.  Throughout the week, prospective students… Read more →

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For Allen School professor Maya Cakmak, the future of robotics hinges on the human element. Since the early days of her research career, Cakmak has been leveraging advances in human-computer interaction and accessibility to shift robotics research from primarily technology-centric approaches toward a more user-centric approach. She is also known for putting people first through her support for programs and policies aimed at increasing participation in computing by women and people with disabilities. For her efforts, the Computing Research Association’s Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research (CRA-WP) recently recognized Cakmak... Read more →

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