Manning CICS

A new AI-powered debugging tool developed by #ManningCICS PhD students Kyla Levin and Nicolas van Kempen and Professor Emery Berger integrates LLMs into a conversational interface to help programmers diagnose and resolve software bugs more efficiently.

Read more: bit.ly/41wQdaa

#ManningCICS Professor and Associate Chair of Faculty Development Alexandra Meliou has been elected vice chair of the ACM Special Interest Group on Management of Data, where she plans to build on existing strengths, diversify membership, and foster greater inclusion.

Read more: bit.ly/44RV5aR

Associate Professor Mohammad Hajiesmaili and Associate Dean and Distinguished Professor Ramesh Sitaraman, in collaboration with @caltech.edu and @uofcalifornia.bsky.social researchers, have coauthored a new paper published in the July issue of Communications of the ACM.

Read more: bit.ly/44prG91

#ManningCICS Assistant Professor Eugene Bagdasarian and Professor Shlomo Zilberstein have received a $500,000 Schmidt Sciences grant to advance critical research in AI safety.

Read more: www.cics.umass.edu/news/bagdasa...

What if your smartwatch could charge itself just from your movement? 🏃‍♀️☕️ That’s what #ManningCICS students Rishi Nandurbarkar and Max Loper are building with Diel Technologies—and their idea just won the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship’s 2025 Innovation Challenge.

Learn more: bit.ly/4kC1wVz

In her essay, “Is AI Good for Society?”, Berman reflects on the whirlwind debut of ChatGPT and argues for public-interest “digital infrastructure” that pairs innovation with clear accountability.

Read more: hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/yn7p8jik...

How do we make sure rapid advances in generative AI actually serve the public good?

#ManningCICS Research Professor and Stuart Rice Honorary Chair Francine Berman tackles that question in Harvard Data Science Review’s special issue “Future Shock: Grappling with the Generative AI Revolution.”

Image of (left) Andrew Barto and (right) Richard Sutton smiling while standing in front of a chalkboard

Today, #ManningCICS Professor Emeritus Andrew G. Barto and Richard Sutton '84PhD will formally be presented with the prestigious 2024 ACM A.M. Turing Award.

Explore how next-gen UMass researchers are building on their legacy to tackle society's toughest challenges.

Read more: brnw.ch/21wTkvY

Jensen emphasized that large language models aren't the final frontier and highlighted the ongoing evolution of AI, pointing to quantum AI, embodied AI, and neuro-symbolic AI as exciting future directions. ⚛️🧠

Read more at cccblog.org/2025/06/03/a...

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) recently featured #ManningCICS Professor David Jensen in the panel "The Future of AI Horizons" at the CCC Computing Futures Symposium, where leading minds in AI discussed the incredible trajectory and profound responsibility of artificial intelligence.

📸 Sharing your own shots? Tag us and use #CICSGrad25 and #UMassGrad2025 so we can cheer you on!

Caps off to our graduates! 🎓 On May 17, the #ManningCICS community celebrated the outstanding Class of 2025 at Senior Celebration. Professional & candid photos and the full ceremony recording are now live.

View the photos: flic.kr/s/aHBqjCf13L
Watch the recording: youtu.be/w1982pR0We8?...

🎉 Congratulations to Jennifer Donelson, assistant director of human resources, who received the #ManningCICS Outstanding Staff Award for 2025! Donelson was selected for her improvements to the college's onboarding process and staff mentoring program.

Read more: www.cics.umass.edu/news/2025-ou...

Congratulations to #ManningCICS Assistant Professor Ravi Karkar on earning an NSF CAREER award! His project will work to advance the design and theory of everyday self‑experimentation tech to allow more people to take charge of their own health data and decisions. Read more: brnw.ch/21wSAj7

Congratulations to #ManningCICS Senior Teaching Faculty Marc Liberatore, one of four recipients of the inaugural UMass Amherst Delphi Leadership Award, honored for his sustained efforts to advance equity and improve working conditions for non-tenure-track colleagues.

Read more: brnw.ch/21wSxes

Congratulations to #ManningCICS Professor Shlomo Zilberstein, who has received the 2025 ACM/SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award for his foundational work on decentralized Markov Decision Processes (DEC-MDPs).

Read more: www.cics.umass.edu/news/zilbers...

“These students have gone beyond expectations—not only mastering their coursework, but also contributing to groundbreaking research, exceptional leadership, advancing diversity and inclusion, and computing for the common good,” said Dean Laura Haas.

Read more: www.cics.umass.edu/news/2025-ou...

Additionally, August Huber, Carey Pope, Elena Li, and Zeina Zahoori (not pictured) have been honored with Lifetime Undergraduate Course Assistant Awards for their exceptional student leadership, support, and efforts to advance the college’s teaching mission.

Congrats to the eight #ManningCICS seniors selected to receive 2025 Outstanding Undergraduate Achievement Awards: Abby Tran, Angelika Ladia, Ishita Kakkar, Kaosisochukwu Nwosu, Luna Dziewietin, Mahika Arora, Paul Davis, and Ryan Bahlous-Boldi. 🏆👏

💛 From #ManningCICS students to you: "Thank you for making UMass a place of OPPORTUNITY! Thank you, Go UMass!"

Keep the momentum going! Every gift today pushes us closer to unlocking $10,000 for experiential learning and student support.

Give now or share with a friend! brnw.ch/21wSjM8

🎉 UMassGives Day 1 is here, and every gift counts toward our 200-gift goal to unlock an extra $10,000 for #ManningCICS students. 🕛 Power Hour alert (12–1 p.m. ET): Help CICS compete for up to an additional $2,000 in bonus funds with a gift to the Dean’s Opportunity Fund.
Give now: brnw.ch/21wSigb

UMass Amherst | Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences Online MS in Computer Sciences Information Session Wednesday, April 30 | 10:00–11:00 AM ET Virtual via Zoom

Did you know our top-ranked MS in computer science is also offered online? 🖥️ Join us Wed., Apr. 30, at 10:00 a.m. for a virtual info session about our online & hybrid MS in CS programs—our courses, program requirements, application process, and more. Registration is required.

RSVP: brnw.ch/21wSgUl

Here’s to a decade of innovation, connection, and community at @umassamherst.bsky.social. Thank you to everyone who made our #ManningCICS 10th Birthday Bash unforgettable! 🥳
#HBDCICS
#Computing4CommonGood

🎂 Cheers to 10 years! We followed up our on-campus birthday celebration last week with a roadtrip to Boston. Attendees of the event, held at the UMass Club, heard from Dean Laura Haas and grew their networks with help from CICS Careers.

📷 View event photos: lnkd.in/eKX63Ut7

#ManningCICS
#HBDCICS

CICS Birthday Bash 04/08/2025 Explore this photo album by Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, UMass Amherst on Flickr!

Over 500 #ManningCICS students, faculty, and staff gathered to celebrate a decade of growth and impact at the college's 10th Birthday Bash last Tuesday, Apr. 8.

📚 Read about the event: www.cics.umass.edu/stories/10th...
📷 View the photos: flic.kr/s/aHBqjC8w3v

#HBDCICS
#Computing4CommonGood

Join our virtual Deep Dive: MS in CS Info Session tomorrow, Apr. 16, at 10:00 a.m. 🕙 Learn about each step of the application process and what's needed to prepare for and complete the application process for the on-campus, online, or hybrid formats of the MS in CS program.

brnw.ch/21wS0w6

Congratulations to #ManningCICS Teaching Faculty Ghazaleh Parvini for receiving the 2025 College Outstanding Teaching Award, which recognizes excellence in teaching by honoring individual faculty members at each of the university's colleges for their instructional accomplishments! 🍎 brnw.ch/21wRWwx

Neena Thota, #ManningCICS associate chair of teaching development and senior teaching faculty, has been announced as a recipient of the spring 2025 ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for mentoring and supporting the professional development of her colleagues! 🏆

www.cics.umass.edu/news/thota-r...

The Robert and Donna Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences is proud to welcome Keith Marzullo as our next dean, effective July 1.

We look forward to this next chapter of impact and academic excellence!

Read the full announcement: brnw.ch/21wRO9P

#ManningCICS graduating seniors—applications are now open to serve as the 2025 student speaker, who will deliver a 3-minute speech reflecting your time as a student and your hopes for the future during the college’s undergraduate Senior Celebration on May 17. 🎓

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...