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University of Maryland Fearlessly Forward
UMIACS Interface a monthly newsletter highlighting interdisciplinary research and innovation at the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies
May 2025
YouTube screenshot of Derek Yarnell with a collection of "The Simpsons" figurines behind him on bookshelves

From Student Worker to Senior Tech Staff

Derek Yarnell, the director of computing facilities for UMIACS, recalls his days as an undergraduate tech support worker, and how that experience shaped his vision on how to train those that followed in his footsteps.

Photo of Mihai Pop

Director's Message


“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” —Michael Jordan

Pen writing "set a timer"

An Alternative to Speech: Writing in the Air With ‘Sonic Ink’

Researchers in Nirupam Roy's lab have developed a new way for people with disabilities to control digital voice assistants.

Mohammad Hajiaghayi and a student write equations on a whiteboard

Hajiaghayi's Team Solves Math Puzzle That Stumped Scientists for 35 Years

The resulting 126-page proof and algorithm could help tech companies create more efficient computer and AI chips.

Mohammad Hafezi talks with another researcher

News Ideas in Quantum Simulation Bring Additional Federal Funding

The Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation received $2.5 million from NSF to advance quantum simulation research and expand undergraduate opportunities.

Photos of Amol Deshpande (left) and Daniel Abadi (right)

UMIACS Faculty Part of Winning Teams Receiving Test of Time Awards at CIDR 2025

Amol Deshpande and Daniel Abadi were separately recognized for their influential early work on real-time data stream systems that remain foundational today.

The words "Artificial Intelligence and Information Literacy" above hands typing at laptop

UMIACS Faculty Part of Winning Team in UMD Invention of the Year Competition

Hal Daumé III and Katie Shilton were part of a group that won the social innovation category for their AI and information literacy module.

Nicole Yunger Halpern Receives Early Career Scientist Award in Statistical Physics

She is being recognized for innovative research that modernizes thermodynamics using quantum information theory.

Students work in a lab with the NDSEG logo at the top

Three UMD Computer Science Students Awarded Prestigious Department of Defense Fellowships

Adam Yang, Sachin Shah and Anand Idris are among a select group of students nationwide selected to receive this year’s highly competitive NDSEG Fellowship.

A mask resembling a human face breaks apart with numbers and letters surrounding it

Goldstein’s Research Featured in Quanta Magazine

He was recognized for developing a novel language model that reasons in latent space and learns when to switch to language, significantly improving efficiency and performance on complex tasks.

Pamela Isom with the title of her podcast "AI or Not" above her

Hal Daumé III Interviewed on AI Podcast

The TRAILS director joined the "AI or Not" podcast with Pamela Isom to talk about his shift from technical AI research to its societal impact—touching on governance, copyright and the need for stronger regulations.

black female student working at laptop

A New Headache for Honest Students: Proving They Didn’t Use A.I.

A recent New York Times article quoted Soheil Feizi and cited his study that found A.I.-detection services erroneously flagged human-written text as A.I.-generated about 6.8% of the time.

Philip Resnik stands against a green leafy bush

Machine Learning—in Maryland and Elsewhere—Opens New Possibilities for Suicide Prevention

Capital News Service featured Philip Resnik's work using machine learning to analyze Reddit posts, offering new insights into why people contemplating suicide chose to stay alive.

Person holding a digital hologram of a brain, representing technology and neurology.

UMD Launches Center for Educational Data Science and Innovation

Led by Jing Liu and Wei Ai, the center aims to promote research and collaboration on equitable solutions to education issues using data science and AI.

plate of scrambled eggs, roasted peppers and buttered toast

Mealtime ‘Swap’ Helps Researchers Understand Heart Health

Margaret Slavin of the UMD microbiome center is leading a USDA-funded study to better understand why some people with a fatty, starchy diet don’t benefit from a natural antioxidant called catechins.

Alan Liu Teams Up with Army Research Laboratory to Streamline Dynamic Data

He is building energy-efficient data systems that share key mission information without overloading limited tactical networks.

Panelists discuss quantum policy and research at a World Quantum Day 2025 event hosted by the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation

RQS Hosts Discussion Focused on Bridging Public Policy and Quantum

The event featured four representatives from across the quantum policy landscape, including UMIACS faculty member Jake Taylor.

An example of a non-turbulent velocity field measured using the new technique

Mysteriously Mundane Turbulence Revealed in 2D Superfluid

RQS senior investigator Ian Spielman, working with two postdocs, has introduced a tool for measuring velocities in a Bose-Einstein superfluid and applied it to studying superfluid turbulence.

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