Where Students Connect with Research Opportunities

In the very first week of the semester, a line of students wound through the Mudd lobby, the air buzzing with anticipation as they waited to enter Carleton Commons. The draw? The Fall Research Fair and a chance to join a research project. Over two days, hundreds of students showed up to explore more than 100 research projects from over 30 research groups. Their enthusiasm spoke volumes, highlighting not only their drive to learn beyond the classroom but also the vital role research plays in shaping the spirit of our department.

“The range of objectives that the students had was surprising,” said Elisavet Alvanaki, a PhD student in the Software Systems Laboratory who was looking for students to join her AI for electronic design automation project. She shared that some first-year students wanted to gain exposure to different research areas, and there were many students whose primary major wasn’t CS but who wanted some exposure to CS. “Several promising students reached out afterward, and we’re excited to collaborate with them.”

When students dive into hands-on projects, they bring fresh ideas and curiosity that enrich the entire community. These experiences not only help students grow as thinkers and problem-solvers but also encourage collaboration and spark creativity across the department.

One of the department’s new assistant professors, Silvia Sellan, was at the event searching for both graduate and undergraduate students to work on real-world problems that involve digital, three-dimensional geometry. “A professor once gave me a chance when I was an undergrad,” she explained. “I know firsthand how important that opportunity can be.”

While faculty see working with students as a way to mentor and build the future of the field, the students themselves bring the real energy to these projects. From lab work to field studies to creative problem-solving, they each have their own story to tell about what research has meant to them. Below are a few of their experiences in their own words.

Smriti Vaidyanathan
MS student, SEAS
Faculty Mentor: David Knowles

I joined Professor David’s lab when I started my master’s program last August. His research on RNA splicing immediately caught my interest, and after meeting with a PhD student in the group, I was excited to jump in. My project focuses on building a deep generative model that integrates signals from both gene expression and splicing to better represent individual cells.  I’ve been working on the design and testing of the model’s architecture, designing and implementing evaluation techniques, and fine-tuning parameters to optimize its performance. It’s challenging work—sometimes things don’t go as planned—but I enjoy the process of problem-solving and continuous learning. Research has become a fulfilling part of my academic journey, and it’s inspired me to apply to PhD programs so I can keep contributing to new discoveries.

Tianle Zhou
Undergraduate, School of General Studies
Faculty Mentor: Eugene Wu

This summer, I had the chance to work with Professors Eugene Wu and Kostis Kaffes on a project exploring an operating system approach to solving AI agent problems. Our goal was to test the feasibility in theory and build a prototype, and with their guidance, we were able to make real progress. Research is never something I feel completely “ready” for—I’m always learning along the way—but that’s what makes it so challenging and rewarding. Balancing coursework and research wasn’t easy, but the experience was invaluable. I know my research journey won’t end with graduation; it’s something I want to continue long into the future.

Alex Xu
MS student, SEAS
Faculty Mentor: Kostis Kaffes

As an undergrad, I joined Professor Kostis’s Operating Systems course as a TA before working on an RL-based GPU scheduling project, which gave me exposure to the intersection of systems and machine learning. But I was most interested in system-level architecture and design, which led me to my current project with Professors Kostis Kaffes and Eugene Wu: a system-forking approach to supporting AI agents. While my teammate focuses on the agent application layer, I work on the systems foundation to make the agent practical. Having a teammate with complementary perspectives has made the project especially rewarding.

Balancing coursework and research isn’t always easy, but when you care about a project, it stops feeling like a burden and becomes a lifestyle. For me, the challenge has always been worthwhile, and the experience has been incredibly fulfilling.