Eight graduate students recognized with CSE DEI Service Awards

Eight graduate students in CSE have been honored with DEI Service Awards in recognition of their efforts to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Division. The winners were announced at the annual Graduate Student Recognition Reception, which was held on Monday, April 29 at the Rackham Assembly Hall.

“This year’s DEI Service Award recipients have demonstrated for us the importance of working together to create a more inclusive CSE in which we can all thrive” said Prof. Nikola Banovic, chair of CSE’s DEI Committee. “These students have shown a powerful commitment to upholding CSE’s values and promoting DEI through leadership, research, and activism.”

Out of a pool of graduate students nominated by members of the CSE community, awardees were selected via anonymous voting on the part of a faculty and staff committee. The winners of the fourth annual DEI Service Awards are as follows:

Aymen Ahmed

PhD student Aymen Ahmed is one of the leaders of VoiCSEs, a group that aims to provide support and community for graduate students in CSE, particularly those from underrepresented groups. Aymen was a central part of the founding team that helped form VoiCSEs and led the transition from its predecessor, ECSEL+. His contributions led to the formation of a more inclusive organization that is supporting marginalized students and fostering a thriving community in CSE.

Tsedeniya Amare

Tsedeniya Amare, a PhD student, is also on the leadership board of VoiCSEs and played a similarly key role in overseeing the group’s transition from ECSEL+. She showed excellent tact, sensitivity, and resilience in listening to member feedback and helming the creation of a more inclusive organization that is open to all voices and identities. As a leader of VoiCSEs, she is working to build support for underrepresented students and form a more diverse, inviting climate in CSE.

Meron Demissie

PhD candidate Meron Demissie has contributed greatly to DEI efforts in CSE as the DEI Graduate Student Staff Assistant (GSSA) for the Winter 2024 semester. In this role, Meron has represented and advocated for graduate students in CSE, attended weekly DEI team and committee meetings, and contributed to several DEI initiatives in the Division. In addition, she previously served as a board member of ECSEL+ and remains an active member of VoiCSEs. Her contributions in these roles have significantly aided in advancing CSE’s DEI goals.

Nel Escher

Nel Escher, a PhD student in CSE, has demonstrated a commitment to promoting DEI values through their research, which focuses on addressing errors in government software and the injustices they cause. Nel is also committed to expanding and fostering diversity in the computer science field and academia more broadly, advocating for greater diversity, equity, and justice in recruiting, pay structures, and more. Through these efforts, Nel shows how research can support and inform DEI, and vice versa.

Aylin Gunal

Master’s student Aylin Gunal has advanced CSE’s DEI goals as co-director of the Explore CS Research program, which aims to introduce undergraduate students, particularly women and other underrepresented minorities, to the research process through workshops, training, and mentorship. She has played a key role in coordinating the program since 2022, in the process helping build a more inclusive and diverse research community in and beyond CSE.

Serafina Kamp

PhD candidate Serafina Kamp has served as DEI co-chair for CSEG, CSE’s graduate student organization, for the 2023-24 academic year. In this role, she has represented the grad student population at DEI committee meetings, planned and organized DEI-related events, and participated in visits to various community colleges. Her leadership and active involvement in numerous DEI initiatives have been instrumental in strengthening the CSE community.

Eugene Kim

Eugene Kim, a PhD student, has made significant contributions to CSE’s DEI objectives through her participation in the Building Bridges program, an initiative encouraging potential students at community colleges and other institutions to apply for the CSE graduate program at U-M. Eugene has also been a dedicated advocate for gender minority voices in STEM and has co-organized events on this topic.

Jiachen Liu

PhD student Jiachen (Amber) Liu has served as the DEI co-chair for CSEG this academic year. This has involved actively participating in DEI Committee meetings and initiatives, as well as organizing DEI-related events. She has been essential in understanding and voicing graduate students’ concerns and needs, and her advocacy has helped support a more inclusive, responsive climate in CSE.