12:00-12:30 pm
Please check-in at the registration tables and look for your name badge by first name.
12:30-1:00 pm
Take this opportunity to network with the awardees and community stakeholders in attendance. Pay attention to the color on their name badge as it indicates their affiliation (see below). We’ve set-up technical and non-technical Birds of a Feather (BoF) topics and encourage you to flock to the ones you’re interested in.
Stakeholders
Awardee
Educator
Industry Partner
Parent/Guardian
UC Irvine
BoF Topics
AI/ML
Game Development
Informatics
Software Engineering
College Success
Leadership
Mentorship
UCI Life
ICS OAI ↗︎
Data@UCI ↗︎
WICS ↗︎
WiCyS ↗︎
1:00-1:05 pm
Debra Richardson Professor Emeritus Founding Dean, ICS
Tri Ta Assemblyman ****70th Assembly District
1:05-1:35 pm
Ninger Zhou Google, Senior UX Researcher
Ninger Zhou is a Senior User Experience Researcher at Google, focusing on educational products. With a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, Ninger previously collaborated with Dr. Debra Richardson at the University of California, Irvine, as a postdoctoral researcher on the CS1C@OC project, one of the first CS teacher certificate programs in California.
At Google, Ninger leverages this expertise to develop intuitive and effective educational products, employing a deep understanding of user behavior and cognitive processes to enhance learning experiences.
Saman Bodla SAP, Software Developer
Saman Bodla graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2021 with a degree in Computer Science. During her time at UCI, Saman cultivated a passion for both front-end and back-end development. Following graduation, Saman interned at SAP, focusing on front-end development projects for a year. This experience eventually led to a full-time position at SAP as a full-stack developer. Now, Saman brings a wealth of experience and insight to the field, serving as a testament to the diverse opportunities available in computer science.
1:35-2:00 pm
Azra Zahin Computer Science, Sophomore Data@UCI, Co-President
Azra Zahin is a 2nd year computer science major at the University of California, Irvine. She serves as the co-president of the data science club, Data@UCI ↗︎, and is actively involved in undergraduate research at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. Azra is passionate about exploring the intersection of software and data science, an area that is increasingly significant in the tech field with the advancement of artificial intelligence.
Barbara Martinez-Neda Computer Science, PhD Student UCI DREAM Center, Scholar-in-Residence Teaching & Learning in Computing Lab, Mentor/Researcher
Barbara Martinez-Neda is a PhD Candidate in the department of Computer Science. She works in the Teaching and Learning in Computing Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Sergio Gago Masague and Dr. Jennifer Wong-Ma. Inspired by her own experiences as an undergrad, her research focuses on understanding and developing computational tools for early identification of students’ challenges in Computer Science.
Barbara is also part of multiple mentorship programs. In the TLC Lab, she mentors undergraduate Dream Project Fellows as they begin their journeys with research in CS. Outside the lab, Barbara is a Scholar-in-Residence mentor at the UCI DREAM Center, where she supports the post-graduation and professional development of students impacted by immigration laws and policies.
Olivia Figueira Computer Science, PhD Student WiCyS, President
Olivia Figueira (she/her) is a PhD student in Computer Science in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at UCI, advised by Athina Markopoulou and Scott Jordan. Her research interests include data privacy, privacy law, children's and teens' online privacy and safety, and human-computer interaction. She obtained her BS in Computer Science and Engineering from Santa Clara University in 2021 and her MS in Computer Science from UCI in 2023. She is a researcher in the UCI Networking Group and NSF SaTC Frontier ProperData Center. She is also the President of the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS ↗︎) student chapter at UCI. For more information, please visit her website: https://ics.uci.edu/~ofigueir/.
Maya Lee Computer Science, Senior WICS, Co-President
Maya is a 4th year undergraduate computer science major at UCI with a specialization in Algorithms and a minor in Informatics. She was a previous NCWIT winner for Aspirations in Computing in Maryland in 2019 and 2020 for her high school leadership in the CyberPatriot and Girls Who Code clubs. Maya is currently Co-President of the Women in Information and Computer Sciences (WICS ↗︎) club, dedicated to building a social and professional community of students in technology at UCI. After graduating this June, Maya plans to work in Software Development. Outside of tech, Maya enjoys music, reading, and trying new foods!
2:00-3:00 pm
The student awards will be handed out in the order below. You can follow along here ↗︎.
Valencia High School Arnold O. Beckman High School Bolsa Grande High Brea Olinda High School Capistrano Connections Academy Charter Capistrano Valley High School Fairmont Preparatory Academy Fountain Valley High School Irvine High School La Quinta High School
Magnolia High School Northwood High School Oxford Academy Portola High School Sage Hill School Tesoro High School University High School Valencia High School Westminster High School Woodbridge High School Troy High School
3:00-3:05 pm
Thank you for attending the OC Aspirations in Computing award ceremony. Please complete the survey ↗︎. Turn your name badge in to collect your swag bag.
Awardees, please meet at the stairs for a group photo. 📸
We encourage you to stay longer to take photos with your friends/family and to continue networking!