Eight CS&E students receive President’s Student Leadership & Service Award
The President’s Student Leadership & Service Award (PSLSA) recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of outstanding student leaders at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. It is presented to students for their exceptional leadership and service to the University of Minnesota and the surrounding community.
The list of 2021 recipients includes eight students with ties to the Department of Computer Science & Engineering:
Becca Dura
M.S. in Data Science
As a member of the NRT DSMMA program, I am most proud of my work with helping to organize and moderate the Women in Data Science Workshop, where a panel of women working in data science spoke on their career paths and challenges they have faced as females in STEM.
Daniel Glynn
Minor in Computer Science
I am most proud that I was able to 3D print and donate 2,700+ face shields for medical staff and first responders in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when there were PPE shortages. It is fulfilling knowing that my engineering experiences allowed me to protect my community.
Jeffy Jeffy
Minor in Computer Science
I am most proud of my involvement with CSE’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) team. Being a part of this team, I was able to help create the first CSE D&I focused newsletter, developed a scholarship database, planned social events, networking opportunities and more, for BIPOC and first generation college students.
Amy Ma
B.A. in Computer Science
Leading the Minnesota Student Association (MSA), our undergraduate student government, through this unprecedented year for higher education and students nationwide. MSA continued to advocate for changes such as S/N grading, tuition refunds, campus safety, and more.
David Ma
B.S. in Computer Science
This year, I had the privilege of serving as the President of the Science and Engineering Student Board. It was a year of unusual circumstances for everyone, but I’m incredibly proud of everything that the Leadership Team accomplished in serving CSE.
Swati Rampalli
B.S. in Computer Science
I’m most proud of my experience in helping establish and run Code the Gap, a student group oriented towards providing an inclusive environment for underrepresented 6h-12th grad students in STEM fields. It’s been humbling and impactful to provide these students with the resources to have their voice heard.
Venkat Reddy
Minor in Computer Science
I am most proud of my experiences with the Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Student Council, allowing me to better serve my classmates and friends with their journal through the program.
C. Estelle Smith
Ph.D. in Computer Science
As President of the Computer Science Graduate Student Association in 2020, I’m proud that I restructured the organization to: create a more inclusive and active community culture in the department; empower officers with more meaningful leadership opportunities; and advocate for the crucial academic, social, and professional needs of our students.
The PSLSA is a collaboration between the Office of the President, Office for Student Affairs, University of Minnesota Alumni Association and Student Unions & Activities.