In December 2024, a total of 561 students graduated from the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS). Our newest alumni will make their mark in their respective fields, connecting technology and humanity and leading the next generation of technology leaders.
Our departments celebrated the following number of graduates:
- Computer Sciences: 298
- iSchool: 77
- Statistics: 186
Below, we meet a few of our newest alumni.
Annika Kennerhed, BS Data Science
With a major in Data Science and a certificate in Scandinavian Studies, Annika Kennerhed’s interests don’t stop at data. She also has a deep interest in language and cross-cultural connections, exemplified by a study-abroad experience in Madrid in spring 2024.
Nonetheless, her passion for data science is clear; as a student, Kennerhed has completed multiple internships, including as a data analytics intern for Duluth Trading Company and a data governance analyst intern at U.S. Venture. She also served in a leadership role for the popular data science student org, dotData.
Christian Willis, MS Information
Christian Willis is blazing trails at UW–Madison: he is the first student to complete the MS Information program with our new Human Factors in Cybersecurity concentration and was named the iSchool’s inaugural Koch Scholar. After taking a serious interest in cybersecurity during his undergraduate years at Appalachian State University, Willis dove deeper into the field at UW–Madison, working with his advisor, Associate Professor Rick Wash, on cybersecurity research examining the challenges—specifically for people who speak English as a second language— in identifying phishing emails.
During the MS program, Willis also completed an internship at the Kohl’s corporate office in Milwaukee and served in multiple leadership roles, including as co-president of TEDxUWMadison, vice president of Design Interactive, and iSchool student orientation leader.
Clarity Kummer, BS Statistics
Clarity Kummer is the first to admit she struggled academically when she started attending UW–Madison. However, after she changed her major from Neurobiology to Statistics, she said, “I was able to rewrite my academic narrative.”
Set to graduate with a BS in Statistics and a Mathematics Certificate, Kummer has found an academic and professional home in the realm of data analysis. She also recently completed an internship at Best Buy, using statistical techniques to conduct merchandising and demand planning analysis, and has a bright future ahead with the company.
Divya Van Pietersom, BA Information Science
Divya Van Pietersom, a double major in Communication Arts and Information Science, understands that information and communication are inseparable. During her time at UW–Madison, Van Pietersom has served as a community outreach intern at the Madison Youth Arts Center and an intern at the UW–Madison Transfer Transition Program, harnessing the technical skills (understanding data, basic coding) picked up through the iSci major as well as the communication skills (compelling writing and storytelling) acquired through the Comm Arts program.
Eric Pohlman, MA Library & Information Studies
As a Monk of Saint John’s Abbey in Minnesota since 2011, Eric Pohlman entered our MA program with plenty of self-discipline and a penchant for thinking deeply.
As he completes his degree, he is thankful for the courses, instructors, and experiences who have influenced his iSchool journey and laid the foundations for a fulfilling and impactful career at the intersection of libraries, archives, and religion.
Fife Salako, BS Information Science
Raised in Milwaukee, Fife Salako (like Willis) is fascinated by cybersecurity. During his Information Science (iSci) undergraduate studies, Salako learned about the complicated and changing relationships between individuals, technology, and society. Through courses like Introduction to Cyberlaw (LIS 663), as well as an information security internship at Dialysis Care Center, Salako cemented his interest in issues of cybersecurity as he prepares to embark on a promising career in the field.
Jacqueline Hanson, MA Library & Information Studies
Jacqueline Hanson is graduating with her MA a semester earlier than she expected, a testament to her success in the program. Hanson fondly recounts her iSchool coursework, noting that each class “felt like a collaborative conversation among peers.”
During her master’s program, Hanson also discovered a passion for working and connecting with undergraduates, which she hopes to tap into in a career in higher education libraries.
Julia Lalor, MA Library & Information Studies
Julia Lalor has had two important roles since joining the MA program: one as a graduate student, one as a mother. “I entered the program with a 5-month-old baby, and I’m ending the program 2-and-a-half years later with an almost 3-year-old and a 15-month-old,” Lalor said. “I’m proud of myself for only taking one semester off for ‘maternity leave’ and then continuing to take classes full-time and working part-time.” In the program, Lalor pursued a passion for archives through coursework, a part-time role at the Wisconsin Historical Society, and an officer role with the Society of American Archivists’ Student Chapter.
Kayley Seow, BS Computer Sciences
You may have seen Kayley Seow x’24, one of the student leaders behind MadHacks, in the news recently—in November, she and co-organizers hosted a “trial by fire” hackathon that received 1,000 applications and generated dozens of ideas. Her achievements also earned her numerous awards, including the CS department’s Golden Brick Award (for her role as chair of WACM’s mentoring program, which she and partners “expanded to include over 120 mentors and mentees”), the Kate Kaiser Scholarship, Society of Women Engineers Scholarship, and Bromley Conference Travel Award.
Similarly, Seow went above and beyond with her research accomplishments: She was an Undergraduate Research Scholar (URS) with UW–Madison’s Justice Lab, participated in Google’s CS Research Mentorship Program, worked with large language models at Skunkworks, and currently visualizes Patterson-Sullivan measures in the hyperbolic plane with the Madison Experimental Mathematics (MXM) Lab. In addition, she interned with IBM, Wells Fargo, and Amazon Web Services.
Mehek Checker, BS Computer Sciences
Within the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS), a shocking 49% of students are double majors. Mehek Checker x’24—a CS and Psychology double major—is one such student.
“As a research assistant at the Cognitive Origins Lab, I combined both my majors by using my tech skills to further psychological research,” she says. “I developed interactive Python games to assess children’s understanding of numerical concepts during trials. It boosted my confidence in my abilities, gave me a deeper understanding psychological research, and showed me how impactful this kind of interdisciplinary work can be.”
Michelle Fisher, MA Library & Information Studies
After working in technical services at the Madison healthcare IT company Epic Systems, Michelle Fisher decided to pursue an MA to dive deeper into the world of libraries and information.
Since joining the program, she has gained invaluable academic and career experiences, getting involved with multiple student orgs, attending professional conferences, and working as a Circulation Specialist at Memorial Library.
Neeraj Surawar, MS Computer Sciences
Most students find that an education at UW–Madison extends well beyond the classroom. For Neeraj Surawar MSx’24, it will be hard to say goodbye to the “rich blend of academic and recreational pursuits” our campus offers.
Surawar’s “strong interest” in graphics processing unit (GPU) architecture led him to the Heterogeneous Architecture Lab (HAL). Under the guidance of advisor Matt Sinclair, Surawar conducted research on optimizing multi-chiplet GPUs.
Nora Tseng, BS Computer Sciences
Computer Sciences is the largest department on campus, a fact which presents students with a dizzying number of opportunities. The key, says Nora Tseng x’24, is to sample widely and find a specialty where you can flourish.
“My time at UW–Madison exposed me to various areas within and beyond computer science, and ultimately allowed me to find what interests me,” she says. “I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Supritha Challa, BS Computer Sciences, Data Science
When Supritha Challa x’24 arrived on campus, she wasn’t immediately sure what she wanted to study. Thanks to UW–Madison’s unique open-access computer science program, she found her way to CS—and thrived.
“I’ve grown so much, both academically and personally,” says Challa. “Coming into college with no prior knowledge of computer science, the program at UW–Madison gave me a solid technical foundation from which I can think analytically and adapt to new challenges.”