Six CS students named CRA outstanding undergraduate researchers

Six undergraduate students at the University of Michigan majoring in computer science have been named in the 2025 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Awards, organized by the Computing Research Association (CRA).

Awarded annually, CRA’s undergraduate researcher awards are given to a select number of recipients. The awards specifically recognize students who have demonstrated exceptional research skills and potential as well as a commitment to advancing the computing field. 

Out of hundreds of nominees, fewer than 10 students receive the award, with an additional select group of students honored as runners up and finalists. Also announced were several honorable mentions for the award.

The following students in CSE were recognized by the CRA:

Finalist

Hriday Chhabria

A senior majoring in computer science, Hriday works with Dhruv Jain, assistant professor of CSE, in addition to collaborations with Haiyi Zhu and Anna Fang, professors at Carnegie Mellon University. His research falls in the area of human-computer interaction, focusing on the design, implementation, and evaluation of human-AI systems that enhance human well-being. He has contributed to sound recognition and sound awareness symptoms to support deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, as well as exploring virtual reality solutions for stress relief. His work on these topics has appeared at top conferences, including CHI and ASSETS. Outside of research, Hriday also serves as an instructional assistant for EECS 370: Introduction to Computer Organization.

Honorable Mentions

Lingbo Duan

Lingbo is a senior majoring in computer science, and is a participant in the dual degree program between U-M and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He performs research as a member of the Large-Scale Integrated Photonics (LSIP) group at U-M, under the supervision of Di Liang, professor of electrical and computer engineering. Together with his team, Lingbo helped develop the Product Quantization Compress (PQ Compress) architecture for silicon photonics-based neural networks, achieving a 332x reduction in chip size while maintaining computational accuracy. In addition to his research, Lingbo has completed internships focused on algorithm research and data analysis, and has experience teaching informatics to competition-level students.

Marcus Gozon

Marcus is a senior, double majoring in computer science and mathematics. He has conducted significant research in algorithms and complexity lower bounds for motion-planning problems in robotics, as well as machine learning reconstruction attacks in medical contexts. His work has been supported by prestigious awards, including the Goldwater Scholarship. Marcus has also been actively involved in competitive programming and student organizations, representing U-M at the ICPC regional competition and contributing to the organization of regional math competitions. After graduation, he plans to pursue a PhD in theoretical computer science or mathematics.

Anri Gu

Anri is a senior, studying computer science and economics. He conducts research within the Strategic Reasoning Group under the guidance of Professor Michael Wellman. Anri’s research interests lie in algorithmic game theory and multi-agent systems, focusing on the analysis of strategic environments where decision-makers have incomplete or limited information. In the first half of 2024, Anri was a visiting student at the University of Oxford, Hertford College, where he collaborated with Edith Elkind and Jiarui Gan on theoretical problems related to algorithmic game theory.

Sushrita Rakshit

Sushrita is a senior, majoring in computer science with a minor in statistics. Her research interests span natural language processing, affective computing, and complex systems. Currently, Sushrita conducts research under the guidance of Professors David Jurgens, associate professor in CSE and the School of Information, and has contributed to projects on human-AI alignment in collaboration with researchers from Google, MIT, and CMU. She is also dedicated to mentoring junior students and helping them engage in research. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD, with the goal of creating trustworthy AI systems that align with human moral and emotional expectations.

Yiming Xiang

Yiming is a senior majoring in computer science as part of U-M’s dual degree program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research interests include computer systems, operating systems, compilers, game engine architecture, and programming languages. Yiming currently works as a research assistant in OrderLab under the guidance of Professor Ryan Huang, focusing on enhancing the eBPF verifier for the Linux Kernel. Previously, he served as a teaching assistant for various engineering and programming courses at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where he contributed to curriculum development and created instructional tools and frameworks.