Haarika Manda & Joyce Passananti

Congratulations to Haarika Manda and Joyce Passananti, who have been selected to receive 2024 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, which provide three years of financial support toward completion of their degrees. Being selected as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow is a significant national accomplishment, placing them among an elite group of fellows who have gone on to distinguished careers in STEM or STEM education.

“I’m grateful and feel honored that I was chosen to receive this award by the National Science Foundation,” writes Manda. “This award means that I can continue to pursue impactful research in Computer Science. My current advisors are Professors Elizabeth Belding and Arpit Gupta who have supported me throughout the process of applying for this prestigious fellowship. In the past few months, I have worked on assessing the effectiveness of federal programs such as the Connect America Fund (CAF) in addressing internet equity throughout the United States.”

Adds Passananti, who is advised by Professor Tobias Höllerer in the Computer Science Department and co-advised by Professor Jennifer Jacobs in Media Arts and Technology: “I'm incredibly grateful to receive the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, which will allow me to continue cross-disciplinary research exploring the intersection of art and technology, particularly in designing tools specifically for artists and creators. Additionally, it means a great deal that to me that in a time of rapid AI advancements and technological progress, research to shape future developments in collaboration with existing communities is valued and supported.”

The complete list of 2024 fellows, including 18 from UC Santa Barbara, can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/24f8vp85