A view of the world from the fourth floor of Parmly Hall
Jackson Jacobs, a recent graduate of W&L, double majored in Computer Science and Politics. He is employed as a Software Engineer at RVO Health– a joint venture between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group.
Jackson is featured in this Columns article, which focuses on how his educational background shaped his current professional journey.
Congratulations to the Class of 2024 Computer Science Majors and Minors for their outstanding achievements! Their accomplishments, along with the accomplishments of certain CS undergraduates are listed here, as they appear in the Commencement Bulletin.
Majors:
Another well deserved achievement for Katie!
Yurechko, who double majors in computer science and philosophy and minors in poverty and human capability studies, has been named the 2024 Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Leader of the Year in academics and research.
The Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Leader of the Year in academics and research recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities and achievements in the area of academia and research within their academic community or institution.
A 2023 initiate of the University’s Alpha Circle of ODK, Katie will graduate in May 2024 with a 4.0 GPA. She was also named W&L’s first Marshall Scholar in December 2023.
Congratulations!
Here’s the link to the full story.
The first ever W&L SOLVE Hackathon was held in the IQ Center, May 12-13, 2024.
A hackathon is an event where individuals or teams come together to collaboratively work on solving problems or creating innovative projects within a limited time frame. The SOLVE 2024 event was an interdisciplinary student-focused gathering for any undergraduate student from W&L.
A grand prize of $1,000 was awarded to three separate teams judged to have created the best products or for embodying the spirit of the competition. Danish Bokhari ’24, Lakpa Sherpa ’25 and Mohamed Soliman ’27, who created EcoEats, a food app designed to revolutionize the way we eat and live sustainably, were one of the three winning teams.
Congratulations Danish, Lakpa and Mohamed!
Click here to read the full Columns article:
https://columns.wlu.edu/wl-holds-inaugural-solve-2024-hackathon-event-on-campus/
W&L senior CS major Katie Yurechko ’24 co-authored a paper titled “You Can (Not) Say What you Want: Using Algospeak to Contest and Evade Algorithmic Content Moderation on TikTok,”. Katie collaborated with Ella Steen, a student at Gordon College, and Daniel Klug, a systems scientist at Carnegie Mellon University. The paper was recently featured online in “Social Media and Society” published by Sage Journals.
This paper talks about how people who make videos on TikTok are starting to use special language called “algospeak” more and more. They do this to get around rules that they think are unfair about what they can and can’t post. These video creators frequently come up with new words or change existing ones, or they might use emojis or hand gestures instead of words. They do this to stop TikTok’s algorithm from removing their videos.
Yurechko, who double majors in computer science and philosophy with a minor in poverty and human capability, is dedicated to backing marginalized groups and advocating for diversity within the field of computing.
Students in Professor Matthews CSCI 319 Video Game Design class showcased their final games at the end of winter term.
Game Demo Day took place on Saturday, April 13 from 10:30am – 12:30pm in the Science Center Great Hall.
It was a great turnout as lots of people came and played video games!
Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) was founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. Its motto is “Love of learning is the guide of life.” The Gamma of Virginia Chapter was chartered at W&L in 1911.
Washington and Lee University’s PBK chapter welcomed 54 members of the junior and senior classes at the Convocation on Friday, April 5. The honorees were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa based on their exceptional academic achievements in the arts and sciences. Following are the computer science initiates from the Class of 2024 and 2025:
2024
Danish Bokhari
Julia Raskin
Will Xue
2025
Sarah Lathrop
Linh Nguyen
Ignas Volcokas
Lydia Yang
Congratulations!
Ford Scott, Class of 2025, is majoring in computer science and minoring in digital culture and information. He was featured in a Columns article highlighting his educational interests and personal pursuits.
One of Ford’s most significant experiences at W&L has been serving as a founding member of the Cybersecurity Club, an organization dedicated to helping students understand and promote online security. The club has grown to 60 members and continues to explore the complexities of cybersecurity.
Ford has also worked closely with two of his computer science professors, Professor Taha Kahn and Professor William Tolley, both of whom specialize in privacy and security—fields that closely align with his own interests. Recently, Ford worked with Professor Tolley on an independent study where they analyzed different samples of malware. Professor Tolley’s guidance was invaluable, helping Ford navigate specialized topics while also providing focused career advice.
Click on the link to learn more about Ford!
Ford Scott, Class of 2025, is majoring in computer science and minoring in digital culture and information. Ford is featured in a Columns article showcasing his educational experiences at W&L.
Noteworthy accomplishments are his founding the Cybersecurity Club and his summer internship with Input Output Global organization.
Check out the write up to learn more about Ford!
Katie Yurechko, ’24, a computer science and philosophy double major, was one of 51 Marshall Scholars chosen in 2023. She is the first Marshall Scholar at W&L!
The Marshall Scholarship program was created in 1953 by an Act of British Parliament as a thank-you to former U.S. Secretary of State General George Marshall and the United States for assistance under the Economic Recovery Act, better known as the Marshall Plan. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit, leadership potential and ambassadorial potential.
Katie will receive a scholarship that fully funds one to three years of study at UK universities. She will study at the University of Oxford and University College London.
Click here to read the full story.
https://columns.wlu.edu/wls-katie-yurechko-among-2024-class-of-marshall-scholars/
Congratulations, Katie!