Computer Science Department Celebrates Outstanding Graduates

Over commencement weekend, computer science faculty members announced the winners of the department’s two annual senior prizes: the Robert N. Noyce Senior Student Award and the Henry M. and Theresa P. Walker Endowed Prize for Excellence in Computer Science.

Mikey O’Conner and Maddy Thompson are this year’s recipient of the Robert N. Noyce Senior Student Award. “This award goes to a senior who, in the judgment of the selection committee, has made the greatest contribution to the use of computer-based technology while a Grinnell student,” says Peter-Michael Osera, professor and chair of computer science. The award recognizes not only individual accomplishment but the breadth and depth of the student’s contribution.

At Grinnell, Thompson combined work in computer science and gender, women, and sexuality studies, performing research on participation and belonging for minoritized students in computing and working with the Girls Who Code and Women and Gender Minorities in Computing club. As a mentor for several computer science courses, she is known for uplifting all students in the classroom.

For the last several years, O'Conner collaborated with members of the libraries to support and dramatically improve the digital edition of the Rootstalk magazine at Grinnell College, improving website infrastructure, publication workflows, and applying skills learned in his courses to improve the quality of images on the website. O’Conner also co-founded the department's game design and development club.

The 2024 Henry M. and Theresa P. Walker Endowed Prize for Excellence in Computer Science was awarded to Jemzy Alabi, Micah Cantor, Mia Hines, and Tanmaie Kailash. The prize is given annually to one or more graduating computer science majors who have demonstrated excellence in computing and technology as an undergraduate and, “who show substantial promise for continued contributions to computing and technology in the future,” says Osera.

As an undergraduate, Alabi worked extensively at the intersection of programming languages, automated theorem proving, and computer science education. She worked with Professor Osera on building proof assistant support to support undergraduate discrete mathematics education and served as a beloved mentor for CSC 213.

Cantor has been heavily involved in programming languages research and education, conducting research with the Glasgow Haskell Compiler, leading a Haskell reading group in the department, and presenting work at RacketCon, the premiere conference for the Racket programming language.

Hines has prioritized work at the intersection of computing and social justice, most recently at the MIT Media Lab configuring statistics about environmental hazards occurring in prisons to help shape policy recommendations by activists. Hines was one of the students who established the Grinnell Chapter of Girls Who Code, mentoring girls and non-binary students at Grinnell Middle School in an effort to close the gender gap in technology.

At Grinnell, Kailash has combined her interests in both computing and sociology. Recently, she’s worked with Eric Autry, assistant professor of computer science, on the Des Moines Policing Project to track racial bias in Des Moines traffic citations and arrests. She’s presented her work at NAACP chapter meetings and at the Iowa Summit on Justice and Disparities. “Kailash has also been an excellent mentor for students across the breadth of the computer science curriculum,” writes Osera.

Congratulations to Mikey O’Conner, Maddy Thompson, Jemzy Alabi, Micah Cantor, Mia Hines, and Tanmaie Kailash!