News

Successful Technology Through The Ages Event with Madras College

The school hosted a highly successful outreach event on May 8th, welcoming S1 pupils from Madras College to the school. Attendees had the opportunity to explore the development of computing technology through the ages and interact with a large number of interactive technology demonstrations and exhibits. It was lovely to see how well behaved and engaged they all were with Computing, which is a real credit to Madras College and its values, and it was great to see everyone having fun, including the older kids too i.e., CS staff 🙂

Special thanks to all staff in CS who got involved with this, volunteering their equipment and time to talk to the S1 pupils, testing, setting up, and clearing away

Also, special thanks to the S1 pupils for joining us and to Janice Patterson, Stephen Forbes, and Keith Maskell at Madras for all their work organising the trip from the Madras end.

 

Research Software Group Lunchtime Seminar – Friday 23rd May

There will be a Research Software Group Lunchtime Seminar on Friday May 23rd at 1pm, in room 1.33B.

Talk Title: “People First: Sustaining Research Software by Sustaining the People Who Build It”

Speakers are Software Sustainability Institute Fellows: Deborah Udoh (OLS) and Olexandr Konovalov (St Andrews)

– https://www.software.ac.uk/fellowship-programme/deborah-udoh

– https://www.software.ac.uk/fellowship-programme/olexandr-konovalov

Abstract

What does it mean to build sustainable research software—and sustainable research software communities?

Too often, sustainability is framed in terms of clean code, reproducibility, funding and long-term maintenance. But sustainability is also about people: who gets to stay, who gets to lead, and who burns out or leaves before their potential is fully realised.

This talk invites us to look beyond technical best practices and consider the human infrastructure that truly sustains research software: the developers, contributors, maintainers, and collaborators who often work in the margins of recognition. We’ll explore how issues like burnout, impostor syndrome, and lack of psychological safety threaten not just individual wellbeing, but the continuity and health of the software ecosystems we care about.

Using real-world examples from both academic and open-source contexts, we’ll share practices and small culture shifts that have helped sustain people in research software roles.

This session will include a short, interactive exercise where participants will reflect on their own sustainability needs, and collectively brainstorm people-first practices for healthier RSE communities.

PGR Seminar with Duong Phuc Tai Nguyen + Thomas Metcalfe

The next PGR seminar is taking place this Friday 9th May at 2PM in JC 1.33a

Below are the Titles and Abstracts for Duong and Tom’s talks – Please do come along if you are able.

Duong Phuc Tai Nguyen

Title: Enhancing Dynamic Algorithm Configuration via Theory-guided Benchmarks.

Abstract: Algorithms play a vital role in numerous domains, ranging from machine learning to optimization and simulation. Developing an algorithm typically requires making multiple design choices and fine-tuning parameters, a process that can be both labor-intensive and complex. This project seeks to automate this process by employing machine learning techniques, particularly deep reinforcement learning (deep-RL). By leveraging theoretical insights from evolutionary computation, we establish new benchmarks to assess RL methods for dynamic algorithm configuration and propose enhancement techniques to increase their effectiveness

Thomas Metcalfe

Title: Listening to Rhythms: Exploring Human-Phenology Attunement through Research Products and Decentralised Computing

Abstract: Humanity and the planet are in an epoch of ecological breakdown. Modern technological cultures have severed human awareness from the living rhythms of more-than-human worlds. This research explores how decentralised, situated technologies might foster embodied attunement between humans and the phenological rhythms of place.

This seminar is a work-in-progress. 7 months into his PhD, Tom will present his journey and current thinking on the foundations and potential direction of his project. You can expect to hear how he’s trying to shift research paradigms; the profound change in the project’s onto-epistemological perspectives; and how he hopes to make a contribution to the design and HCI communities.

Successful Doors Open Event

The school hosted a highly successful Doors Open event yesterday, welcoming many visitors including industry professionals, university colleagues from other schools (e.g. Psychology & Neuroscience, Biology and Chemistry) and prospective students. Attendees had the opportunity to explore cutting-edge projects in Artificial Intelligence, Human-computer Interaction, Software Engineering and engage with interactive technology demonstrations.

Highlights of the event included the popular “Hot Tattie” sessions in Artificial Intelligence, Programming Languages and Human Computer Interaction. The enthusiastic participation and positive feedback from visitors highlighted the school’s commitment to outreach, education, and fostering a strong connection between academia and the broader community.

Special thanks to Ruth Hoffmann and Kirsty Ross who organised this event. We would like to thank all who attended Doors Open and made it a success. We look forward to seeing you next year!

PGR Seminar with Gen Li + Jess McGowan

The next PGR seminar is taking place this Friday 2nd May at 2PM in JC 1.33a

Below are the Titles and Abstracts for Gen and Jess’ talks – Please do come along if you are able.

Gen Li

Title: Visualization of clinical pathways based on sepsis comorbidities

Abstract: Sepsis is a severe infectious syndrome that can lead to critical illness and death. At present, most retrospective studies on sepsis focus on diagnosis and mortality risk prediction, with relatively limited attention to patients’ medical backgrounds. Comorbidities, as an important factor affecting the severity of the disease and treatment outcomes, present complex and variable characteristics in the treatment process. However, current research in this field generally lacks in-depth analysis of clinical pathways such as patient transfers and treatment interventions during hospitalization, which limits the development of personalized treatment strategies. Based on this, our research plans to use machine learning methods to extract similar comorbidity sub-groups of sepsis patients from electronic health records (EHRs), and further combine them with advanced visualization technology to explore the clinical pathways of these sub-groups. The research aims to help clinicians gain insights into the potential relationship between sepsis and related comorbidities, improve the interpretability of patients’ clinical records, and thus develop more effective treatment and management strategies for patients.

Jess McGowan

Title: Roll For Initiative: From Play to Personas

Abstract: In user centred design, designing for a wide target audience can lead to systems attempting to please everyone and thus pleasing no-one. Using a persona, i.e. a single member of that target audience, and designing a system dedicated to their needs results in a more focused design, which leads to improved usability. However, the design of personas is largely unstructured, with no clearly agreed methodology behind their creation. The solution to this could be found in Tabletop Role Playing Games (TTRPGs), which tend to feature clearly structured character creation instructions. This project aims to investigate to what extent can TTRPG character creation instructions aid the design of personas.

🦙 Alpacas a Heartwarming Success for CS 🦙

In a change from traditional stress-relief activities, the school hosted an alpaca wellbeing event yesterday that brought fun and relaxation to those who came along. The event featured a visit from a charming herd of alpacas from Bowbridge Alpacas Scotland, named Joseph, Angus, Jacob, Balthazar, Owain and Simon.

Timed during the lead into exams, the event provided a welcome escape from revision.  Alpacas are known for their gentle and inquisitive nature, making them ideal companions for stress relief.

This was Georgia Chiswick’s last event as CS school president and we would like to thank her for all she has done for the school. Good luck Georgia!

Wellbeing Event

Wellbeing Event Brings Alpacas to CS Llama

In the midst of deadlines, revision, and the general hustle of university life, it’s easy to forget to take a moment to breathe. That’s why this Tuesday, we’re inviting students and staff alike to pause and unwind with some very special guests: alpacas!

Our Wellbeing Team is thrilled to host this unique event designed to support mental health and wellbeing in a fun, memorable way. Taking place on Tuesday 29th April 2pm-4pm at the Jack Cole patio/BBQ area (outside the coffee area) the event will feature a group of friendly, gentle alpacas who are more than happy to lend a fluffy ear and a calming presence.

Why Alpacas?

Studies have shown that spending time with animals can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. Alpacas, known for their docile nature and soothing demeanor, are perfect companions for a moment of calm during a busy week. Whether you’re petting them, snapping selfies, or just enjoying their company, the experience is sure to bring a smile to your face.

What to Expect

  • A relaxed, outdoor setting to meet and interact with the alpacas
  • Information on wellbeing resources and support services available in the School
  • Opportunities to connect with fellow students and staff in a light-hearted atmosphere
  • Free refreshments while you mingle

No Booking Necessary!

This is a free, drop-in event open to all students and staff in the School. Just show up, take a breather, and enjoy some quality time with our alpaca friends.

We can’t wait to see you there.

Celebrating Diversity in Computer Science

Celebrating Diversity in Computer Science: The Figure of the Season Initiative

As part of the Designing and Delivering an Inclusive Curriculum STARIS project, we are excited to introduce the Figure of the Season showcase—an effort to highlight diverse contributions to the field of computer science.

Why This Initiative Matters

Representation plays a crucial role in fostering a sense of belonging, yet Computer Science has historically lacked visibility for many of its diverse pioneers. This initiative aims to shed light on these figures by celebrating how their work has shaped technology, and by recognising the role that diversity has played in their success.

How It Works

Every few months, we will feature an individual whose contributions have had a lasting impact on Computer Science or technology. This will be done in tandem with the University of St Andrews Diversity Calendar, which will inspire the theme of each showcase. Through visually engaging poster displays, we hope to provide students and staff with insight into these figures’ achievements, challenges, and the significance of their work.

Each showcase will be displayed in the Jack Cole coffee area—be sure to check them out next time you grab a tea or coffee!

Spotlight on Dr. Ruchi Sanghvi

Our first honouree is Dr. Ruchi Sanghvi, the first female engineer at Facebook and a leader in the tech industry. From playing a key role in developing Facebook’s News Feed to advocating for diversity in tech, Dr. Sanghvi exemplifies the innovation and leadership we aim to celebrate.

By sharing stories like hers, we hope to inspire future generations of computer scientists, challenge stereotypes, and reinforce that computer science is for everyone.

Stay tuned as we continue to showcase incredible, diverse figures who have shaped the field!

 

By Jade Adedokun

PGR Seminar with Dhananjay Saikumar

The next PGR seminar is taking place this Friday 25th April at 2PM in JC 1.33a

Below are the Title and Abstract for Dhananjay’s talk – Please do come along if you are able.

Title: Signal Collapse in One-Shot Pruning: When Sparse Models Fail to Distinguish Neural Representations

Abstract: The deep learning breakthrough in 2012, marked by AlexNet’s success on the ImageNet challenge, ushered in an era of increasingly large neural networks. Modern models now hold tens of millions to billions of parameters, enabling remarkable capabilities but creating serious challenges for deployment in real-world, resource-constrained environments. This has led to growing interest in model compression, with network pruning emerging as a widely adopted method to reduce computational and memory demands. Iterative pruning—based on repeated prune-retrain cycles—can retain accuracy but becomes infeasible at scale due to high computational cost. One-shot pruning, which removes parameters in a single step without retraining, offers a more scalable alternative but often results in severe accuracy degradation. For instance, pruning 80% of the parameters from RegNetX-32GF (a 100M+ parameter model) drops ImageNet accuracy from 80% to 1%, rendering the model unusable. This talk uncovers a new and fundamental bottleneck behind such failures: signal collapse, a previously overlooked phenomenon that disrupts the network’s ability to distinguish between inputs. To address this, a simple and efficient method called REFLOW is introduced, enabling sparse networks to recover strong performance without retraining or gradient computation. On RegNetX-32GF, REFLOW lifts accuracy from 1% to 73% at 80% sparsity—in under 15 seconds. These findings reframe the challenges of one-shot pruning and open new opportunities for practical and efficient deployment of deep learning models.