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.

Keeping Doors Open: Connection, Collaboration and Opportunities

By Nina Globerson

On 1 May, the School of Computer Science prepares to welcome visitors, staff, and students alike to its one-of-a-kind Doors Open day. As the only School to implement this initiative at St Andrews, co-founders Dr Ruth Hoffmann (Lecturer, Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research, and Head of the AI theme) and Dr Kirsty Ross (Industrial Liaison) are thrilled to welcome all to the third iteration of the event.

“Doors Open is an event where we’re trying to engage as many people as possible from the public, industry, and sectors that are not within the computer science department. The idea is to showcase what the School does and get people engaged, involved, or interested in computer science and see what we can foster from that.” Dr Ruth Hoffmann

The event emerged from conversations between Dr Ruth Hoffmann, Kenneth Boyd (Honorary Lecturer), and Dr Kirsty Ross on how they could better engage companies in the research within Computer Science. Inspired by art degree shows in Dundee and Glasgow:

“We started off with the idea to invite a bunch of industry people and give them various talks. However, we soon realised that we couldn’t simply talk at them. Therefore, we invited exhibits, and from there we decided to open the entire department up to the public because it needs to be everybody. There are many opportunities for industry people that perhaps they, staff, or the public are not aware of, especially on how we could integrate public engagement within the School for its teaching and research” Dr Ruth Hoffmann

Previous Doors Open events have led to productive and interdisciplinary projects such as the French Digital Library with Dr Pauline Souleau in the School of Modern Languages; involvement of Experian and Skyscanner in the third-year module CS3099: Software Engineering Team Project; Senior Honours projects with Wikimedia UK; as well ongoing projects with psychologists, marine biologists, and historians.

“The conversations are the real impact of Doors Open…Relationships don’t come out of nowhere. It sometimes takes time for these relationships to develop, and it might just be a random conversation at a Doors Open day that then turns into something else further down the line. It’s leaving space for serendipity, as well as creating a slightly more structured opportunity for all involved.” Dr Kirsty Ross

Besides forty projects being shown throughout the day, from climate action language models to generative machine learning for synthetic histopathology slides and video analytics for rugby skills training, this year’s Doors Open approach has evolved, with the addition of ‘Hot Tattie Talks’ to provoke meaningful conversations with the public. This includes fascinating topics such as the affordability of AI and Computing (Prof Simon Dobson), Co-designing Ethical Digital Futures (Dr Abd Alsattar Ardati), and a Brief History of Programming Languages (Dr Edwin Brady). There will also be closed sessions, similar to the collaborative nature of a sandpit event, that are driven by invited external partners who want to present a challenge and to consult with academics. This will not only spark fruitful discussions, but will also help create alliances between industry partners, academics, and the wider School.

The event is also about the students and enabling them to spotlight what they do. Dr Ruth Hoffmann commented that kudos should be given to the students as “they are extremely self-starting and they don’t need much help from us. However, I’m hoping that with these Open Days we can give them a little bit of a leg up to present their research and make new contacts.” This includes internship opportunities such as StARIS and the Vertically Integrated Projects, which often stem from conversations held between staff and various students at Doors Open. It also highlights the student societies within the School, such as St Andrews Computing Society (STACS) and Women in Computer Science (WICS) who showcase what they do, whilst accessing potential employers within a fun and interactive setting.

However, there is also something far more exciting taking place behind the scenes — the integration of external partners into academic modules, creating opportunities for students to gain industry experience. This is most notable in CS3099, where third year undergraduates work in groups to create a software product from start to finish. With the expertise provided by both academics and industry professionals, students have gone on to create Wikidata inspired web visualization, as well as creating novel social enterprise applications for specific audiences. Alongside the main theme of CS3099, accessibility has been built into the module in collaboration with Skyscanner.

“This means that every single graduate from 2024 and 2025 will have the experience of building accessibility into their software products, which is fantastic in creating a cohort of inclusive engineers coming out from the School.” Dr Kirsty Ross

It also means employers and potential employees are creating synergy to see if they are “a right fit for one another,” and having the opportunity to choose the best of the best adds Dr Ruth Hoffmann.

Doors Open is about representation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and connection. It is due to this that Dr Ruth Hoffmann  has been able to reconnect with colleagues from other Schools that she doesn’t typically get to see, as well as reigniting conversations held with visitors from previous years: “I think my favorite part is the buzz of the day where you’ve got people presenting and talking to each other and getting excited on various different levels.” It also is about highlighting that “the doors remain open permanently to anyone who wants to work with the School of Computer Science” says Dr Kirsty Ross, and creating the space to talk to people:

“I love spotting a need, joining the dots between individuals, as well as watching the relationships grow from there, and this only scratches the surface of what Doors Open could be like in the future.” Dr Kirsty Ross

This also raises the question of what’s next for Doors Open, which both Dr Kirsty Ross and Dr Ruth Hoffmann have agreed involves maintaining the enthusiasm amongst students and staff to present their work to the public, as well as encouraging other Schools within St Andrews take up the model.

Furthermore, there are ongoing discussions about setting up a rapid software prototyping centre where external partners can provide a source of paid, subject specific employment for the students of the School of Computer Science. Given St. Andrews location within a “sweet spot” to support local businesses in, around, and outside of Fife, the impact of initiatives like this could be significant. Furthermore, if more Schools were to run their own Open Doors events, the nature of academic research and student opportunity could change immensely, promoting increased interdisciplinarity and collaboration on a much larger scale.

Check out all the fantastic talks, sessions, and exhibits on show for Doors Open 2025 at https://doorsopen.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/our-show/ now, and see you on 1 May!

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.

Doors Open @ Computer Science, St Andrews on Thursday 1 May 2025, 10am-4pm (drop in)

We are holding a Doors Open event on Thursday, 1 May 202,5 and would love for you and your colleagues to visit us at this event.  

Our school is growing, and we want to make sure we are listening to organisations locally, nationally, and internationally. Our hope is that the day is a chance to share and discuss some of the exciting projects going on by our staff and students. We’d love to hear about what you are doing and see if there are any interesting ways to work together.  

We have created an events webpage with details and outlines of the projects which will be on show; we are adding more every day (Doors Open @ CS). We will also have our Hot Tattie sessions upstairs in 1.33b at various times during the day. 

So we can plan refreshments, it would be great if you could register: Doors Open @ Computer Science 2025  

If you have any questions, please get in touch.