Welcome to the Computer Science Department
at the University of California, Santa Barbara!
Why Computer Science?
Computer Science is an exciting, challenging, and growing field that impacts the world and everyday life in countless ways.
Computer scientists are involved in creating technology and systems that are used in a wide range of industries, including medicine, communications, entertainment, manufacturing, business, and science. CS research pushes the state-of-the-art in computing theory and practice, and it leads to new technologies that change the world.
Despite all the impressive achievements of the field, we are convinced that there are many more exciting discoveries and applications of computer science yet to come, and you can be part of this process of exploration, discovery, and invention!
Chair's Message
Distinguished Professor Divyakant Agrawal
Welcome to the Computer Science Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara!
CS@UCSB is a special place where exciting research meets exceptional teaching against the backdrop of wonderful natural beauty. As faculty, students, and staff of CS@UCSB, we feel lucky to be part of an outstanding department in the most impactful academic discipline of our times while living in one of the most beautiful places in the world!
Our Mission
The CS department at UC Santa Barbara is widely recognized as one of the top Computer Science departments in the nation, featuring a highly distinguished faculty and excellent students.
Our culture of education and research strongly encourages collaborative, entrepreneurial, supportive, multidisciplinary solutions-driven efforts at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Our students and graduates shape the future of science and engineering here and around the world. We are committed to providing a respectful and inclusive environment for all members of our community, free from all forms of discrimination and harassment.
The Computer Science Department seeks to prepare undergraduate and graduate students for productive careers in industry, academia, and government, by providing an outstanding environment for teaching and research in the core and emerging areas of the discipline. We bring computational approaches and solutions to some of society’s most vital and complex issues. We are presently engaged in research that promises game-changing breakthroughs in computing and will bring about advances in important areas such as healthcare, communications, education, government, energy efficiency, and the environment. We believe that we will help transform the future; that computing is central to shaping and improving the world by enabling data-driven scientific discoveries and bringing a world of rich, easily-accessible information to individuals everywhere.
The department has been on an impressive upward trajectory for many years, fueled by the quality and impact of our work, the recognition of our faculty, and the success of our graduates.
Announcements
Congratulations to the Computer Science Department's alumni awardees, honored at the 2024 Awards Ceremony.
Congratulations to the Computer Science Department's graduate awardees, honored at the 2024 Awards Ceremony.
Congratulations to the Computer Science Department's undergraduate awardees, honored at the 2024 Awards Ceremony.
UCSB’s William Wang recently received a promotion from associate professor to professor in the Department of Computer Science. Professor Wang is the director of UCSB’s Natural Language Processing group and the founding director of UCSB's Center for Responsible Machine Learning.
The Computer Science Department is pleased to announce that Maryam Majedi is joining UCSB as an assistant teaching professor.
Congratulations to UCSB’s Lei Li and Yu-Xiang Wang on their recent promotions from assistant professors to associate professors.
News Spotlight
Thanks to all the UCSB Computer Science alumni who joined us this weekend at our first 2024 Computer Science Alumni event in Palo Alto, CA. We enjoyed sharing with you the latest news from the department and learning about your many successes in the field. We look forward to many more of these events in the future!
The Harold J. Plous award recognizes an assistant professor within Letters and Science who has demonstrated outstanding performance or promie of performance as measured by creative action or contribution to the intellectual life of the college community. Dr. Michael Beyeler of the departments of Computer Science and Psychlogical & Brain Sciences is this year's recipient. The honor recognizes Dr. Beyeler's oustanding contributions in research, teaching, and service, embodying the spirit of excellence and innovation that defines the UCSB academic community.
Congratulations to Vaishnavi Himakunthala on receiving the Outstanding Collegiate Member Award from the Society of Women Engineers. This prestigious award is presented to an undergraduate SWE collegiate member who has made an outstanding contribution to SWE, other engineering organizations, the community, and the campus. Himakunthala is one of only 17 students nationally to receive the award this year.
“SWE-UCSB has played a big role in providing me with a supportive community and enabling me to get involved with outreach and volunteering,” she says, “all of which has been integral to my college journey and to who I am as a person. I'm definitely very fortunate to have been able to be a part of the club and receive this award from the SWE national chapter. I encourage all UCSB students, especially underclassmen, to get involved with clubs like SWE and WiCS on campus, and make use of all the resources and the community they offer. It can be very beneficial! As I finish my last year at UCSB, I hope that this award will encourage me to get more involved with the national chapter.”
For more than seven decades, the Society of Women Engineers has been empowering women to achieve full potential in their careers. SWE’s goals include creating a lasting network among the various types of engineering students and providing the resources and connections to help younger generations of aspiring engineers.
To learn more about SWE at UCSB, see their Instagram @ucsb_swe or their website.