Computer Science Alumni Profiles

Callie Levitt '26

Where is home? 

I am originally from Connecticut, currently in Boston!

Major, minors, and certificates? 

I started off as a Mechanical Engineering major, and then switched to Studio Art before ending up at Computer Science. I also minored in Studio Art and Computer Engineering, as well as earning a certificate in Computer-Aided Engineering Technology

Why UVM? 

I chose UVM for its cultural fit and for Burlington itself! I loved my time there and found it full of opportunities, both academically and socially.

Where are you now? 

I am currently a master’s student at Northeastern University, pursuing a degree in Robotics with a concentration in CS.

How did UVM Computer Science prepare you for this position? 

UVM's CS program gave me a strong foundation in the fundamentals while leaving room to explore electives and figure out my path within the field. Courses like Computer Organization, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Evolutionary Robotics, along with Microcontroller Systems in the CMPE department and my research, pointed me toward a career in robotic software. The hands-on projects in these courses gave me practical skills that helped me land an internship and strengthen my graduate school applications.

How would you complete the sentence, The Computer Science program at UVM is unique because…. 

...it allowed me to explore my interests both inside and outside of Computer Science. Coming out of this program, I feel I was able to pursue every opportunity and gained a deep interdisciplinary skill set that has carried me into higher education.

Were you part of any clubs, sports, and/or extracurricular organizations? 

I was a part of Girls Who Code, which was a fantastic way to connect with other CS students and make an impact by teaching younger students software skills. I also spent 4 years working at the FabLab, which gave me a home base at UVM and helped me build my skills in fabrication and leadership. I was also lucky to engage in research both through the Plant Machine Design group and the INTERACT Lab, focusing on AI+Art and Computer Vision/Robotic Software respectively.

Can you share a memorable project or research experience? 

In Machine Learning, Professor Safwan Wshah let me tie my semester-long project into my research group and implement a computer vision system to distinguish between substrates onboard a Raspberry Pi-based robot from the INTERACT Lab. I appreciated being allowed to implement a less conventional project that genuinely suited my interests. We took first place in the UVM CS fair with this project as well!

Can you share a class or professor that had a significant impact on your academic growth and career direction? 

So many classes and professors shaped my growth at UVM. Special thanks to Lisa Dion, Safwan Wshah, and Josh Bongard in the CS department, whose classes challenged me and taught me an enormous amount. I also really enjoyed Computer Organization with Jim Eddy and Microcontroller Systems with Tony Barsic - getting hands-on experience with embodied software and embedded systems played a huge role in shaping my academic and career direction. I'm also especially grateful to Laura Treers, whose mentorship in research and through an independent study in ROS2 had a lasting impact on me and was a major factor in my decision to pursue robotics after graduation.

Have you completed any internships or work experiences that you would like to share? How did they influence your career path? 

I recently completed an internship at NASA Ames Research Center in California, where I was working on localization software for a lunar rover. This experience both challenged me intensely and was hugely rewarding. I am looking to continue in this field of study and seek further research in robotic sensing under occluded conditions or complex terrains.

Is there an achievement (or achievements) during your undergraduate years at UVM that you are particularly proud of? 

I am very proud to have won first place in the UVM CS Fair two years in a row, alongside my favorite project partner, Darby Lane!

Jack D'Iorio '26

Where is home? 

Rhode Island

Major, minors, and certificates? 

My major was Computer Science—I have always loved programming. I added Mathematics in grad school after realizing why I loved programming (applied math).

Why UVM? 

I chose UVM because I love nature and computer science. I have a TEDxUVM segment titled “The Science of Sustainability” on YouTube for more details.

Where are you now? 

I am currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant at UVM and a researcher for the Joint Lab in the Vermont Complex Systems Institute

How did UVM Computer Science prepare you for this position? 

In every way imaginable!

How would you complete the sentence, The Computer Science program at UVM is unique because…. 

...it focuses on how computer science fits into the larger paradigm of exploring applied mathematics as a whole instead of purely on coding and software development.

Can you share a memorable project or research experience? 

My first project was working with Professor Joe Near in the PLAID lab. Through that experience, I learned that I love academic research.

Can you share a class or professor that had a significant impact on your academic growth and career direction? 

Professor Clayton Cafiero taught me that I love academia and how good professors can be.

Is there an achievement (or achievements) during your undergraduate years at UVM that you are particularly proud of? 

There are several: My TedxUVM presentation, my undergrad research experience, which led to my name on a paper (DP-voxlet on arXiv), and my guest lecture in Professor Cafiero's Intro to AI class.

Are there any "shout-outs" you would like to share?

Thank you to Professors Clayton Cafiero, Joe Near, Laurent Hébert-Dufresne, and the Vermont Complex Systems Institute.

Darby Lane '26

Where is home? 

Atlanta, GA

Major, minors, and certificates? 

Mathematics/Computer Science - I started with math, but after taking my first programming course with Clayton Cafiero, I realized how much I liked it and how useful it would be as I got into higher-level mathematics.

Why UVM? 

Honestly, I wanted to ski! I got sick of the heat in Georgia, and I wanted to be in a beautiful place where I could spend plenty of time outside while also learning something that I loved.

Where are you now? 

University of Maryland, PhD Student in Applied Mathematics

How did UVM Computer Science prepare you for this position? 

Programming is a very useful skill for applied math! I'm glad to be proficient in Python and MATLAB; they come in handy for my Scientific Computing course and will be especially relevant for numerical methods in my PDEs course, as well as several research projects I am starting.

How would you complete the sentence, The Computer Science program at UVM is unique because…. 

...so many of the professors and lecturers have industry experience! While I really enjoyed the more traditional academic setting of the math department at UMD, I trusted the advice and teaching of my lecturers and professors in the UVM CS department because I knew they were speaking from years of experience in the field. Especially in applied math, it is pretty common to end up in the industry rather than academic after your PhD, so I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from so many ex-industry mentors in the UVM CS department.

Were you part of any clubs, sports, and/or extracurricular organizations? 

I spent a lot of time outside! I love to fly fish, hike, and ski, and Vermont is perfect for all of those. When I would get overwhelmed by my courses or research, it always helped me put everything in perspective to spend time outside. Sometimes grades felt like life or death to me, but when I went outside, all of the pressure I had been putting on myself immediately felt silly! UVM's location in such a beautiful place made spending time outside easy and taking care of my mental health so much easier.

Can you share a memorable project or research experience? 

My senior honors thesis was very memorable - I worked on a problem related to simulating computation using dynamical systems. It was memorable for many reasons, but two main ones: 

1. It was the first somewhat long-term research project I did where I could pick the exact topic.
2. About 75% of the way through, I realized a pre-existing theorem made all my work up to that point useless! 

This was a huge challenge to overcome, and a huge time crunch to determine a new angle for the problem and see it through by the deadline. But somehow, I made it through! This made me a lot more confident in my ability to pivot when things don't work out, a skill I will likely need as I do more research here at the University of Maryland.

Can you share a class or professor that had a significant impact on your academic growth and career direction? 

I took Chaos, Fractals, and Dynamical Systems in Spring 2025 with Dr. Chris Danforth. It fully motivated my desire to study applied math in graduate school because it helped me realize how much I enjoy using math as a tool to understand the world better. I was fascinated by how much and how little of the world we can make sense of with math. Dr. Danforth was also a fantastic person to talk to when I started applying to graduate school a year and a half later, especially because he is an alum of the applied math program at UMD as well!

Are there any "shout-outs" you would like to share?

Thank you to everyone in the CS and math departments, but especially Clayton Cafiero and Drs. Chris Danforth, Brian Lavallee, and Francois Dorais - I would not be where I am without your advice and kindness!