UCL Computer Science celebrates Student EDI Awards 2025

BSc Student EDI Award Winners

Sindi Gjonaj, Savani Sawaikar and Matilda Moore - Minerva Hack

Sindi, Savani, and Matilda successfully delivered the department’s inaugural women’s hackathon, creating a platform for young women in tech to come together, collaborate, and tackle real-world challenges through innovative technology. 

Matilda Moore said: “It is truly an honour to receive this award for our work on Minerva’s Hack, the first women-only hackathon at UCL. Creating a space that encouraged and supported women in STEM from diverse backgrounds was incredibly rewarding, with many inspiring participants and projects. We hope this is just the beginning of many more hackathons that empower women in STEM.”  

MEng Student EDI Award Winners 

Silvia Gelina – Exceptional Outreach Ambassador  

Silvia is an integral part of the Computer Science outreach programme, consistently demonstrating leadership, initiative, and passion for inspiring the next generation of learners. As a student ambassador, Silvia has actively supported a range of activities including the department’s First All-Girls Mini Hackathon for A-Level students, the AI for Good showcase, and careers’ fair events at high-priority schools. 

“It was incredibly rewarding to help create a supportive and inspiring environment for young women in tech, and I’m proud to be part of a department that values inclusion and outreach,” said Silvia about her award.  

Yusuf Adekola – Delivering a successful summer school workshop 

At UCL East, Yusuf led an engaging and inspiring session on UCAS applications and personal statements, providing students with clear, practical advice and answering questions with enthusiasm and insight. His session left students feeling confident, informed, and motivated, resulting in positive feedback from data collected at the end of the Summer School.  

“Coming from a background where opportunities to truly thrive academically weren’t always accessible, especially for those who didn’t have many relatable role models, I’m proud to be an example of what it means to persevere against the odds” said Yusuf Adekola.  

Tosin Fadahunsi – AI and bias research, winning the best paper at the SANER 2025 International Fairness Workshop 

Tosin's research into demographic bias in text-to-image generative AI models, which explores how underrepresentation of gender and ethnicity can perpetuate harmful stereotypes in technology, earned her Best Paper at the SANER 2025 International Fairness Workshop.

Furthermore, as an Outreach Ambassador, she also plays a key role in the department’s widening participation efforts, inspiring the next generation of computer scientists from under-represented backgrounds. 

MSc Student EDI Award Winners

Ramneek Ahluwalia - Championing the visually impaired community  

Ramneek has been exploring innovative technologies to support the visually impaired, advocating for their inclusion in the design process. As a volunteer with the Thomas Pocklington Trust, her efforts have earned her a nomination and shortlist for the Rodney Powell Awards 2025 in the 'Outstanding Contribution – Student Voices' category.

Ramneek said: 

“As a visually impaired woman in STEM, I've channelled my lived experiences into creating technological innovations that bridge accessibility gaps. As a Student Representative on the brand new AI & Robotics MSc programme, I have spear-headed conversations throughout programme and departmental meetings to ensure that students now and in the future feel empowered, included and enabled rather than 'disabled'.

Furthermore, I have made it my mission to contribute to the imperative research needed to ensure that technological advancements within AI & Robotics are driven by the diverse needs of the visually impaired community, by speaking at events led by globally renowned companies, to dedicating my Master's project to kickstarting the development of AI research which could completely transform the lives for the visually impaired community globally.” 

Ellie (Hoong Yan) and Ivy (Chan ka Ying) - Research into innovative audio-visual accessibility 

Yan and Ivy developed an audio-visual accessibility tool that supports people with hearing loss by combining real-time multimodal speech recognition with pitch adjustment features. Supported by UCL Sign Language Society, and the UCL AI Society, the project applies cognitive decision science and computer science to create inclusive, community-informed technology.

PhD Student EDI Award Winners

Shu Zhong – Leading a successful summer school session  

Shu played a key role in the success of the Computer Science Summer School 2024 by organising and delivering an engaging day focused on human-computer interaction. She coordinated 15 staff from UCLIC and curated a programme featuring a panel discussion, interactive demos, and a hands-on workshop with a mini-hack - earning excellent feedback from participants.

In addition, Shu spoke at the Athena Circle event in October 2024, sharing her experiences as a PhD student and AS PhD Rep. A dedicated contributor to EDI efforts, Shu continues to be a valued and inspiring member of the CS community. 

“Over the past few years, it's been a privilege to serve as an Athena Swan student representative and work with such a committed team. I've learned so much from the group, and it's been really rewarding to help younger students explore different aspects of computer science as they start thinking about university. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to contribute and for this wonderful recognition,” said Shu. 

Akhil Polamarasetty – Designing and delivering successful outreach workshops  

During the department’s First All-Girls Mini Hackathon for A-Level students, Akhil led a powerful masterclass on economic and technological abuse, equipping participants with the knowledge to recognise and address these critical issues.

Akhil’s session inspired the hackathon’s central challenge - developing an educational tool to support women facing such abuse - ensuring a strong focus on social impact. Akhil has supported the department’s outreach activities, and has been involved in the Computer Science Summer School, where he supported the cybersecurity workshop. 

Akhil said: “I’m very grateful for this award and really appreciate the EDI team for giving me the opportunity to contribute the all-girls CS-mini-hackathon. It was quite heartening to see the participants engage and reflect on important issues, very much enjoyed being part of the event!” 

Ela Kanani – Supporting the Computer Science EDI Cultural Survey 

Ela has been working closely with the Computer Science EDI leadership team to launch the culture survey in the department which aims to capture the experiences of staff and students, contributing to efforts that promote a more inclusive and understanding departmental culture. 

Ela has shared some feedback on her award: “I am very grateful to receive this award for supporting the department's culture survey and am proud to be part of the Athena Swan committee. I hope to continue contributing to a more inclusive and positive community experience for all!”  

Top EDI group activities across any cohort

Sophie Martin and Chimdi Igwe - Supporting the CS Race Equality Working Group  

PhD students Sophie and Chimdi contributed to the Black History Month celebration 2024 and staff potluck events, helping foster community, inclusivity, and cultural appreciation within the department.

Both Sophie and Chimdi have important roles as members of the Race Equality Working Group, supporting efforts to advance racial equity within the department by supporting events, and participating at summer school workshops for prospective students from under-represented backgrounds. 

Sophie has shared some feedback about her experiences in the department: "Participating in outreach and EDI activities has been one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable aspects of my PhD, and I’m very grateful to receive this award alongside Chimdi." 

Yusuf Afifi, Ediz Cinbas, Anthony Nkyi, and Jerry Wu – Developing the ReadingStar App 

Our Computer Science undergraduate students developed the ReadingStar app, a native AI-powered karaoke app designed to aid speech fluency improvement, designed in partnership with the National Autistic Society (NAS) and Intel.

The team showcased the app at the UCL Computer Science AI for Good Student Showcase 2025, and BETT Education Tech Conference 2025. The team members were pleased to share their feedback on winning the group award: 

“We collaborated with Intel and the National Autistic Society to develop ReadingStar - a gamified speech therapy tool. We’re honoured to receive this award and proud to help democratise AI for inclusive education and support for neurodiverse communities.” Yusuf Afifi. 

Kiminao Usami, Aiden Cheng, Horesh Lopian, and Hugo Marfani – Developing the Super Happy Space app 

At the Bett Global, a team of our undergraduate Computer Science students showcased their new app: a Generative AI Sensory Room designed to support children with autism and neurological conditions.

Developed in partnership with Intel Corporation and The National Autistic Society, the project aims to bring adaptive, personalised sensory environments to schools across the UK. By using Generative AI to tailor experiences to each child’s needs, this initiative marks a significant step toward more inclusive and accessible education. 

The department congratulates all winners and nominees for their remarkable contributions to building a more inclusive future in computer science.