Nikhita Punati

Year in School
Sophomore

Major
Computer Science

Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence

Research Mentor
Prof. Lawerence Rauchwerger

Research/Engagement Experience
In high school, I was really interested in the intersection between computer science and neuroscience. A couple of summers ago, I did deep learning research at UC Santa Barbara where I tried to implement biological learning rules as algorithms in convolutional neural networks, taking inspiration from spiking networks. I was also an outreach officer for the Girl's Who Code Club during high school, where I regularly taught elementary and middle schoolers computer science fundamentals.

Interests
I am interested in distributed systems, natural language processing, and AI infrastructure.

Project Title
TBD

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
My interest in computer science grew from an enjoyment of math and problem-solving during my childhood. My dad, a software engineer, urged me to take an introductory programming course in high school. I deeply appreciated how programming combined creativity and logical thinking. My interest deepened when I noticed the fast-paced nature of computer science and the field's application to nearly every aspect of life.

What social interests matter to me?
The social interest I care the most about is accessibility to education for everyone. I believe that knowledge is necessary to develop one's passion and sense of personal meaning, which anyone should be able to achieve.

What is my most impactful college experience?
My most meaningful experience was participating in HackIllinois during my freshman year. It was fun, chaotic, and rewarding to stay up all night with my friends to learn about web application development and create something together.

These are a few of my favorite things!
I enjoy reading memoirs, cooking meals for my friends and family, spending time with my brother, and coffee!

Research Description
I am working on STAPL, an open source parallel programming library. The goal of the project is to re-create the standard ISO C++ library to run on shared and distributed memory parallel computers, providing a seamless interface for users to develop parallel C++ programs without knowing the details of parallel program. We hope to improve the performance of sequential C++ programs.

Biography
Nikhita Punati is a sophomore studying computer science at UIUC. Outside of schoolwork, she is a member of the Disruption Lab at the Gies College of Business and a member of the Society of Women Engineers. She is passionate about teaching young women computer science through her leadership with Girls Who Code.