UNC-Chapel Hill Students Awarded 2025 Google PhD Fellowships
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Two doctoral students at UNC-Chapel Hill have been named 2025 Google PhD Fellows: Viviane Ito of the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) and Vaidehi Patil of the computer science department. This prestigious fellowship program supports promising doctoral candidates in various fields.
Google PhD Fellowship Program Overview
The Google PhD Fellowship program aims to support students pursuing research in areas crucial to Google’s mission. It provides financial support, mentorship from Google researchers, and access to Google’s resources. The program is highly competitive, attracting top students from universities worldwide.
Meet the Fellows
Viviane “Vivi” Ito (Human-Computer Interaction)
Viviane Ito is the first student from the UNC School of Information and Library Science to recieve a Google PhD Fellowship.Her research focuses on human-computer interaction (HCI). HCI is a field that studies the design and evaluation of interactive computing systems for human use, and is concerned with the intersection of computer science, behavioral sciences, design, media studies, and several other fields of study. The goal is to develop technology that is both usable and enjoyable for people.
Vaidehi Patil (Machine Learning and ML Foundations)
Vaidehi patil, a student in the UNC Collage of Arts and Sciences’ computer science department, has been awarded a fellowship in machine learning (ML) and ML foundations. Machine learning is a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on the growth of algorithms that allow computers to learn from data without being explicitly programmed. ML foundations refer to the theoretical underpinnings of machine learning, including statistical learning theory and optimization techniques.
Impact and Meaning
These fellowships highlight the strength of research programs at UNC-Chapel hill and the quality of its graduate students. The Google PhD Fellowship program provides these students with invaluable opportunities to advance their research and contribute to the field of computer science. It also strengthens the collaboration between UNC-Chapel Hill and Google, fostering innovation and knowledge exchange.
Key Takeaways
- Viviane Ito and Vaidehi Patil were named 2025 Google PhD Fellows.
- Ito’s research is in Human-Computer Interaction, a first for UNC SILS.
- Patil’s research is in Machine Learning and ML Foundations.
- The Google PhD Fellowship program supports promising doctoral students with financial aid and mentorship.
Published: 2025/11/26 19:53:51