2024-2025 K&L Gates Presidential Fellows

Tzu-Sheng Kuo

Tzu-Sheng Kuo is a PhD student in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. His research focuses on transforming the current top-down and centralized approach to AI development towards more community-driven, deliberative, and democratic processes. To achieve this vision, he develops systems and processes that empower individuals and communities impacted by AI to actively shape its design, evaluation and governance. His research has received Best Paper and Honorable Mention Awards at top HCI conferences, including CHI and UIST. He is advised by Dr Ken Holstein, Assistant Professor and Dr. Haiyi Zhu, Associate Professor of  Human-Computer Interaction.

Veronica Muriga

Veronica Muriga is a doctoral candidate in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program and advised by Dr Akshitha Sriraman, assistant professor and Dr Swarun Kumar, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Veronica's research addresses the persistent digital divide in rural and underprivileged areas by designing computer systems that bridge gaps in computing and connectivity. Specifically, her work focuses on enabling access to reliable and affordable communication networks in regions where traditional telecommunication infrastructure is limited or nonexistent. Her research takes a systems-oriented approach, emphasizing the need to design solutions that account for and adapt to the unique technical constraints of the target communities. Central to her work is the development of an emergency communication system leveraging existing satellite networks. Satellite systems, with their growing prevalence and distinct advantages over terrestrial networks, present a promising alternative for regions underserved by traditional infrastructure. Veronica's investigations include the development of a novel modulation scheme utilizing satellite responses and the exploitation of ambient satellite signals to enable localized communication within constrained environments.

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Wesley Hanwen Deng

Wesley Deng is a PhD student in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. His research focuses on responsible AI (RAI), algorithmic fairness, and human-AI interaction. He is advised by Dr Motahhare Eslami, and Dr Ken Holstein, both Assistant Professors of Human-Computer Interaction. Wesley's current work aims at building tools and processes to support both AI practitioners and end users in designing and developing safer, more responsible AI systems, with a specific focus on AI auditing, red-teaming and impact assessment. With the support of the K&L Gates Presidential Fellowship, he intends to develop and evaluate WeAudit, an interactive platform designed to support diverse public participation in auditing and red-teaming generative AI systems. Wesley’s work has been published at top-tier conferences in human-computer interaction and responsible AI such as CHI, CSCW, FAccT, HCOMP and AIES. He has also organized a series of workshops at these conferences to foster interdisciplinary collaboration around RAI, AI auditing and AI red-teaming. His work has been recognized through a Microsoft AI & Society Fellowship and Best Paper Awards at the AAAI HCOMP and AIES conferences. During his time at CMU, Wesley has led or co-led numerous grant proposals, securing over $600,000 in funding. Prior to CMU, Wesley earned his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, where he received the highest honor for graduation and an EECS research honor.