Carnegie Mellon University

Images of award recipients

January 07, 2025

2025 K&L Gates Presidential Fellowship Recipients Announced

The K&L Gates Initiative in Ethics and Computational Technologies proudly announces the 2025 recipients of the prestigious K&L Gates Presidential Fellowship: Veronica Muriga, Wesley Hanwen Deng and Tzu-Sheng Kuo. These exceptional doctoral candidates are advancing groundbreaking research in ethics, computational science, and technology, advancing the fellowship's mission to explore the ethical implications of technology and ensure its positive impact on society.

Tzu-Sheng Kuo Tzu-Sheng Kuo

Human-Computer Interaction Institute, School of Computer Science

Tzu Sheng pioneers community-driven AI development, designing systems that empower impacted communities to shape AI design, evaluation and governance processes.

veronica-muriga-min.png Veronica Muriga

Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering

Veronica's research develops innovative computer systems to address the digital divide in rural and underserved areas, leveraging satellite networks to create emergency communication systems adapted to the technical constraints of these communities.

Wesley Hanwen Deng Wesley Hanwen Deng

Human-Computer InteractionInstitute, School of Computer Science

Wesley focuses on responsible AI, creating tools like WeAudit to engage diverse public participation in auditing and evaluating generative AI systems, promoting fairness and accountability.

The K&L Gates Presidential Fellowship, established as part of a $10 million gift creating the K&L Gates Initiative in Ethics and Computational Technologies, supports up to three doctoral students annually. These fellows explore critical questions about human-technology interactions, the ethical challenges of computational science and the societal impact of emerging technologies.

The nomination process began in Oct 2024 and attracted highly accomplished candidates from five schools and colleges: the School of Computer Science, Heinz College, the College of Engineering, the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Tepper School of Business.

An advisory committee of faculty members evaluated nominees on several criteria:

  • Quality of research and its potential real-world impact.
  • Engagement with ethical and societal challenges.
  • Use of interdisciplinary approaches.
  • Academic achievements and advisor support.
  • Alignment with the fellowship’s mission.

We extend our gratitude to the deans of the colleges for facilitating the nomination process and to the interdisciplinary group of faculty who participated in the selection process including:

  • Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences (Richard Scheines, Dean): Atoosa Kasirzadeh, Edward Kennedy, Rebecca Nugent
  • Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy (Ramayya Krishnan, Dean): Ananya Sen, Rayid Ghani
  • Tepper School of Business (Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, Dean): Derek Leben, Emily Diana
  • Mellon College of Science (Curtis A. Meyer, Interim Dean): Gabe Gomes
  • School of Computer Science (Martial Hebert, Dean): Ken Holstein, Aditi Raghunathan
  • Co-Chairs of the Initiative & Advisory Committee Chairs: Alex John London and Hoda Heidari