People

Faculty

Lei Zhang, Assistant Professor

Current Students

Ainaz Jamshidi (Ph.D., Spring 2024–Present)

Email: ainazj1@umbc.edu

Research Interests: machine learning, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, quantum software engineering

Fang Yuan (Ph.D., Fall 2023–Present)

Email: fyuan1@umbc.edu

Research Interests: software engineering, applied post-quantum cryptography

Nadeem Ahmed (Ph.D., Spring 2023–Present, supervisor: Dr. Aryya Gangopadhyay)

Email: nahmed5@umbc.edu

Research interests: applied post-quantum cryptography, cybersecurity, computer networks

Nick Kim (Master’s Research Assistant, Summer 2024–Present)

Email: dkim26@umbc.edu

Research interests: quantum software engineering, machine learning

Poojitha Thatamsetty (Master’s Research Assistant, Spring 2025–Present)

Email: pthatam1@umbc.edu

Research interests: machine learning, data analysis, quantum software engineering

Gayatri Thakur (Master’s Research Assistant, Spring 2025–Present)

Email: ml82179@umbc.edu

Research interests: machine learning, quantum software engineering

Past Students

Master’s Students

Khushdeep Kaur (Fall 2023–Fall 2024, Thesis-based)

Sireesha Bommareddy (independent study, Spring 2023– Fall 2024)

Ishan Joshi (independent study, Spring 2023)

Undergraduate Students

Nick Kim (independent study, Fall 2024)

Mikayla Hopper (cybersecurity project, Spring 2023)