August 22, 2024
By Patricia Waldron
Sai Nellutla ’27 grew up with an electrical engineer and a math teacher for parents, but despite his family’s focus on math and physics, he never had the opportunity to explore programming.
Now, with a dream of working in tech and founding a startup, Nellutla is making up for lost time. This summer he participated in CSMore, a program designed to give prospective computer science majors a head start on future classes, a chance to develop fundamental skills, and a community to support them along their journey.
“I wanted to gain that foundation,” Nellutla said, “and it was a great opportunity for that.”
Currently in its fifth year, CSMore is run by the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science. The program is for any rising sophomore who wants to lay the groundwork for the major. Ultimately, organizers hope the course will broaden the participation of undergraduates in computer science. The program ran July 15 to Aug. 9, with sessions held in Gates Hall.
“By immersing our students in a supportive environment early on, we empower them to excel both academically and personally,” said LeeAnn Roberts, director of Cornell Bowers CIS’s DEIB office. “These programs are vital in creating equitable opportunities and nurturing diverse leaders of tomorrow."
More than half a dozen computer science faculty participated in CSMore, teaching a tech bootcamp and introductions to three traditional sophomore courses in the major.
“Our department really puts a lot of effort into making sure that our students are in the best position to learn,” said Giulia Guidi, assistant professor of computer science. Guidi switched from biomedical engineering to computer science for her Ph.D. “If my school had had summer courses that could help me catch up on things, that would have been really helpful,” she said.
Vansh Bherwal ’27, a prospective computer science major, said CSMore made him feel well-prepared. “The breadth of offerings they provide, especially for rising sophomores, was incredibly valuable.”
Bherwal grew up building robots and participating in robotics competitions. He has an avid interest in machine learning and plans to program robots for use in industry in his career.
Beyond seeing what is in store for the years ahead, Bherwal also enjoyed meeting DEIB staff and getting to know faculty, which can be challenging in large lecture classes. “I plan to do more in my classes – make those connections and not be afraid of going to their office hours,” he said. “Yes, they're professors, but they want to talk to students too.”
Several faculty also gave talks about their research, to alert students to the research opportunities available to them and provide a window into possible careers in academia.
“I've never considered research up until this point as a potential career pathway, so talking to professors and hearing them talk about their research has been really insightful,” Nellutla said.
In the evenings, participants had a busy social calendar, with bowling, self-care activities, a trip to the Cornell Challenge ropes course, game night, and a paddle around Beebe Lake. These events were not only fun, but helped students build bonds with classmates who would become their lab partners, study buddies, and support system for years to come.
“We got close really fast, and everyone motivated me a lot,” said Lucy Bazezy ’27, who plans to pursue a job in video game design or human-computer interaction. “The classes helped me understand that the study methods I was doing weren't working, and just being around people in a collaborative space did help me understand things better.”
Whether CSMore participants ultimately enter industry, academia, or another sector, the college hopes to provide them with the knowledge, connections, and confidence to thrive.
“There are infinite possibilities in the world of tech today, and I would love to be able to contribute in one way or the other,” Bherwal said. “I think Cornell is one of the greatest places to be for that vision of mine to flourish.”
CSMore receives funding from the Department of Computer Science, the National Science Foundation, LinkedIn, and the Hopper-Dean Foundation.
Patricia Waldron is a writer for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science.