This fall, four St. Joseph’s students participated in the prestigious OurCS Workshop at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where they conducted and presented research.
The four students, Hamnah Irfan, Margaret Tzimorotas, Rivujoya Hem and Joella Azar, are computer science majors who were selected to attend after a lengthy application process that included writing essays on their interests in computing research. The three-day, research-focused workshop aims to improve gender balance in computing research. At the workshop, undergraduate students from around the world work on exploratory problems in teams led by researchers from industry, academia and other computing related domains.
“Hamnah, Joella, Maggie and Rivu did an outstanding job on their research projects and delivered impressive presentations to an audience of academics and corporate sponsors,” said Victoria Hong, MBA, Ed.D., chairperson and assistant professor of mathematics and computer science. “I am incredibly proud of how well they represented St. Joseph’s at this prestigious conference.”
Joella Azar ’26 presented A Voice for Life: Leveraging AI Speaker Verification for Instant Medical Record Access. The goal of the team’s research was to create a speech recognition system that offers safe, immediate access to medical records in an emergency. Better patient outcomes and more informed decision-making under pressure result from the system’s ability to swiftly retrieve vital patient data, which speeds up and improves the precision of medical care.
“My experience at the OurCS Workshop was transformative,” said Azar. “It provided a hands-on, collaborative environment where I could deeply engage with computer science concepts and research. The exposure to cutting-edge projects and the opportunity to work alongside passionate peers and mentors broadened my perspective and sparked new interests.”
Hamnah Irfan ’25 presented User Reactions to Anti-Adblock Banners: A Survey-Based Analysis. At the OurCS conference, Irfan’s team researched the impact of anti-ad block banners on user actions. To conduct their research, they developed a set of 10 survey questions and conducted an online survey with 200 participants, asking users if they used ad blockers and how concerned they were about online security. Their findings revealed that 53 percent of users indicated they would leave the website, 26 percent would dismiss the banner, 14 percent would disable the banner, seven percent would attempt to circumvent it, and none said they would pay for an ad-free experience. Additionally, most users emphasized the importance of websites providing privacy information, and overall, they had a very negative perception of anti-ad block banners.
“Participating in the OurCS Workshop was an incredibly memorable experience,” said Irfan. “As a minority in tech, I felt both excited and inspired to collaborate with such talented women. This experience was valuable for my professional development, as it allowed me to network with fellow students, connect with potential employers and explore graduate school opportunities.”
The students presented their research on the final day to an audience of administrators, faculty, students and representatives from Google, Adobe, Philips and JP Morgan Chase. The St. Joseph’s Student Life Crossroads program covered the travel costs to Pittsburgh for the workshop and hotel accommodations and meals were provided by Carnegie Mellon.
