Elizabethtown College Well-Represented at Computer Science Symposium; Data Science Major Wins Research Competition

A group of Elizabethtown College faculty members and one student recently traveled to the Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE TS) Conference from Feb. 26 to March 1 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The conference is organized by the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) and is aimed toward addressing problems and sharing new ideas in the world of computer science educators.

Data Science major Yusuke Satani ’25 won first place in the Undergraduate Division of the Student Research Competition at SIGCSE TS for his project “RydeeNLP: Personalized Japanese Learning Through NLP-Powered Proficiency Adaptation.”

“Attending SIGCSE for the first time was an incredible opportunity to step outside my own discipline, support our Computer Science faculty, and embrace a curious learner mindset,” Elizabethtown College Dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science Sara Atwood said. “I was especially excited to explore emerging discussions on AI in education and to see our Etown student shine, winning the Undergraduate Research Competition! Experiences like these strengthen our commitment to innovation and excellence in computer science education at Elizabethtown College.”

Atwood and Satani were joined at the conference by Elizabethtown College Associate Professor of Computer Science Peilong Li, Elizabethtown College Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jingwen Wang, and Elizabethtown College Computer Science Assistant Teaching Professor Nancy Reddig. Elizabethtown College Associate Professor of Computer Science Thomas Leap attended the conference virtually.

Satani’s research project aims to provide a personalized and comprehensive Japanese learning experience. Worldwide project submissions were narrowed down to 50 that were accepted to be judged at the conference, with Satani winning first prize out of all entries.

“Etown prepared me for this competition by providing me with hands-on experience and presentation skills,” Satani said. “The project-based curriculum allowed me to develop a full application from building machine learning models to integrating them into a functional system. Every project at Etown concludes with a presentation, which gave me valuable experience in effectively communicating my research and technical work.”

His project generates adaptive translations, allowing users to receive Japanese translations tailored to their vocabulary level and creates a seamless learning experience by integrating reading and vocabulary acquisition into a cohesive workflow.

“Yusuke uniquely blends his passion for data science and computing with his cultural and linguistic background, creating innovative scholarly work that bridges diverse perspectives,” Li said. “Watching him grow from a struggling first-year international student to winning a top research prize has been truly inspiring. His achievement proves that perseverance and passion can overcome any obstacle.”

At the conference, faculty members were able to attend talks by keynote speakers, panels and special sessions, and online paper presentations, as well as network with other faculty members and researchers from institutions around the world.

Elizabethtown College’s Computer Science program is a multidisciplinary curriculum woven with real-world experiences that prepares graduates for lucrative careers in software engineering, full-stack web and application development, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Discover more.