Our department gives awards to our incredible students, faculty and staff each academic year for their hard work and determination throughout the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. Each recipient is celebrated during the CSE Awards Ceremony typically held at the end of each Spring semester, ultimately signifying the end of the respective academic year.
Artificial Intelligence, M.S. c/o 2024
Ashwini Sharma is an AI and telecommunications leader with more than 14 years of global
experience in data analytics, telecom operations, and enterprise AI transformation.
Currently serving as Director of GenAI at Tredence, he specializes in designing and delivering advanced AI solutions, including Agentic
AI, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), knowledge graphs, and enterprise-scale GenAI
architectures.
He holds a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence from the University of North Texas, where his research focused on Explainable AI (XAI) and developing human-interpretable
rules for convolutional neural networks through his RICE framework. Prior to his current
role, Ashwini held leadership and architecture positions with Verizon, Subex, Airtel,
and IBM-affiliated telecom projects, driving data governance, fraud analytics, automation,
and AI-powered business solutions across global telecommunications organizations.
Known for bridging deep technical expertise with strategic business impact, Ashwini is passionate about helping organizations unlock value from data, accelerate AI adoption, and build scalable, responsible AI solutions that deliver measurable outcomes.
Computer Science and Engineering, PhD c/o 2021; Computer Science, M.S. c/o 2018
Dr. Jacob Hochstetler is a technology and cybersecurity leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning cloud engineering, software development, national security, and higher education. He serves as Vice President of Cloud Engineering at Fidelity Investments and as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of North Texas, where he helps prepare the next generation of computing professionals. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from UNT and has contributed to research in data systems, cloud computing, and emerging technologies.
Computer Science, B.S. c/o 2014
Matt Truty is a technology entrepreneur and software engineering leader with expertise in building high-performing teams and scalable digital solutions. Matt graduated in 2014 from UNT with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He has held leadership roles ranging from software developer to Vice President of Software Engineering, overseeing large engineering organizations and driving innovation across web, cloud, and e-commerce platforms. He currently serves as Co-Founder and CEO of BT Pro Solutions, helping organizations maximize the value of technology through practical, results-driven solutions.
Computer Engineering, B.S. c/o 2007
Jessica Everett is a supply chain technology leader and University of North Texas alumna with a B.S. in Computer Engineering. She has nearly two decades of experience specializing in warehouse management systems, supply chain execution, and distribution technology. After spending more than 17 years advancing through technical and leadership roles at Neiman Marcus Group, she now serves as a Staff Engineer at Saks Global, supporting warehouse and fulfillment operations across major luxury retail brands.
Computer Science and Engineering, PhD c/o 2013
Qiang Guan is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Kent State University, guest scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and co-founder of Qradle Inc. He earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of North Texas and has built a distinguished research career focused on quantum computing, high-performance computing (HPC), cloud systems, AI for science, and data analytics. A recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2023), Guan leads pioneering research aimed at developing practical quantum computing applications, particularly in drug discovery and large-scale computational systems.
Computer Science, B.S. c/o 2022
Stetson Wallace is a software engineer at Amdocs who earned a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of North Texas with Summa Cum Laude honors. He specializes in enterprise software development, working with Java, JavaScript, relational databases, and agile development practices for large-scale telecommunications systems. Since joining Amdocs in 2022, he has progressed from Software Engineer to Experienced Software Engineer, building expertise in enterprise applications, frontend development, and data-driven solutions.