More on this talk is coming. Look for Ayan’s post on October 9.
Blog
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Meet the RU 1st Seminar speakers
The lineup is set.
Six Rutgers computer science students will speak on November 6, and two student MCs will introduce them.
Speakers
Maanya Jha · The Long Game: Why Your Belief Must Outlast Your Statistics
Bio: A Computer Science major and Statistics minor, Maanya is a Physics Learning Assistant and an Aresty Peer Instructor. An Eagle Scout, she interned in immunology and AI at Johnson & Johnson, conducted computational research in microbiology, and enjoys public speaking, making art, and observing art.
Daniel John · Everyone Is Just a Line of HTML
Bio: Daniel John is a Computer Science and Data Science student at Rutgers University and Tech Lead for the Honors College, with software experience at Capital One and MindfulMela. Interested in the intersection of technology, people, and product design, he builds software that helps people connect.
Abdullah Khan · Creating DriftPlan
Bio: Abdullah Khan studies Computer Science and Math at Rutgers. A Pakistani immigrant raised in New Jersey, he left high school during COVID, earned his GED, and transferred from community college while working multiple jobs. To manage his ADHD, he built DriftPlan, a planner for everyone.
Soraya Mosavi · Learning Computer Science in the Age of AI: Are We Learning or Just Generating?
Soraya is a computer science student interested in technology, artificial intelligence, and the future of learning. She is passionate about exploring how emerging technologies change how students think and solve problems, hoping to encourage thoughtful conversations about using AI while fostering independent skills and creativity.
Martin Shen · How to Make Room for the Opportunities That Matter
Bio: Martin is a senior in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences studying Computer Science. Having explored teaching, leadership, community building, and technology, these experiences shaped his passion to help students recognize which opportunities truly matter to them so they can make more intentional choices.
Ayan Zaidi · Predicting the Future: AI and Chronic Disease Prevention
Bio: Ayan Zaidi is a Junior at Rutgers University majoring in Computer Science. Born with a chronic hematological condition called Hemophilia, he has a passion for medicine and biotechnology. He aims to showcase how artificial intelligence can improve treatment and disease prevention for chronically ill patients.
MCs
Clarina Xavier
Alejandro Cruzperez
How a session works
The day has two sessions. Each session has three 15-minute talks, and an MC introduces each speaker before they start.
Next week: choose your sessions
Browse the abstracts on the speakers pages updated next week and star the two or three you’re most excited about. On Friday, November 6, you’ll know which talks to sit in on.
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Join your peers at the mic
A tech conference unlike any other, with students at the mic, from Support Inclusion in Tech and Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences Educational Opportunity Fund .
On Friday, November 6, the mic on Cook Campus belongs to Rutgers students.
RU 1st Seminar is a tech conference for Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences Educational Opportunity Fund Scholars and computer science student speakers, presented by the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences Educational Opportunity Fund and Support Inclusion in Tech. Student technologists take the stage as speakers, sharing their ideas, perspectives, and the projects they are building.
No keynote speaker flying in to tell you how to live or what to think. The people on stage are already part of your Rutgers community: administrators, alumni, and classmates. You may recognize someone from two rows ahead in lecture, or the classmate still debugging in a Busch computer lab long after everyone else has gone home.
How they got here
In September, computer science students sent in talk ideas. A three person panel, one reviewer from Rutgers SAS EOF, a Support Inclusion in Tech (SiNC) grant recipient from the Unites States, and SiNC’s founder, read every proposal with names removed. Six speakers were chosen, and two more students signed on as MCs to run the rooms.
What the afternoon looks like
- 12:30 PM: Sign in.
- 1:00 PM: We start. Dr. Michelle Shostack, Director of the SAS EOF Program, welcomes you, and Nancy Capasso-Lee walks you through the afternoon.
- Fireside chat. Winstina Hughes, founder of Support Inclusion in Tech, and SiNC alum Bud Kraus talk about how SiNC started, why inclusion in tech matters, and how you can get involved.
- Meet campus partners. Partners introduce themselves, and then you have time to network and visit their tables.
- Student speakers. Two sessions with three talks each, all in the Cook Room. A student MC introduces each speaker, and each talk runs 15 minutes. After a talk, you can pull the speaker aside with your questions. There’s a 5-minute break between the two sessions to network, catch a campus partner, or just breathe.
- Closing remarks, then the raffle at 3:20 PM. Winners are announced on SAS EOF social media. We wrap at 3:30.
Why we are doing this
Classes provide the blueprint of past knowledge. They do not always leave room to think entrepreneurial and build without boundaries. RU 1st Seminar is a space to dream beyond what is presented in the classroom, and to see peers who are already doing it.
What is coming on this blog
A new post on Fridays until November 6. Next week: the speakers and what they will talk about. After that: why an afternoon in the audience is worth it, a book giveaway, and everything you need to show up.
Save the date: Friday, November 6, Cook Campus, Rutgers New Brunswick, 1pm. Follow along on Instagram at @supportinclusionintech. About Support Inclusion in Tech: Support Inclusion in Tech (SiNC) is a global open-source inclusion initiative founded in 2022 that awards travel grants to diverse speakers at WordPress events worldwide and awards grants to contributors. In 2026 it serves as program lead for this pilot student tech conference with the Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences Educational Opportunity Fund, acting as fiscal agent for student professional development grants.