Aamna Bhalla

Aamna Bhalla stood at the front of a large room full of glowing monitors and humming computer towers and faced a tough crowd: a group of middle schoolers.

During the summer, the Impact Award winner supported the Desert CodeSprouts, a computer science outreach workshop for 11- to 13-year-olds that was designed to inspire youngsters to consider careers in computer science. Bhalla helped them use the software Figma to design their own mobile application for a fictional pet shelter.

As she prepares to receive her master’s degree in computer engineering from the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, Bhalla counts the summer camp as one of her most memorable experiences.

“The workshop not only helped these young learners develop foundational skills but also fostered a sense of confidence in their abilities,” she says. “Witnessing their excitement and curiosity reinforced my commitment to promoting STEM education and empowering the next generation of tech enthusiasts.”

The experience capped an array of impactful service efforts for Bhalla. She served as a mentor in the Women in Computer Science club, leading a team project that utilized Spotify datasets to provide recommendations to artists about potential genres to explore based on listener data. She volunteered with the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, participating in seminars and discussions designed to help the public better protect themselves online.

Bhalla established herself as an effective researcher. As a research aide, she helped manage a global workforce development program in the facilities management sector. She was part of a team that collaborated with Fortune 500 companies to develop systems to improve project management. She also studied emerging cybersecurity threats and how artificial intelligence, or AI, might be applied to help combat them.

In the short term, after graduation Bhalla will continue in her present role as an AI tutor at the technology company xAI. Looking further out, she hopes to make significant contributions to the field of cybersecurity.

“I envision myself contributing to the creation of advanced security frameworks and tools that not only protect sensitive data but also promote cybersecurity awareness among individuals and organizations,” she says.

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ fall 2024 class here.