Peer Concentration Advisors (PCAs) serve as peer advisors for current CS concentrators and pre-concentrators, providing a valuable perspective and helping students to discover additional resources and opportunities. Students can reach out to meet with PCAs with similar academic, career, or extracurricular interests.
For more information, including if you would like to find and meet with a PCA that would be a good match for your interests or concerns, or if you are interested in being a PCA, please reach out to the PCA Co-Captains, Matthew Nazari and Omar Shareef, through the email address cs-pca@seas.harvard.edu.
You can view the profiles of former PCAs here.
Class of 2022, lives in Adams.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/britteny-okorom-achuonye/
bokoromachuonye@college.harvard.edu
About Me: I am originally from Detroit, MI and am currently a rising junior in Adams. I am studying CS and I am really interested in Big Data, AI, and social impact work regarding social equity. In my free time I like to crochet and do other crafts and am currently learning how to make crochet stuffed animals and maybe embroidery.
Concentration: Computer Science with a Secondary in African-American Studies
Courses: CS 50, CS 20, CS 121, CS 124, CS 10, Stat 110
Tags: FGLI
Affinity Groups: HSBSE, WiCS, BSA, ABHW, and Primus
Class of 2023, lives in Adams.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilchen01/
About Me: I’m from near San Francisco, California, and am a rising junior in Adams (after taking a gap this past year. I’m doing a joint concentration in CS and Government and really interested in civic tech, tech for social good, and tech policy, especially related to education and social justice. Happy to talk about CS research, joint concentrations, internships (startups/big tech), tech for social good, classes, or anything else!
CS Interests: Data science, ML, equity/bias
Other Interests: Music (opera, acapella, orchestras) and Literature (ex-English secondary)
Concentration: Computer Science and Government
Courses: CS50, CS 121, CS 124, MIT 6.036, Stat 110
Tags: Internships, Research, Joint Concentration, CS & Humanities, Entrepreneurship, possible AB/SM
Affinity Groups WiCS
Class of 2022, lives in Eliot.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenai-mangachena
chenai_mangachena@college.harvard.edu
About Me: I am a junior from Zimbabwe in Eliot House. I hadn’t done any programming prior to college so CS was entirely new and so far it has been a very challenging but rewarding journey for me. I have learned a lot about how to learn and master concepts, how to navigate the CS field as an African female, how to identify fitting opportunities etc, that I am willing to share. I enjoy backend programming and application of CS in basic services provision. I am happy to talk about anything so please reach out!
Concentration: Computer science, secondary in African Studies
Courses: CS50, CS20, CS124
Tags: FGLI, International
Class of 2022, lives in Adams.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicgarrity/
About Me: I’m a senior in Adams House, studying honors computer science with a secondary in economics. On campus, I’m involved in Global Alliance for Medical Innovation, Air Force ROTC, Y2Y Harvard Square, Harvard Computer Society, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, and the Leadership Development Initiative. When I’m not reinforcing my interests in tech for good, AI/ML, robotics, human-computer interaction, and digital health. I’m usually backpacking, lifting, running, walking my dogs, binge-watching shows on Netflix, or learning new songs to play on the guitar. If you have any questions–even ones that don’t relate directly to CS–please don’t hesitate to reach out!
CS Interests: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, human-computer interaction, digital health, data science, aerospace engineering, tech for good, robotics
Other Interests: Product management, organizational psychology, behavioral economics Also: I’ve done internships (full-time and part-time) throughout nearly every semester at Harvard, so I understand how difficult it can be to manage classes, extracurriculars, work, and social life. If you have/choose to take on work during the school year and need some guidance, I’d be more than happy to chat!
Concentration: Computer Science (Honors) with a Secondary in Economics
Courses: CS 20, CS 50, CS 51, CS 143, CS 179, MIT 6.840, ENG-SCI 50, ENG-SCI 51, ENG-SCI 150, APMTH 21B, APMTH 107
Tags: FGLI, Started CS Late, ROTC, Term-Time Work, Internships, Research
Affinity Groups: Primus, Asian-American Association
Class of 2023, lives in Lowell.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshikasaxena/
eshikasaxena@college.harvard.edu
About Me: I’m interested in artificial intelligence, deep learning, computer vision, and the intersection of computer science and healthcare. On campus, I’m involved with WiCS, GAMI, SWE, and WIB. I love baking/cooking, teaching CS, traveling, and dancing. I’m happy to talk about doing CS research, finding internships, intro CS courses, and life in general! Feel free to reach out anytime through email or Facebook message :)
Concentration: Computer Science with a secondary in Statistics
Courses: CS 50, CS 51, CS 124, CS 108, Stat 110
Tags: CS research, internships
Affinity Groups: South Asian Association
Class of 2023, lives in Currier.
https://linkedin.com/in/khalevy
About Me: I’m a junior interested in natural language processing (NLP)/computational linguistics, STEM education, and the intersections of CS with/applications of CS to public policy/law/social science/history. Outside of CS, I’m also interested in performing arts (especially dance), language learning, and public service. I’m happy to talk about NLP, CS research, TFing/designing curriculum/tutoring/educational equity, summer tech internship recruiting (particularly software engineering and industry research roles), and getting involved with the Harvard-Radcliffe Modern Dance Company or the Phillips Brooks House Association!
CS Interests: Natural Language Processing, CS Education, Software Engineering
Other Interests: Educational equity, dance, public service, public policy
Concentration: Computer Science & History
Courses: CS 50, CS 51, CS 124, Math 23A/B, CS 187, MIT 6.840, Stat 110, Stat 111 Tags: Research, Internships, Joint Concentration
Affinity Groups: WiCS
Class of 2023, lives in Winthrop.
About Me: I’m interested in ML & recommendation systems, mathematical modeling, data analysis, and carbon footprint of computing devices. Outside of classes, I’m also passionate about EdTech and curating open-source collaborative community. I also love musical theater, reading, and traveling (sadly not now). Feel free to reach out about international student experience as well. Happy to chat about any of the above or anything else you’d like to discuss.
Concentration: Joint Computer Science and Math
Courses: CS50, CS51
Tags: International, Joint Concentration
Class of 2024, lives in Mather.
matthewnazari@college.harvard.edu
About Me: I’m a sophomore at Mather from San Jose, California studying Computer Science and Linguistics. I’m very interested in the intersection between linguistics and computation. Currently, I’m taking a bunch of classes on machine learning from a generative and Bayesian perspective, which I’m finding very fascinating. Outside of school, you can find me on night runs along the Charles or in the ceramics studio. Feel free to contact me with any questions at all!
CS Interests: Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing, CS Education
Other Interests: Lerni strangajn lingvojn estas cxiam amuze!
Concentration: Computer Science and Linguistics
Courses: CS50, CS51, CS124, CS153, CS242, CS282r, CS282br, AM207
Tags: FGLI, Joint Concentration, AB/SM, Internships
Class of 2022, lives in Eliot.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldwu/
About Me: Hey! I’m a social entrepreneur dedicated to building things that make a difference. I’m currently doing half-time machine learning research at Harvard for creating fairer ML algorithms in education and working on a peer-to-peer charitable fundraising app. In the past, I’ve built solar-powered microreactors for sustainable pharmaceutical synthesis, analyzed secondary organic aerosols and their impacts on global warming, published a few papers and created a free virtual college applications counselor called Etruscan. I’m an HBS Tech Fellow too so hit me up if you’re interested in learning more about the startup scene on campus.
CS Interests: ML, Social Impact, App/Web Dev, Genomics, Fintech
Other Interests: Basketball (Go Lakers!), Chess, Reading, Football
Concentration: Computer Science
Courses: CS 50, CS 124, CS 181, Stat 110, AM 120, CS 136, CS 121
Tags: Entrepreneurship, Research, CS & Humanities
Class of 2023, lives in Kirkland.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshikasaxena/
About Me: Regarding my CS interests, I enjoy ed tech, data science, and CS education (CA for CS50). Besides CS, I enjoy board games, travelling, languages, fitness and food. As a first generation college student, I am happy to help all students navigate the plethora of opportunities available at Harvard and beyond.
Concentration: Computer Science; Citation in Arabic
Courses: CS50, CS20, Math 23A, Math 23C
Tags: FGLI
Class of 2021, lives in Currier. From New York, New York .
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nabibahmed
https://www.github.com/nahmed3536
CS Interests: Data Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Full-Stack Web Development (React.js and Node.js), and Visualizations
Other Interests: I’m pursuing a masters in statistics through advanced standing and a secondary in economics. On campus, I’m on the board of the Harvard College Japan Initiative (HCJI) and Harvard Islamic Society (HIS). In terms of hobbies, I enjoy long-distance biking, cooking, photography, teaching, volunteering, and doing deep dives on esoteric topics!
Also: Please reach out if you would ever like to chat about courses, internships, recruiting, programs, and other opportunities. I’ve taken courses at MIT and Harvard Summer School, studied abroad in Europe, completed internal and external CS programs/bootcamps, done CS privacy research over the summer and semester, TFed CS and Stats courses, completed personal data science projects, self-taught myself new programming paradigms and languages, interned as a full-stack developer at a big Tech company (Oracle), and more!
Concentration: Computer Science, secondary in Economics
Courses: MIT 6.840, CS109, CS50, CS51, Stat110, Stat111, Stat171, ECON1123
Tags: FGLI, Started CS Late, Study Abroad
Affinity Groups: Harvard Islamic Society
Class of 2022, lives in Pforzheimer.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/singerng/
noahsinger@college.harvard.edu
About Me: I study theoretical computer science, and dabble in math, computer systems, machine learning, and other areas. I also enjoy Programming™. Other interests include: literature (esp. science fiction), tech+society, writing, playing tennis and piano, listening to music, and baking. Talk to me about taking 121, CS research, grad school, TFing, joint concentrating, or anything else!
Concentration: Joint Concentration in Computer Science and Math
Courses: CS 121, 124, 153, 161, 263, 281, 229r, 127
Tags: Joint Concentration
Class of 2022, lives in Pforzheimer.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviaserenagraham/
oliviagraham@college.harvard.edu
About Me: Hey there! My name is Olivia, and I’m really passionate about building/launching products that people love. On campus, I TF for CS51, do research at HBS and more! Happy to chat about getting into SWE w/o any experience before Harvard, why the NYT mini crossword will improve your life, book recommendations, why I love product management, or anything that may be on your mind :)
Concentration: Computer Science, secondary in Mind, Brain, Behavior
Courses: CS50, CS51, CS100, CS179, CS121, CS124
Tags: International
Class of 2023, lives in Eliot.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-chen-49492416b/
About Me: Originally from Central NJ, I am a junior at Harvard concentrating in computer science with a secondary in history of science. I’ve been involved with a variety of work: I was a software developer intern at a large fintech company in NYC and a frontend developer intern at a Series E digital health startup in Seattle. On campus, I was involved with 2 engineering clubs (Harvard Global Alliance for Medical Innovation and Tech for Social Good) where I worked on projects that serve others outside of the United States. In my free time, you can find me wandering around campus bopping along to my latest Spotify Discover Weekly playlist or mentally rehearsing my next bad jokes standup routine. Feel free to reach out!
CS Interests: Healthcare Technology, Social Impact
Other Interests: I am also heavily involved with Asian American Dance Troupe (AADT) where we hold an end of semester performance showcasing a variety of dances. Also feel free to ask me about my experience attempting a backflip!
Concentration: Computer Science with a Secondary in History of Science
Courses: CS50, CS51, CS124, CS152, CS179, CS109, CS191, STAT110, MIT 6.840
Tags: CS & Humanities
Affinity Groups: Chinese Student Association
Class of 2022, lives in Currier.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rithvikrao/
rithvikrao@college.harvard.edu
About Me: I’m a senior from San Diego, California interested in the intersection between computer science and economics. On campus, I’m involved in research (ask me about PRISE or HSURV!), was on the Harvard Debate Council during my first year, was head CA for CS 50 and CS 234r, and am now a CA for Ec 1011a. I also spent a summer in software engineering. Outside of school, I’m a big Lakers fan. Please feel free to reach out about anything!
CS Interests: EconCS, Theory
Other Interests: I’m pursuing a Secondary in Economics!
Concentration: Computer Science and Mathematics
Courses: CS: 50, 124, 136, 152, 191, 221, 229r, 236r, 271, 281; Stat: 210, 212; Econ: 1011a, 2010a, 2057, 2058, 2099
Tags: Joint Concentration, AB/SM, Research
Class of 2022, lives in Lowell.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemhong/
About Me: Hi! I’m a senior in Lowell studying CS and math. At school, I’m involved in WiCS (particularly mentorships) and have done research with a few different CS labs on campus. I didn’t have much CS experience before coming to college but have since done SWE internships at both large and small companies. I’m happy to chat about joint concentrations, CS grad classes, TFing, research, internships/recruiting in general, and anything else you might be curious about!
CS Interests: Machine Learning, EconCS, Algorithms
Other Interests: Playing tennis and piano, watching TV, traveling, painting
Concentration: Computer Science & Math
Courses: CS 51, 61, 121, 124, 181, 221, 238; AM 207; Stat 110
Tags: Research, Internships, Joint Concentration
Affinity Groups WiCS
Class of 2022, lives in Mather House. From Fayetteville, Arkansas.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-k-kim/
CS Interests: HCI, interpretability, privacy, syn+comp bio, bioethics
Other Interests: Beyond CS, I’m studying bioengineering focused on materials science! On campus, proud to help lead the Harvard Technology Review and Harvard Computer Society. Otherwise I’ve been recently engrossed with learning new languages and overcoming the replication crisis.
Also: I’ve spent some time dabbling in CS research, quant finance, tech investing, product, and tech publications. Would love to chat about literally anything: entrepreneurship on campus, finance recruiting, researching at MIT, venture capital, skydiving, favorite restaurants, etc.
Concentration: AB/SM in Bioengineering and Computer Science, secondary in History
Courses: MIT 6.006, 6.871; CS 51, 124, 182, 223, 242; AM 207; Stat 110, 117
Tags: Research, Internships, AB/SM
Class of 2023, lives in Cabot. From Munster, IN.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreyasiyer30/
shreyasiyer@college.harvard.edu
About Me: Hey all! I’m a sophomore in Cabot House studying CS. My CS interests include AI/ML, hardware, cloud computing, privacy, and computational economics. I’m also pursuing a secondary in Economics. I love playing the cello and reading non-fiction, and on campus, I’m involved in HCCG, HFAC, and the Debating Union. I’m happy to talk about finding an internship, doing CS research @ Harvard, music, TV shows to watch, or anything else!
Concentration: Computer Science, secondary in Economics
Courses: CS 50, CS 51
Tags: Started CS Late
Affinity Groups: South Asian Association, Harvard Dharma
Class of 2022, lives in Eliot. From Munster, IN.
http://linkedin.com/in/shreyvardhan/
About Me: I’m very interested in applying CS to areas in the social sciences and humanities, particularly intersections in law, economics, and public policy. I’m also fond of web development and design. Extracurricular wise, I enjoy teaching, writing for The Crimson’s Editorial Board, and helping foster political dialogue on campus and beyond with the US-India Initiative. Feel free to reach out to me about combining CS with other areas, particularly in the social sciences and humanities, finding jobs/internships as an international student, hunting for Indian food, or anything else!
Concentration: Joint Concentration in CS (Primary) and Math (Allied), secondary in Economics/History
Courses: CS50, 51, 121, 124, 126. Econ 1011a, Math 152, Math 122
Tags: International, Joint Concentration
Class of 2023, lives in Lowell. From Vienna, Austria.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/siona-prasad-5b351019a/
sionaprasad@college.harvard.edu
About Me: My name is Siona and I am currently a sophomore in Lowell studying Computer Science and Statistics. I am really interested in the application of tech to healthcare and medicine using data science/machine learning tools. I’d be happy to talk about CS research, being CS-premed, women in tech, and just navigating CS at Harvard. Outside of CS, I am also involved with Crimson Emergency Medical Services, our South Asian Association, and club tennis.
Concentration: Computer Science, secondary in Statistics
Courses: CS50, Stat110, CS124, CS179, Ls1a/Ls1b
Tags: Pre-med
Affinity Groups: South Asian Association
Class of 2024, lives in Kirkland.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiacho1/
About Me: I’m a sophomore in Kirkland studying CS, Statistics, and Economics. I’m interested in applying data science in the financial sector. On campus, I’m a CA for CS50 and am involved in the Harvard Public Opinion Project at the IOP. In my free time, I enjoy learning new languages, playing the cello, and swimming. Feel free to reach out about any of the above or anything else on your mind!
CS Interests: Data Science
Concentration: Computer Science and Statistics, secondary in Economics
Courses: CS20, CS50, CS51, CS109A, CS120, STAT110
Tags: Joint Concentration
Class of 2023, lives in Dunster.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarunmuraliprasad/
tarunmuraliprasad@college.harvard.edu
About Me: I’m interested in machine learning (especially its application to other fields like physics and medicine), recommender systems, algorithms, and software development. Outside of the classroom, I’m involved with Datamatch, HCS, and the Harvard Cricket Club. I also love board games! Ask me about choosing math/CS classes, cross-registering at MIT, contacting professors to talk about potential research experiences, STEM clubs/activities on campus, and anything else. I’m also international, so I’m happy to talk you through the logistics of off-campus opportunities in the US, applying to OPT/CPT, etc.
Concentration: Computer Science
Courses: CS50, CS51, MIT 6.036, Math 22
Tags: International
Class of 2022, lives in Pforzheimer.
About Me: I’m a senior in Pfoho studying theoretical CS - what computers can and cannot do, and how efficiently. While not thinking about CS, I enjoy board games, food, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and road trips (11k miles during COVID!) Ask me about research (in either theory or systems), TFing, courses or other stuff
Concentration: Math
Courses: CS 61, CS 124, STAT 110, Math 25, MIT 6.854
CS Interests: Theoretical CS, algorithms
Tags: Research, AB/SM
Affinity Groups:
Class of 2022, lives in Lowell.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/varun-tekur-3bab21122/
CS Interests: Machine Learning/Statistics, Computer Vision, NLP, Systems, Robotics, intersection of research and industry, applications to Biology and Clean Energy
Other Interests: I’m really interested in entrepreneurship, involved with several South Asian organizations on campus, and recently served as the software team lead for Harvard Aeronautics. I am also a huge (Boston) sports fan and lead the sports department of WHRB Harvard radio.
Also: I’m more than happy to chat about working at startups, applications of CS to real-world problems, and finding areas of CS (and other subjects) that you are really passionate about!
Concentration: Computer Science
Courses: CS 61, 152, 121, 124, 165, 181, Stat 110, ES 170