Information released by Pomona College in early February 2026 indicated that Vu Ha Chau (Chau Vu) was the first student in the school's history to receive this award. The school considered this a national recognition of outstanding research contributions by a student at the undergraduate level. She was also the only representative from a liberal arts college on this list.
In 2026, the award will be given to eight students across the United States. Ha Chau will receive up to $1,500 in funding to attend any research conference.
Vu Ha Chau, a Vietnamese woman, won the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award from the American Computer Research Association. (Photo: Pomona College)
The Computer Research Association (CRA) awards this prize annually to honor undergraduate students with outstanding research achievements in computer science and related fields. According to the CRA, the selection process is based on the quality and impact of the research, letters of recommendation from supervisors, and overall academic achievement and contributions.
The Computer Research Association (CRA) Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award is considered by the academic community to be one of the most prestigious awards for students pursuing research in Computer Science, contributing to laying the foundation for future academic and in-depth research.
Sharing her academic aspirations, Ha Chau said she enjoys the combination of in-depth thinking and practical system building.
Computer science is a highly applied field, but the Vietnamese girl enjoys the challenge of deep thinking and developing practical systems because they complement each other.
" I always want to strike a balance between creating something fun and innovative and meeting the practical needs of users," Chau shared.
Alexandra Papoutsaki, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Pomona College, described Chau as “ one of the rare students who possesses both a strong technical background and a deep insight into human-centered issues.” She has the potential to become an outstanding researcher or a leading professor if she seriously pursues an academic career.
According to Associate Professor Alexandra Papoutsaki, Chau not only has the ability to analyze data through effective communication with research participants, but also knows how to construct compelling academic narratives.
In the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Papoutsaki emphasizes that it's not just about building the system, but also about the ability to tell the story behind it.
"Her skills are equivalent to those of a third-year doctoral student," Papoutsaki assessed.
Chau is currently a final-year student majoring in Human-Computer Interaction and Multisensory Systems in the US. (Photo: CRA)
Over the past year, Chau co-authored two award-winning scientific papers and presented her research in South Korea and Japan.
Her paper on a drawing support tool, co-authored with Professor Jingyi Li, won the Best Paper Award (Top 1%) at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) 2025 Symposium on Software and User Interface Technology (UIST).
Meanwhile, the paper “Understanding the Temporality of Reflection in Personal Informatics Through Newborn Monitoring,” co-authored with Papoutsaki, received the Honorable Mention for Outstanding Paper (Top 5%) at the ACM CHI 2025 Conference. Both are leading international research conferences in the field of Human-Computer Interaction.
To pursue her research career, Chau often proactively contacted professors for advice, encouragement, and motivation.
Last summer, she interned at Microsoft, participating in large-scale improvements to graphics features for real-world applications. Recently, she received an offer to work as a software engineer in New York, but is currently in the process of applying for graduate school.
"I want to conduct research at the intersection of computer science and human-artificial intelligence interaction," Ha Chau said. " Every time I receive recognition, it motivates me to continue on my research path . "
Le Thu
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/co-gai-viet-nhan-giai-nghien-cuu-xuat-sac-nganh-khoa-hoc-may-tinh-tai-my-ar1003425.html
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