Course Staff
Instructors¶
Anjali Pal Anjali Pal's website she/her/hers
Hi all, I’m Anjali! I grew up in New England and have been living in Seattle since 2017.
I did my undergrad in Computer Science at Brown Univeristy, and I had no prior experience with computer science or programming before taking Introduction to Programming during my first semester of college. I became a TA for the class the following year, and then went on to TA five different courses throughout my undergrad experience. After I graduated, I spent 5 years as a software engineer, including 3 years at Code.org, where I helped build programming environments for K-12 students. In 2022, I started my Ph. D. in Computer Science at UW, and I am advised by Zach Tatlock.
Outside of teaching, I like to hike, backpack, and play ultimate frisbee. I also dabble in pottery and have recently been experimenting with linoleum block printing. I’m very excited for the quarter - please feel free to come by my office hours and chat!
Miya Natsuhara Miya Natsuhara's website she/her/hers
Hi all, I’m Miya! I’ve lived in various parts of the Seattle area for all of my life (Renton, Bellevue, Downtown Seattle) and now live in West Seattle.
I graduated with a BA in Mathematics along with a BS and MS in Computer Science from the Allen School here at UW. I had no knowledge of programming or Computer Science when I started at UW, and only very reluctantly took the first Introduction to Programming class when pressured by my family to give it a try. When I enjoyed the class more than I expected, I went on to take the next class in the sequence and then became a TA for these classes the following quarter. I continued to TA for these classes throughout my undergrad and grad school. After I graduated I spent about 2 years as a Software Engineer at Microsoft on the Visual C++ Libraries Team before returning my focus to teaching to spend more time with you all!
Outside of teaching, I spend lots of time with my objectively-adorable fluffy tricolor corgi Gumball and enjoy experimenting with new baking challenges and cozy knitting projects. Looking forward to a fantastic quarter with you all - please feel free to stop by and chat!
Teaching Assistants¶
Alex Sung he/him/his
Hey guys! Im Alex, a 3rd year computer Science major who also happens to be a sports fanatic, movie lover, and…thats about it lol. So excited to work with you all, and feel free to chat with me about anything! Unless you’re a 49ers fan (kidding!)
Anisha Vaish
Hi everyone, I am Anisha, and I am studying Computer Science at UW. I enjoy listening to music, cooking, and playing badminton. I look forward to meeting everyone this quarter.
Anum Imran she/her/hers
Hey everyone! My name is Anum, and this is my 4th quarter as CSE 121 TA! I am majoring in CE with a minor in Data Science. Teaching is one of my biggest passions, and aside from that, I enjoy traveling and trying out new things. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! Can’t wait to meet you all :)
Avery Zhang he/him/his
Hello! I’m Avery and I am a second year in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Some things I enjoy are going to the IMA to play badminton or to work out, and reading romance manga. Please reach out if you have any questions or just want to talk! I look forward to meeting all of you!
Cedric Huang he/him/his
Hey everyone, I’m Cedric, a sophomore majoring in computer science! I like to drinking oolong and matcha in my free time, as well as messing around on the piano. Please reach out about any kind of questions, and I so excited to meet everyone!
Ethan Li he/him/his
Hey! I’ve TA’d for this class before, and excited to work with everybody this quarter and start it off. Random fact: Over the summer, I watched a lot of cartoons like Gravity Falls and Rick and Morty. Feel free to talk to me about it :P
Evelyn Maher she/her/hers
Hiii everyone! I’m Evelyn, and I’m a sophomore pursuing Chemical Engineering with a Spanish minor. This is my first quarter as a 121 TA, and I can’t wait to meet you all! In my free time I love swimming, skiing, mountaineering, and baking. I recently adopted a sourdough starter, so we’ll see if my child survives the quarter. Please reach out if you have questions, want hiking recs, or just want to talk about life! :)
Gene Jiang he/him/his
Hi guys! My name is Gene Jiang and I am a junior studying Computer Engineering. I am from Camas and in my free time, I like playing badminton, volleyball, video games, and logic games. Look forward to meeting you all!
Gurbax Rai he/him/his
Hello everyone, I’m Gurbax and this is my second year at UW studying CS, but will be my first quarter being a TA! In my free time, I enjoy watching sports (F1 and NBA) and hanging out with my friends. I am excited to work with everyone this quarter!
Henry Ehrnman he/him/his
Hello Everyone! My name is Henry Ehrnman and I am a second year studying Computer Science from Snoqualmie, WA. In my free time I love to play and watch sports, spend time outside (climbing, skiing, and hiking), and take care of my three aquariums. I’m super excited to meet you all, and remember please don’t hesitate to ask questions!
Ivy Wang
Hello everyone! My name is Ivy and I am a 4th year BS/MS student in computer science. Outside of school and work, I like to haunt the IMA dance studios, pet my cats (either in real life or in Stardew Valley), and introspect to one of my many music playlists. Looking forward to a super educational & super interesting quarter with you all!
Jamie Overbay he/him/his
Hello! I’m Jamie, a second-year computer science major from Seattle. Outside of class, I split my time between getting outside to go backpacking, bouldering, snowboarding, or playing Spikeball, and staying cozy at home to enjoy board and video games with my friends. This is my first year as a TA and I am excited to connect with you!
Jennie Ung she/her/hers
Hii! I’m Jennie and I’m so excited to be one of your TA’s this quarter. I am a third-year majoring in CS and this will be my third quarter TAing. I enjoy running, hiking, cooking, baking, crocheting, and eating! I can’t wait to meet everyone, feel free to reach out anytime - even just to chit chat!
Jesse Tang he/him/his
Helloooo everyone, I’m Jesse! I’m a fourth year majoring in amath-ds and info. In my free time, I like to read, watch anime, play tennis, and go to the gym. I would love to talk about any of that and much more! This is now my fourth quarter as a ta, and I’m very excited to meet you all. Don’t hesitate to ask questions :)
Lucas Speelmon he/him/his
Hello everyone! My name is Lucas and I am a 2nd year majoring in computer engineering. In my free time, some of my hobbies include playing tennis, going hiking, and listening to music. I am excited to get to know all of you, so feel free to reach out!
Margot Kleinpeter she/her/hers
Hello everyone! My name is Margot, and I’m a junior majoring in linguistics. In my free time, I enjoy learning languages, skiing, and playing guitar. I’m looking forward to getting to know you all this quarter, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Matthew Tong
Navya Jain
Hi! I’m Navya, and I’m a junior studying Biochemistry, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Science. This will be my 5th quarter TAing (4th as a 121 TA), and I’m psyched to meet y’all :) In my free time, I love to read, hike, go to cafes, make jigsaw puzzles, and listen to music! Feel free to reach out anytime to talk about CSE, 121, or anything else!
Owen Mulholland he/him/his
Hello! I’m Owen, a sophomore studying CE. This will be my first quarter as a 12x TA, so I can’t wait to get started with you all! Outside of introducing CS concepts, I also enjoy dabbling in fuzzy guitar tones and running to new places in Seattle. Looking forward to a great autumn!
Paul Rabel
Hi everyone! My name is Paul and I am a junior studying Computer Science. In my free time, I like to run, row, bike, and hike. I’m looking forward to a great quarter together!
Reese Fairchild he/him/his
Hello! My name is Reese, and I look forward to being one of your TAs this quarter. I am a computer science and math major, I do research with the UW Interactive Data Lab, and I have a Boston Terrier named Rocky. Come say “Hello!”“; I would love to discuss computing, research, and more!
Ryan Deng he/him/his
Hi! I’m Ryan and I’m currently a junior studying Computer Science. This is my second quarter TA’ing and I’m super excited to meet everyone. Outside of class, I enjoy spending my time outdoors running and hiking. I wouldn’t call myself a foodie, but I do like to eat.
Samrutha Babu she/her/hers
Hi everyone! I’m Samrutha and I am a senior majoring in Informatics. This is my fourth quarter as a TA, and I am beyond excited to meet you all! Outside of classes, I love to paint, go on hikes, and hang out with friends. If you have any questions please feel free to email me anytime!
Samvedha Basireddy she/her/hers
Hi everyone, my name is Samvedha! I’m a junior in Computer Engineering and this is my first quarter as a TA. In my free time I like going on walks, watching mystery shows, and listening to music. I’m looking forward to meet you all!
Sarah Knott she/her/hers
Hello!! I’m Sarah, I’m a second-year math/education student, and I’m super excited to be a TA for you guys! I love music, recreational math, and video games, and I’m always happy to throw an album recommendation your way! Please email me immediately if you’re an Outer Wilds fan. Have a great day :)
Sarah Wen she/her/hers
Hi everyone! I’m Sarah and I’m a sophomore CS Major. Some things about me are that I grew up in Kirkland Washington, I love watercolor painting, and I LOVE a good latte. Excited to meet you all!
Savannah Garrard she/her/hers
Hello! My name is Savannah and I am a junior studying Computer Science. Some of my hobbies include playing video games, hiking with my dog, and experimenting with recipes! Please feel free to come talk to me about your favorite musical artists or for advice on taking CS classes. I hope you all have an amazing quarter! :)
Syreeta Das she/her/hers
Hi, my name is Syreeta! I’m a second year student majoring in CS, and I’m from the Philly suburbs (Go birds!). In my free time, I like to read, try new foods, explore new places, and go online shopping. I can’t wait to get to know you all, and feel free to reach out to me with anything!
Tamsyn Henke she/her/hers
Hi! I’m Tamsyn, a 3rd year studying computer science and math, and this is my 5th quarter TA-ing this class! Outside of school, I enjoy swimming, manga/anime, karaoke, and going to art fairs. But if I’m not too busy this quarter, I’m also probably playing Resident Evil games or Persona 5. Nice to meet you!
TJ Wada he/him/his
Hellooo. My name is TJ and I am in my third year studying Computer Science and Economics. I am half and half Japanese Korean. On the JOB search right now cause I’m graduating this year (Yikes). Lets have a great start to the school year!
Tony Shen he/him/his
Hello! My name is Tony. I am a second year student majoring in CS and minoring in entrepreneurship. I enjoy (pretty much) all types of cuisines, so if you have any interesting restaurant or food recipe recs, share them with me and I’d love to try them out!
William Baird he/him/his
Hi, I’m William and I’m a 3rd year student excited to teach and learn with you all! Outside of classes I enjoy video games, skiing, and other outdoor activities. Feel free to reach out if you have ever have questions about the course or just want to chat!
Getting Help¶
Having questions or getting stuck on something is entirely expected in the learning process. If you find something challenging with your studies, that is a sign you are learning! Learning is not something that you need to do alone though! In fact, connecting with your peers or asking a member of the course staff for help can add extreme depth to your knowledge.
Outside of lecture and quiz section, there are three resources in this class specifically designed to answer your questions:
- TA office hours (the “IPL”) (synchronous, in-person only)
- Instructor office hours (synchronous, in-person only)
- Ed Discussion board (asynchronous)
Tip
A common misconception is that you can only go to office hours with specific homework questions. That is not true! If you have any questions about course concepts (e.g. from class that day), you are super encouraged to go work on that concept with a member of the course staff at office hours! Getting help with a concept earlier, when you first are feeling unsure, is much better than saving it until you need it on the homework.