Instructors¶

Hi, I’m Brett! I grew up outside of Boston, MA and moved to Seattle after college. I earned my B.A. in Computer Science from Harvard University and my M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from UW. This is my eighth year teaching in the Allen School. Before I came here, I developed curriculum and trained teachers for Microsoft’s TEALS program, taught CS at Issaquah High School, and worked as a developer at Microsoft. Outside of teaching, I am a high school football official, a frequent volunteer at local FIRST Robotics events, and an avid board game and RPG player.

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¶

Amy Shrivastava she/her/hers
Hi, I’m Amy! I’m a senior majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Environmental Studies. I’m thrilled to be your TA this quarter! Outside of school, I love crocheting, reading, and sewing (basically any activity I can do while warm and cozy under a blanket). Looking forward to meeting y’all!

Andras Marto he/him/his
Hey everybody! My name is Andras, and I am a junior here at UW studying Computer Science. In my free time, I enjoy working out, listening to music, and playing some poker. Excited to meet you all!

Arohan Agate he/him/his
Hi, I’m Arohan! I am a second-year majoring in computer science, and I’m from Bellevue, Washington. In my free time, I enjoy watching and playing basketball, listening to music and podcasts, and hanging out with friends. I look forward to meeting you all this quarter; don’t hesitate to reach out!

Audrey Lin she/her/hers
Hi there, I’m Audrey! I’m a senior majoring in computer science with a minor in music and math. In addition to being a TA, I’m a violinist, cyclist, and video game lover. Looking forward to a great quarter with everyone!

Benoit Le he/him/his
Hi everyone! I’m Benoit and I’m a second-year student studying Computer Science here at UW. Outside of school, I’ve been getting into running and love to travel (especially to try all the delicious foods :D ). I’m so excited to be back TAing for CSE 123 this quarter and I can’t wait to meet all of you in lecture and section!

Chris Ma he/him/his
Hi everyone! My name is Chris and I’m from Redmond, WA. This is my first quarter being a TA, so I’m super excited to meet you all. Outside of school, I love to rock climb (bouldering specifically), play violin, spend time with my dog Milo, and five stack with friends. I’m looking forward to working with all of you this quarter!

Cora Supasatit she/her/hers
Cora is a second-year computer science student, hailing from Renton WA. 123 was her favorite course in the intro series, and she is excited to TA for it this quarter. When let out of her changing pod in the IPL, Cora spends her free time playing the guitar, horsing around, and brainstorming ways to make her hair more voluminous. She is chatty by nature and greatly encourages any questions or conversation. Please.

Cynthia Pan she/her/hers
Hiii everyone! I’m Cynthia, a senior double majoring in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. When I’m not coding, you’ll probably find me playing the piano or listening to some K-pop. Also, as a polyglot, I’m always on my way to learning new languages. This is my 5th quarter TAing for CSE12X, super excited to get to know all of you! :D

Dixon he/him/his
Hey there! I’m Dixon (you probably guessed that)! Lowkey they ask us to write this every quarter and every time I have no clue what to put 😅… My favorite superhero is spider-man. The quote I most recently thought of was “I’ve played these games before!” This’ll be my 4th quarter TAing! And, I initially became a TA because my friends told me I should apply, but now, despite the countless sleepless nights I’ve spent grading, I’m still a TA because helping YOU matters to me more than spider-man 🙃

Eeshani Shilamkar she/her/hers
Hii, I’m Eeshani! I’m a third year studying Electrical and Computer Engineering. My concentration is in ML and I’m interested in H.C.I as well. Outside of school, I primarily spend my time dancing. I’m a dance captain for The Kompany (UW RSO)! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the course, CS, or anything in general! Super excited to meet and work with y’all :>

Hayden Feeney he/him/his
I’m Hayden, I’m a 3rd year here at UW studying computer science. I’ve enjoyed being a 123 TA for 5 quarters now, and hope to continue doing so. One other course I’d recommend taking at UW is EDUC 215. Please ask me about it if you’d like to know why! Looking forward to learning alongside you!

Helena Zheng she/her/hers
Hi everyone! My name is Helena and I’m a sophomore majoring in computer science and minoring in business. In my free time, I love to craft, travel, and bake/cook. Looking forward to a great quarter with you all!

Isayiah Lim he/him/his
Hey y’all! My name’s Isayiah and I’m a second-year studying Computer Science with a minor in Business. In my free time, I enjoy hooping, lifting weights, reading, and playing poker. I’m excited for a great quarter of 123 and look forward to meeting you all!

Jessica Massey she/her/hers
Hello! My name is Jessica and I am a junior studying computer science, business, and honors. I enjoy traveling, eating, and dancing. I’m excited to meet everyone!

Johnathan Chi he/him/his
Hi everyone! I’m Johnathan currently a third-year studying CS and this is my first time TAing! In my free time, I Iove to play badminton, go running, and play brawl stars. I’m looking forward to getting to know you all, and always feel free to reach out to me for any reason at all!

Kavya Nair she/her/hers
Hi, I’m Kavya! I’m a junior studying Computer Science and this is my fifth quarter TAing. Outside of classes, I love skiing, singing, and traveling the world with my family. Some of my favorite musical artists are Metro Boomin, CAS, The Weeknd, and The Neighborhood. I look forward to meeting you all this quarter!

Kieran Rullman
Hi! I’m Kieran, and I’m a junior majoring in ACMS. I’m from Portland OR, and I started at UW in fall 2024 after transferring from Portland Community College. Outside of school, I enjoy reading, knitting, and sewing. I’m excited to work with everyone this term!

Lawrence Wang he/him/his
Hi! I’m Lawrence, and I am from Mukilteo, WA. I’m a sophmore in Computer Science, and this is my fourth quarter TAing this class. In my free time, I like hitting the gym and cooking. Excited for a great quarter!

Liza Zakharova she/her/hers
Hello everyone, I’m Liza and I am so excited to be TAing CSE 123 again! I am a senior studying CS and this will be my fifth quarter as a TA. Outside of school, I enjoy climbing, running, and binge-watching random tv-shows. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever have questions or just want to chat!

Neha Aitharaju she/her/hers
HI!! My name is Neha, I am a junior in CS and super excited to TA 123 this quarter. In my free time I teach yoga, dance, and loove finding new bagel spots to try out! Can’t wait to meet all of you :)

Nichole Tian she/her/hers
Hii! I’m Nichole and I’m so excited to be one of your TAs this quarter :)) When I’m not scheming TA schemes, I love listening to music, playing tennis, cooking, knitting & crocheting, sleeping, traveling, and so much more. I can’t wait to see all the great things you guys will do this quarter!

Nick Chung he/him/his
Hi! My name is Nick and I am going to be one of your TAs this quarter! Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Packard Stephenson
Hey, I’m Packard! I’m a sophomore majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Physics. I really love playing bass guitar, going to the gym, and playing/watching baseball (my playing days may be behind me unfortunately). This is my first quarter TA‘ing and I can’t wait to get started and meet all of you!

Rohan Simon Shanthanu he/him/his
Hi! I’m Rohan and I’m a junior studying CS. This is my 4th time TAing CSE 123 so reach out any time! Outside of school, I spend my time staring at the sun. I also paint, code, and play guitar, but those aren’t as important. Looking forward to meeting everyone:)

Rushil Arun he/him/his
Hi! I’m Rushil, and I’m a freshman studying Computer Science. In my free time, I enjoy scrolling on Strava, watching basketball breakdowns, and being outside. Excited to meet you all!

Sean Eglip
Hey everyone! My name is Sean and I’m a sophomore studying Computer Engineering. In my freetime I enjoy running, lifting, hooping and wakesurfing. I also enjoy watching sports, especially basketball and football. Looking forward to meeting you all this quarter!

Shreya Pandey she/her/hers
Hi everyone! I’m Shreya, and I’m a second year majoring in Computer Science. This will be my second quarter as a TA, and I’m super excited to get to know all of you :) In my free time, I love to paint with watercolors, watch Bollywood movies, and try new desserts.

Srihari Krishnaswamy he/him/his
Hi, I’m Srihari and I’m a junior CS major, and I’m super excited to meet everyone! It’s my third quarter TAing 123, and I love to talk about sports, movies and music. Have a great quarter!

Trien Vuong he/him/his
Hey y’all! My name’s Trien, and I’m currently a Junior majoring in Computer Science. In my free time, I mainly enjoy playing video games (currently waiting for Monster Hunter Wilds to release), watching shows, and eating delicious food. This is my seventh quarter TAing CSE 123, and I’m super excited to get to know y’all.
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.
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Synchronous Help (Office Hours): One place to go to get help is our Office Hours hosted throughout the week. TAs staff office hours for many hours a day to provide you the help you need when you need it! This is a great place to go if you want to review a particular course concept, work on a practice problem with the help of a TA or your peers, or get help on a Creative Project or Programming Assignment if you are running into difficulties.
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.
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Asynchronous Help (Ed Discussion): With a class of our size, directly emailing a member of the course staff is not always recommended. There are many of you and only few of us, so if you email one person directly we can’t make a guarantee how quickly we can respond! To alleviate this one-on-one communication of email, we have a course discussion board that will be a much more lively place for discussion and a way to make sure you can are helped more quickly. The message board is set up so that all of the course staff can help you, which will make it more likely for you to receive a quicker response!
Ed Tips
- If you are asking a general question about the course logistics or content, you can make a public post. This way other students can benefit from seeing your question, and you can even answer each other’s questions to share your perspectives!
- If you want, you can choose to post anonymously so that other students in the course can’t see your name. Note that anonymous posting does not hide your identity from the course staff.
- You’re encouraged to answer each other’s questions as well! Explaining a topic to someone else (even on a discussion board) is a great way to help you better understand the material. The course staff will still look over student answers and can nicely point out some misconception if there is one so that everyone benefits.
- If you have a question that’s pretty specific to your homework solution, or, is about some personal details that you would not want to share with the class (e.g., DRS accommodations), you can make a private post on Ed that is only visible to the course staff. This way, any member of the staff can respond to get you the help you need!
- For sensitive matters that you only want to discuss with Miya & Brett, you can instead email Miya & Brett if that makes you feel more comfortable. Note that the response time for the instructors’ email is longer than posting on the Ed board.