Upsilon Pi Epsilon Initiates the Founding Charter of Honors Society for Computer and Information Sciences at Claremont Graduate University

Claremont, CA – September 26, 2025 – The Center for Information Systems and Technology (CISAT) at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) celebrated our acceptance into Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), an internationally-recognized honor society dedicated to scholarly excellence in the computing and information disciplines, celebrating our enduring flames for knowledge and discovery!

Membership in UPE is highly selective and reserved for students with outstanding academic achievement. Prior to initiation, all CGU charter members earned a GPA of 3.6 or higher in computing, information systems, and technology coursework. UPE is uniquely recognized by both the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS), the two largest global professional organizations in computing and technology.

CGU UPE’s founding ceremony, held at the Academic Computing Building of Claremont Graduate University, brought together national leadership, faculty, students, and technology professionals. Our UPE charter were honored to meet Dr. Peter Clarke, Council Member of UPE National and Associate Professor in Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, Florida International University, who attended in recognition of CGU’s first recognized student and faculty members into UPE’s honors society.

The ceremony opened with remarks from CGU Interim President Michelle Bligh and CISAT Professor Dr. Samir Chatterjee, setting the stage for an expert panel on a timely and pressing theme in computing and technology research: “AI and Society: Community, Sustainability, and Ethical Innovation Practices.”

Upsilon Pi Epsilon was honored to have the presence of four CISAT Alumni and leading industry experts shared insights from a wide range of expertise: from impactful applications in special education, accurate representation of diverse populations in healthcare data, equitable approaches to AI training, and the criticality of centering the human experience throughout business and development. Read more about this event on our dedicated news post, “Upsilon Pi Epsilon at CGU Hosts “AI and Society” Alumni and Expert Panel.”

Following the panel, UPE honors society inductees received certificates confirming their status of high academic achievement in computing and information disciplines, joining an international network of high-achieving scholars in computing and information sciences.

Upsilon Pi Epsilon at CGU is dedicated to fostering academic excellence, driving responsible innovation, and creating meaningful community impact in the computing and technology disciplines, while serving the Claremont community through technology, education, and research.

UPE enjoyed a lively and engaging evening at the Academic Computing Building at Claremont Graduate University celebrating our academic achievements in computing and technology!

UPE at CGU extends its gratitude to Dr. Peter Clarke for his presence and guidance towards initiating our founding charter members. We also thank Dr. Samir Chatterjee, Dr. Itamar Shabtai, and Dr. Michelle Bligh for their invaluable support and guidance in making this milestone possible. Our student charter is honored to pursue excellence in computing, information, and technology disciplines at Claremont Graduate University, Center for Information Systems and Technology.

This milestone was made possible through the vision and leadership of three outstanding students – Katja Crusius, Joan Zheng, and Varsha Shetty – who founded CGU’s Upsilon Pi Epsilon chapter, prepared the successful application for charter recognition, and led the inaugural ceremony. Their dedication exemplifies the values of scholarship, community, and innovation that UPE represents, and their work establishes a lasting legacy for future scholars of computing and information disciplines at Claremont Graduate University.

Katja Crusius is a third year PhD student in Information Systems & Technology at Claremont Graduate University. Her research focuses on data analytics, social networks, and educational technology. She works as a Data & Analytics Specialist on campus and has held teaching and research positions at CGU and Harvey Mudd College. She holds an M.S. in Information Systems from California State University, Long Beach, and a B.A. in Economics & Political Science from Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany. Beyond academia, she has previously served as CGU Student Senate President and volunteers with Techies Without Borders and Zeta Tau Alpha to advance education and health awareness.

Joan Zheng is a first year PhD student in Information Systems & Technology at Claremont Graduate University. She is currently a Graduate Fellow at the Murty Sunak QCL Lab, Claremont McKenna College. Prior to joining CGU, she earned her B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in 2019 and spent over five years as a developer and researcher for federally funded research projects at Smart Information Flow Technologies (SIFT). Her work has been published in leading venues including AAAI, IEEE, and ACL, reflecting her contributions towards the intersection of human-centered information systems and technology.

Varsha Shetty is a Master’s student in Data Science & Analytics at Claremont Graduate University’s Center for Information Systems & Technology (CISAT). Her professional experience spans data science and software engineering through roles at Fidelity Investments in both the U.S. and India, where she contributed to quantitative analytics, full-stack systems, and cloud-based deployment pipelines. At CGU, she serves as a Programs & Student Life Assistant at the Drucker School of Management and leads major student initiatives, including organizing CGU’s first-ever university-wide hackathon. Her research interests include artificial intelligence, data systems, and human-centered computing.