Outstanding Seniors in the College of Science: Portia Cooper

This fall, the College of Science recognized ten outstanding seniors for their contributions in and out of the classroom. Portia Cooper is this semester’s recipient from Computer Science. Portia was also selected as the Overall Outstanding Senior in the College of Science.

The College of Science caught up with Portia to learn more about her experiences at the University of Arizona and what is on the horizon after graduation.

Why did you choose to study Computer Science?

Tucson is my hometown, and UA gave me an early start in computer science. When I was 12, I joined UArizona Girls Who Code, a free club sponsored by Women in Science and Engineering. I grew up with amazing UA faculty and student mentors. During high school, I worked with researchers at Stanford University, University of Maryland, and Accenture on projects that leveraged technology to address real-world problems, including a machine learning model that identified fake online news. These experiences hooked me on natural language processing and research that combats malicious content and supports ethical AI.

Tell us about a class or research project you really enjoyed.

I am currently developing a method to detect online hate speech camouflaged with Unicode perturbations. This project builds on a paper that I published last year. I am excited to establish a record of contribution in a specific area of research.

What is one specific memory from your time at UA that you’ll cherish forever?

Last summer, I participated in a UA Study Abroad program in Scandinavia. I spent several days in Visby, Sweden, which inspired the classic anime film KiKi’s Delivery Service. On my last afternoon in the city, a flock of swans took a dip in the ocean. The combination of their graceful silhouettes and the orange and purple hues of sunset was magical.

What are you most proud of having accomplished in your time at UA?

I have taught several busloads of middle and high school students to code. I am the Lead Facilitator of UArizona Girls Who Code, the computer science club that I participated in growing up. The future of tech is bright! Last year, one of my 8^th grade students developed an elegant AI-powered chat bot.

What is next for you after graduation?

I will begin full-time graduate studies through the Accelerated Master’s Program in the UA Department of Computer Science, and I accepted an M.S./Ph.D. Research and Development Internship at Sandia National Laboratories in Summer 2025.