Nicholas Perello '18 to Be Honored at UMass Amherst Commencement with Commitment to Diversity Award

The University of Massachusetts Amherst will honor Nicholas Perello '18 with the Commitment to Diversity Award for his exceptional service to the university community during Commencement 2023 on Friday, May 26, at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

Miami, Fla., native Nicholas Perello '18 is a PhD candidate in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) and a tireless leader working to create an inclusive environment for computer science education, both as a student advocate and as a mentor and instructor of underrepresented undergraduates.

After earning dual bachelor's degrees in computer science and mathematics, Perello received a prestigious national GEM Fellowship and remained at UMass Amherst for his PhD, focusing on ethical artificial intelligence and machine learning.

As a graduate student, he was a founding member and co-chair of the CICS CARE Subcommittee on Inclusive Teaching. This group of faculty and students leads anti-racism efforts to identify and dismantle barriers to inclusion and equity in admissions, academic success, and the workplace.

Perello also served as a mentor in EMBER (Energizing, Mentoring, and Broadening Exposure to Research), a program that aims to make research opportunities accessible to all students. Additionally, he volunteered to tutor undergraduates during the height of the pandemic, worked as a highly regarded teaching assistant, taught two first-year seminars for CICS scholarship students, and is an academic coach.

As he pursues his doctoral degree, Perello's campus leadership aligns with his research goals. While his research targets discrimination and disparity in artificial intelligence, he personally serves computing students from nontraditional backgrounds as a committed and empathetic ally.

Originally published by the UMass Amherst Office of News & Media Relations.