Meet Rishav Gupta. After spending five years as a mobile engineer, he decided to pursue his Ph.D. in computer science at UMBC to deepen his expertise and choose projects with the clear objective of improving people’s lives. Rishav is working in the Future Sensing and Interaction Lab of professor Dong Li on a project to use everyday smartphones as affordable and accessible blood pressure monitors.
This May, the work was recognized when Rishav was selected as one of two recipients for the inaugural COEIT Computing for Social Good Award, made possible by a generous donation from alumnus Akshay Java, M.S. ’03, Ph.D. ’08, computer science. Awardees were selected in a competitive review process by COEIT faculty reviewers and departmental leadership. Rishav was choosen for his project “Enabling Affordable and Accessible Blood Pressure Monitoring Using Only a Commodity Smartphone.” Take it away, Rishav!
Q: What brought you to UMBC?
A: As an international student from India, I left a comfortable career to come here. After five years as a mobile engineer in industry, I was a generalist who could build things, but I wanted to understand them, to master a domain and create research that genuinely gives back to the community and helps people. UMBC’s work in health sensing was exactly that chance.
UMBC’s welcoming and inclusive environment made the transition less daunting. From peers who’d walked the same path to a community that genuinely wants your feedback to others considering it: you won’t be figuring things out alone here.
Q: What do you love about UMBC?
A: Beyond my research, I serve on the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee, helping improve the experience for graduate assistants across campus. From clarifying appointment expectations to shaping GA orientation, it’s shown me a side of UMBC that genuinely listens to students and works to actually affect people’s day-to-day lives. What I enjoy most is being a bridge: carrying real student concerns to people who can actually act on them.
Q: Who in the community inspired you or supported you?
A: My advisor, Dong Li, pushes me to aim high and take ownership of my research, trusting me to drive my own ideas. That independence has stretched me. I’ve also leaned on senior students in the department, whose willingness to share what they’ve learned has made navigating the early Ph.D. years far less daunting.
Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?
A: What surprised me most is how many people quietly have your back. A student who walked me through a rough patch, a staff member who actually wanted my feedback and acted on it, and peers who share hard lessons so I don’t struggle alone are just a few examples. The support is every day and practical.
On left, Gupta receives an award for best poster from computer science and electrical engineering assistant professor Roberto Yus on CSEE Research Day in April 2026. On right, Gupta and his team receive a first place award from The Maryland NEW VENTURE program in May 2026. (Photos courtesy of Gupta)
Q: What are your goals after graduation and how is UMBC helping you?
A: My goal is a research career with significant meaningful work, ideally a faculty position at a strong university, where I can keep pushing on affordable health-sensing technology and train the next generation of researchers. I’m early in the journey, but that’s the direction I’m building toward.
UMBC has pushed me toward independence by owning my research direction, presenting my work at top venues, and building the depth I came here for. Serving on a graduate committee has also grown skills I didn’t expect to develop: representing others, navigating institutions, and turning feedback into real change.
Q: How has the Computing for Social Good Award impacted your education?
A: The COEIT Computing for Social Good Award directly supports my research to make blood pressure monitoring affordable and accessible using only a commodity smartphone, with no specialized hardware and no clinic visit required. Beyond the tangible support, being recognized specifically for the social good of the work, rather than only its technical side, has shaped how I choose research problems: it pushes me to keep asking who my work actually helps, and to keep people who can’t easily access conventional care at the center of what I build.
Q: How did it feel to win this award?
A: Receiving the COEIT Computing for Social Good Award felt meaningful in a way I didn’t expect. I came to UMBC from a career in industry because I wanted my work to matter beyond a product. Being recognized for the research’s social impact felt like confirmation that I’d chosen the right path. It was also humbling as a reminder that affordable health technology isn’t an abstract goal but something real people are rooting for, and it left me more motivated to deliver on the promise the award recognizes.
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UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.
