Opportunities abound at 2025 NeurIPS conference

Presenting research, learning, networking, and having fun were highlights for five Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) students who participated in the 2025 NeurIPS Conference in San Diego, California. In addition to the students, adjunct instructors Chala Merga Abdissa and Mikel Ngueajio also presented research at the conference, one of the largest conferences in AI and machine learning, with more than 20,000 participants from around the world.

“Throughout the conference I wore two hats: one as a Ph.D. candidate still growing in my field, and another as a mentor guiding students through their first major international conference,” Ngueajio said. “Navigating both roles simultaneously and absorbing research insights while helping students network, ask questions, and see themselves as belonging in their spaces taught me so much about what it means to be an educator and researcher.”

As a researcher, Ngueajio, a Ph.D. candidate at Howard University, had a goal to present at the NeurIPS Conference, noting that she submitted her work twice before, but this time, her paper, Investigating the Hate-Credibility Nexus Across Datasets and Content Formats, was accepted.

When she learned that several CMU-Africa students were also accepted to present their research, she provided guidance in obtaining visas, assisted in making travel plans, shared information about the conference, and helped them make connections while there.

Ngueajio and the students presented their research at a poster session at the Women in Machine Learning program, part of the conference.

The students and their research topics were:

Grace Kaimburi (MS EAI ’27)

Comparative Analysis of Carbon Emissions: Hybrid vs. Manual Cars in Kenya

Note: As part of receiving the Wangari Maathal Award from Black in AI, she received a funded spot at the conference, and her research would have been presented at a Black in AI workshop, which was canceled. She attended the conference. 

Ukachi Agnes Eze-Mbey (MSIT ’27)

When Endangered Voices Speak: Building the First Ehugbo Dialect Audio Dataset Through Grassroots Collaboration

Contributor: Victor Olufemi (MS EAI ‘27)

Oyindamola Olatunji (MS EAI ’27)

Beyond Data Scarcity: Quality Barriers to Trustworthy AI in Low Resource Medical Imaging

Nthabiseng Adelaide Thema (MSIT ’27)

Computer-assisted cyclist road safety warning system

Shiela Wafula (MSIT ’26)

Unmasking COVID-19 Vulnerability in Nigeria: Mapping Risks Beyond Urban Hotspots

Contributor: Blessed Madukoma (MSIT ’26)

Expressing gratitude shared by the students, Eze-Mbey said, “I want to thank Professor Mikel because she kept advocating for us. She helped us obtain visas, getting us where we needed to be while traveling, and at the conference.”

Students mentioned several takeaways from presenting their research. Olantunji was exposed to new research; Thema had the opportunity to engage with potential collaborators; and Wafula connected with presenters through volunteering.

Watching the students present their work, engage with world-class researchers, and realize they belonged, was incredibly rewarding.

Mikel Ngueajio, Adjunct Instructor, CMU-Africa

Wafula said, “Our contributions to tech research matter, and they are recognized and appreciated, even on the world stage. The opportunities are out there, and we can make the most of them.”

Fun was also part of their experience, including enjoying an airport stopover in New York, finding “merch” to bring back as gifts, and experiencing California.

“The enthusiasm of the students reminded me why this work matters,” Ngueajio said. "Watching them present their work with so much confidence, engage with world-class researchers, and realizing they belonged was incredibly rewarding.”