Welcome To UPE DePaul
Recognizing academic excellence in the information and computing disciplines since 2003
Who We Are
DePaul University’s chapter of Upsilon Pi Epsilon represents an international honor society recognizing scholastic achievements at the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media. Our student-driven executive board strives to bring more awareness of the information and computing disciplines in collaboration with the student body through social engagement and academic events.
How We Started
DePaul University’s Upsilon Pi Epsilon Chapter was established in 2003 by Dr. Daniela Raicu. With over 2,000 members, it is one of the largest chapters in the nation.
One word we embody here at UPE is “expanding”.
We are passionate about spreading the endless potential that the computer science field has to offer, through our events and social media presence, to all of its students that are intrigued in or majoring in the Information and Computing Disciplines.
What We Do
Since we are an honor society within DePaul University, we embrace its credo, “I will show you the way of wisdom.”
We provide all of our students the ‘wisdom’ to grow and thrive within the information and computing disciplines by fostering an environment that aides in a student’s knowledge by providing them insight into the technology world, industry and academia, alike.
We demonstrate our values, with the undying public service by our UPE Executive Board, our collaborations with other student organizations, and interactions we engage in throughout the year.
In the past, the local UPE DePaul Chapter has participated in a range of events, from informative events about funding for graduate students, speakers from companies in the Chicagoland area, research symposiums, to student social events and panel discussions.
How You Can Join
To become a member of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society at DePaul University, students are invited via email, at the end of the academic winter quarter. The requirements to be a member are as follows:
- For Undergraduates:
- 69 credit hours completed
- GPA of 3.5/4.0
- For Graduates:
- 24 credit hours completed
- GPA of 3.75/4.0
*There is a one-time initiation fee of $95.00 to become a member of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society.
For more information, please visit our FAQ section, at the top of the page.
Upcoming Events
Executive Board
DePaul’s UPE Executive Board
President
Hello! I’m Suraj Nihal, President of UPE’s DePaul Chapter and a Master’s student in Data Science. I believe stories are everywhere—in the data we analyze, the visuals we create, and even in the sounds around us. Together with UPE, I’m transforming those stories into something that drives change and fosters connection!
Vice President
Hi! My name is Marija Stojanoska and I am the Vice President of UPE. I am a sophomore undergraduate student and I am majoring in computer science with a concentration in software development. I’m very excited to be helping our society for this year! One fun fact about me is that I moved to the US about 6 years ago!
Events
Hi there, I am Areena Mahek, an international graduate student enrolled in MS Computer Science with a focus on Data Science. Additionally, I am a part of the UPE Events Committee. Already holding a masters degree from India, I chose to pursue another one due to my passion for Computer Science and my eagerness to delve deeper into the fields of Data Science. A fun fact about me is I love to plan and organize everything from ground up. I always follow a routine for almost everything and yeah, I call myself a Disciplined Person 🙂
Photojournalist
I am Risheek Komaravelli, studying master’s degree in information systems(majoring in Data Management). My UPE board position is – Photojournalist. I am a skilled data engineer with experience in data management, ETL, and data warehousing, capable of designing scalable solutions using advanced data modelling. I am currently pursuing a Master of Science in Information Systems at DePaul University, where I maintain a 3.9 GPA, and I have developed strong analytical skills, transforming complex data into actionable insights.
Treasurer
Hi, my name is Amela Perazic and I am the treasurer for UPE! I am a junior here at DePaul and I am majoring in Computer Science with a Software Development concentration! In my personal time I love spending time with my family, crocheting/knitting, and baking!
Member
Sue Yang is a graduate student majoring in Data Science, with a strong passion for data analytics and visualization. She is leveraging her analytical skills to promote UPE events and enhance student engagement.
Web Administrator
My name is Jacob Waksmanski and I am a Computer Science major at DePaul University. I’m currently a senior and expected to graduate in March 2025. My interests include web development & architecture, artificial intelligence, and video game development. My position on the UPE board is web administrator. Fun fact: My first language is actually Polish
Consigliere
My name is Andrew Green, and I am alumni of DePaul University. I received my Master’s of Science in Cyber Security in 2023. My interests include playing video games and fantasy sports. In the past, a hobby I had was performing statistical analysis of professional sports games in order to spot potential opportunities for financial gains.
Faculty Advisor
Roselyne Tchoua is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computing, DePaul University.Dr. Tchoua received her PhD in computer science from the University of Chicago, focusing on Hybrid Human Machine Scientific Information Extraction and working with materials science data specifically. During her graduate studies, she collaborated with scientists at the UChicago Institute of Molecular Engineering and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to extract polymer names and properties from the literature.
Faculty Advisor
Alexandru Iulian Orhean is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science in the School of Computing at the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University. He received his PhD in Computer Science in 2023 from Illinois Institute of Technology under Professor Ioan Raicu. He received his BS in Computer Science in 2016 from University Politehnica of Bucharest.
Founder, DePaul UPE Chapter
Daniela S. Raicu is a Professor of School of Computing, College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University, Chicago. She is the co-director of the Medical Informatics and the Intelligent Multimedia Processing Laboratories. Daniela is also the Director of the Data Mining and Predictive Analytics Center at DePaul. Daniela holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Oakland University, Michigan, a M.A. in Computer Science from Wayne State University, Michigan, and a B.S. in Mathematics from University of Bucharest, Romania. She also serves on the National Executive Council of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE) honor society in Computer and Information Sciences since 2008.