Amanda Baran

Growing up in a small, traditional suburb, the idea of pursuing Computer Science, especially as a woman, was very foreign. During my time as an undergrad at Lehigh, I discovered my love for computer science. I found a particular interest in the world that we called the "backend",  which has led to my current position as a Research Assistant in the Scalable Systems and Software Research Group at Lehigh University.  I am particularly interested in parallel computing, distributed systems, RDMA, and database systems.

I am currently finishing up my second year of my PhD in Computer Science. Previously, and also at Lehigh, I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Business in May of 2021 and earned my Master's degree in Computer Science in May of 2023. 

As a passionate advocate, I am very involved in the effort to close the gender gap in STEM fields. Over the last three years as the Co-President of the Lehigh Women in Computer Science club, we have been working diligently to positively impact the women in our CS community. Take a look at what we've been up to lately at www.wics.cse.lehigh.edu!