This summer, I was given the opportunity to participate in the uArch workshop at ISCA 2026. I found out about the workshop and the ACM-W scholarship through Professor Joshua San Miguel when I was an exchange student at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Attending uArch gave me the much needed opportunity to understand the graduate school experience, a career in academia and industry research after graduate school. The conference had a variety of talks that ranged from industry trends to academic discussions, giving me a comprehensive overview of what the world of Computer Architecture has to offer.

I also got to meet many researchers in the field of Computer Architecture and connect like-minded peers who are interested in a career in research. Talking to PhD students, professors, and industry professionals about their work and day-to-day gave me a much better understanding of what their job entails.

Last but not least, I had the privilege to be in the great company of friends I made at the conference. It was incredibly inspiring to spend 4 days with computer architects from different parts of the world and be introduced to new research in the field and I am grateful for the opportunity provided by ACM.