Christian Smith has always been drawn to technology. For as long as he can remember, the University of Houston-Victoria student has gravitated toward the inner mechanisms of every electrical component, fueled by an intense desire to know how everything worked together.

But what really cemented Smith’s love for technology at the age of three was seeing his father, a quadriplegic who is paralyzed from the neck down, operate a computer using speech recognition software.

Christian Smith

“I want to build software to help more disabled individuals; that’s one of my main drives,” Smith said. “I want to talk to the disabled community and figure out what exactly we can do to make sure they all have equal access, similar to the software my dad used.”

Smith of Houston was named the Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the UHV College of Natural & Applied Science. He is set to receive a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science on May 17. The Outstanding Graduate Student is Matthew Harper, and he will receive a master’s degree in both computer science and data science.

Dmitri Sobolev

“Christian and Matthew exemplify the standard of excellence and dedication that defines the College of Natural & Applied Science,” said Dmitri Sobolev, interim dean of the college. “I wish them the best in their endeavors and can't wait to see the great things that they will go on to achieve.”

Each semester, professors from UHV’s four colleges select outstanding students to be honored during commencement. UHV will host three commencement ceremonies on May 17 at Faith Family Church, 2002 E. Mockingbird Ln., Victoria, TX 77904. The first ceremony to take place that day will be at 9 a.m. to recognize students from the College of Education & Health Professions. The second ceremony will start at noon to celebrate students from the College of Business. The third ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. for students in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and the College of Natural & Applied Science. A live stream of the ceremonies will be available at https://www.uhv.edu/commencement/.

For Smith, the excitement of feeling his graduation date getting closer is almost too much to bear. While it hasn’t truly set into his mind yet that he is mere weeks away from receiving his bachelor’s degree, the Houstonian said he is maintaining a calm mindset to finish strong.

“I’ve got to hit that finish line first, I don’t want to celebrate just yet,” Smith said. “But once I hit that finish line, it’s going to be a celebration – I can feel it and it’s exciting.”

Part of that excitement stems from memories a decade ago, when he was still in high school, Smith said. As a self-described, “standard run of the mill” type of student who was content with receiving a C, Smith is now on track to graduate from UHV with a 4.0 GPA.

“To see what I can achieve when I truly put my mind to it, while working, switching jobs, purchasing a home – all of these things I’ve done while in school, it’s been a wonderful experience,” Smith said. “When you really do put your mind and effort into something, it does pay off.”

After graduating from high school, his mother gave him a simple directive: go to school, Smith recalled. For his first academic stop, Smith attended Sam Houston State University. During his time there, Smith said his head wasn’t in the right place; and after a year there, he entered the workforce where he stayed for a year and a half.

With the thought of college still in the back of his mind, and a pivotal moment during a late-night shift working at a home improvement store, Smith said he went online to put in an application for a local community college to continue his education.

”The reason why I went back to school the second time around was because I realized I wanted to be here,” Smith said. “I wanted to achieve something, not only for my family’s name, but also for myself.”

After completing his course work at Lone Star College, Smith applied for UHV and was officially a Jaguar in spring 2023. There was a little apprehension when he did come on campus, Smith said. All throughout his life, Smith said he has heard stories about how rough a four-year university was going to be. But, considering his time at Sam Houston State University and Lone Star College, Smith said this time around, he was more equipped to manage his time wisely.

“The transition wasn’t too bad,” he said. “It was a little more challenging, but I was able to weather the storm because I had already found that balance within myself, and was able to balance my life, work and school at the same time.”

Smith’s hardest time at UHV would be his second semester, he said. It was the first semester that he had to transition to in-person classes but the stress was alleviated by UHV assistant professor Daya Nand, and Yazdan Rodd, who was an adjunct lecturer.

“The energy they gave in the topics and the way they discussed it, you could tell that they love teaching,” Smith said. “And therefore, I loved learning from them.”

It deepened his love for technology and understanding of it, he said. But technology isn’t just about fancy gadgets and lights. For him, when he looks at technology, he sees more than just code and circuits, he sees potential for human connection, Smith said.

In the future, Smith said he wants to look into developing adaptive technologies that enable individuals with different abilities to interact seamlessly with digital environments. But he also wants to create technological solutions that are environmentally sustainable.

“My main focus has always been creating software of some form that would help the Earth and its inhabitants, which extends to humans but also animals as well,” Smith said. “I’m a huge Earth nerd.”

Harper, a proud native of Willis, Texas, will soon add two additional academic achievements to his resume this weekend. On Saturday, he will graduate from UHV with a dual Master of Science in Data Science and Computer Science. These latest accomplishments join his previous degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and an Associate of Applied Science in Instrumentation Technology from San Jacinto College.

Matthew Harper

“My career began in the fields of electrical and instrumentation; however, returning to graduate school reignited my passion for math and science,” Harper said. “That experience reinforced my identity as a lifelong learner, always striving for continuous growth and improvement.”

Harper’s professional journey includes roles as an electrical, instrument and automation engineer. Notably, he contributed to the design of SpaceX’s rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas – an experience that sparked his growing interest in autonomous and intelligent systems. He later applied this passion at Oxy, a Houston-based energy company.

He credits UHV’s flexible and high-quality online programs for enabling his academic success while balancing a full-time career and family life.

“The University of Houston-Victoria has developed one of the best online artificial intelligence and data science programs available,” Harper said. “It made it possible for me to continue my education and achieve my academic and career goals.”

During his time at UHV, Harper said he is grateful for all the UHV faculty members including Dr. Hardik Gohel, the founding director of the Applied Artificial Intelligence laboratory at UHV and Dr. Hongyu Guo, professor of computer science, whose unique ability to teach complex topics and guidance helped shape his academic experience.

As he looks to the future, Harper remains committed to learning and leading through knowledge sharing and transformation.

“Decades ago, we had only telephones – then computers and wireless communication, Facebook and Amazon,” he reflected. “Today, we’re in the midst of a digital transformation marked by rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into every aspect of our lives, I am committed to being at the forefront – shaping its future, driving meaningful innovation and leading advancements in this transformative world.”