Keynote Speaker: Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO, AnitaB.org
Brenda Darden Wilkerson is an advocate for access, opportunity, and social justice for underrepresented communities in technology. She currently serves as the President and CEO of AnitaB.org, an organization working to shape public opinion about issues of critical importance to women technologists in academia, industry, and government. She founded the original Computer Science for All program, building computer science classes into the curriculum for every student in the Chicago Public Schools, and serving as the inspiration for the Obama administration’s national CS4All initiatives.
Panel Speakers
Michael Barber is the Coordinator of Local Engagement and an Associate Program Officer at the Spencer Foundation, where he manages programs, reviews research grant proposals, and works on projects to strengthen connections among education research, policy, and practice. He has a Ph.D. in learning sciences from Northwestern University and is a former middle school and high school teacher, literacy coach, and curriculum director. Michael teaches part-time in the College of Education at Depaul University, and he also partners with high school teachers to investigate ways to help students explore curiosities and build knowledge together through inclusive and participatory literacy practices.
Dr. Marlo Barnett is a graduate from Northern Illinois University with a PhD in Educational Technology. Dr. Barnett has over 10 years of experience in education, a proven record of accomplishments and success in planning, decision-making, consulting, professional development, and administration. A scholarly graduate with a distinguished educational background that possesses a wide range of experiences at multiple levels in a variety of organizations and environments.
Dr. Barnett believes in serving her community and giving back to the education field. Currently Dr. Barnett is appointed to the Board of Directors of Northern Illinois Alumni Association. As an Advocate for equity and diversity in Computer Science, Dr. Barnett is Vice President for Computer Science for Illinois and serves as Vice President for Computer Science Teacher Association (CSTA) - Chicago Chapter. In addition, she is also working on a nationwide framework for K12 students for Artificial Intelligence.
Dr. Barnett accredits herself for being an overcomer and defeating many challenges in her life. As an African American woman who grew up in an underrepresented community on the South Side of Chicago, she knows first-hand the struggles that plague the inner city youth. She knows how the streets of Chicago can be ripped apart by gun violence and gangs. Despite the inner city struggles, Dr. Barnett is a first generation student to graduate from college and to obtain degrees in higher education in her family.
Dr. Barnett has a bachelor's degree in ELED from Chicago State University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from American College of Education, and a second master’s degree in Educational Technology from Northern Illinois University.
Dr. Barnett describes herself as a very candid person with a lot of ambition that take on challenges that require her to move quickly and traverse difficult obstacles. Indeed, her record of accomplishments as a scholarly student, businesswoman, educator and leader proves her to be a woman of her word. In her free time, Barnett enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.
Dr. Barnett believes in serving her community and giving back to the education field. Currently Dr. Barnett is appointed to the Board of Directors of Northern Illinois Alumni Association. As an Advocate for equity and diversity in Computer Science, Dr. Barnett is Vice President for Computer Science for Illinois and serves as Vice President for Computer Science Teacher Association (CSTA) - Chicago Chapter. In addition, she is also working on a nationwide framework for K12 students for Artificial Intelligence.
Dr. Barnett accredits herself for being an overcomer and defeating many challenges in her life. As an African American woman who grew up in an underrepresented community on the South Side of Chicago, she knows first-hand the struggles that plague the inner city youth. She knows how the streets of Chicago can be ripped apart by gun violence and gangs. Despite the inner city struggles, Dr. Barnett is a first generation student to graduate from college and to obtain degrees in higher education in her family.
Dr. Barnett has a bachelor's degree in ELED from Chicago State University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from American College of Education, and a second master’s degree in Educational Technology from Northern Illinois University.
Dr. Barnett describes herself as a very candid person with a lot of ambition that take on challenges that require her to move quickly and traverse difficult obstacles. Indeed, her record of accomplishments as a scholarly student, businesswoman, educator and leader proves her to be a woman of her word. In her free time, Barnett enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.
Jake Baskin is the Executive Director of the Computer Science Teachers Association, the world’s leading association for K-12 computer science teachers.
He is a former high school computer science teacher, department chair, and professional development provider with the Chicago Public Schools. As a teacher, he focused on increasing access to computing for underrepresented groups and more than doubled female enrollment in introductory computer science classes.
Prior to joining CSTA he was Director of State Government Affairs for Code.org, where he worked with educators and policymakers to advocate for policies that expand access to high-quality computer science education with state departments of education and governor’s offices across the country. In his work at Code.org, he helped to build a nationwide network of more than 40 regional partners that worked with over 100 school districts in the U.S. to
implement comprehensive computer science programs and provide professional learning for teachers.
He is a former high school computer science teacher, department chair, and professional development provider with the Chicago Public Schools. As a teacher, he focused on increasing access to computing for underrepresented groups and more than doubled female enrollment in introductory computer science classes.
Prior to joining CSTA he was Director of State Government Affairs for Code.org, where he worked with educators and policymakers to advocate for policies that expand access to high-quality computer science education with state departments of education and governor’s offices across the country. In his work at Code.org, he helped to build a nationwide network of more than 40 regional partners that worked with over 100 school districts in the U.S. to
implement comprehensive computer science programs and provide professional learning for teachers.
Matthew B. Brady was recently the Chief Revenue Officer of VaaS International Holdings which was bought by Motorola Solutions in January 2019 for $445,000,000. Brady is currently the Vice President of Software Sales for Motorola's (MSI) Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions which includes Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR); Facial Recognition/Detection and Motorola's Ballistics Solutions which is used to help law enforcement match and compare cartridge cases from rime scenes and/or recovered firearms. Prior to Motorola/VasS Brady was Chief Executive Officer of Westell (WSTL) and President of Federal Signal's (FSS) Safety and Security Group in University Park, IL. Brady has 29 career spanning domestic and international roles at Motorola, Tellabs, Federal Signal, VaaS and Clarity Communications.
Brady has a B.A. in International Relations from Northern Illinois University and a MBA from Olivet Nazarene University.
Brady has a B.A. in International Relations from Northern Illinois University and a MBA from Olivet Nazarene University.
Linda W. Braun is a learning consultant with LEO and the continuing education (CE) Consultant for the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). In her work she focuses on designing learning activities that help youth, families, and communities succeed. As CE Consultant for YALSA she organizes a wide-array of professional development and manages two YALSA federally funded Institute of Museum and Library Services projects: Future Ready with the Library - focusing on supporting middle school youth college career readiness and Transforming Teen Services: A Train the Trainer Approach - focusing on building library staff skills in delivering connected learning activities through a computational thinking literacy lens. Linda is the co-author of the Future of Library Services for Teens: A Call to Action, Ready to Code: Connecting CS Opportunities to Youth Through Libraries, Transforming Library Services for and With Teens Through CE, and Putting Teens First in Library Services: A Roadmap. She has Master of Science Degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons College and a Master of Education from Lesley University and is a past president
of YALSA
of YALSA
Dr. Christina Chhin joined the National Center for Education Research (NCER), within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), U.S. Department of Education in 2006. She serves as an Education Research Analyst and is the Program Officer for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Research topic. She is also the Program Officer for the Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication competition. Dr. Chhin received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Pennsylvania State University. Her prior research focused on the role of self-efficacy beliefs in academic achievement, with a special focus on gender differences in STEM achievement.
Bryan Cox is the Computer Science Program Specialist at the Georgia DOE. At the GaDOE, Bryan is responsible for broadening participation in Computer Science educational experiences in Georgia and building Computer Science into a K-12 discipline. He develops and offers training opportunities and other supports for Computer Science teachers and organizes the state Department of Education’s Computer Science Advisory Council. He is a backbone member of the CS4GA collective and serves on several advisory committees for CS initiatives around the state. Prior to working for the GaDOE, Bryan spent 8 years as a High School STEM teacher, teaching math, computer science, and engineering courses, mostly within the Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education department. He is currently pursuing a Ph D in Instructional Technology from Georgia State University with a research focus in online learning and computational thinking. He also received a M.A.T. in mathematics from GSU and a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Florida A & M University. He has spent time working as a network designer and computer technician as well as working with after-school and summer youth programs.
Ruthe Farmer has focused on inclusion in technology since 2001 and is Chief Evangelist at CSforALL. She served as Senior Policy Advisor for Tech Inclusion at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy focusing on President Obama’s call to action for Computer Science for All, and previously strategy and K-12 programs at the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) . She has launched multiple national inclusion programs including Aspirations in Computing, TECHNOLOchicas, the AspireIT outreach program, Lego Robotics for Girl Scouts and more. She served as 2012 Chair of CSEDWeek, was named a White House Champion of Change for Technology Inclusion in 2013, received the Anita Borg Institute Award for Social Impact in 2014, and the UK Alumni Award for Social Impact in 2015. Ruthe holds a BA from Lewis & Clark College and an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Oxford.
Prof. Diana Franklin is a Research Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Chicago. She is also the Director of Computer Science Education at UChicago STEM Education. She leads four research projects in the area of computer science education. Her lab, CANON (Computing for ANyONe), has a mission to perform the research that will bring high-quality computing education to all students, with particular emphasis on diverse cultural backgrounds and experiential backgrounds.
Ron Guerrier serves as the State of Illinois Chief Information Officer and Secretary for the Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT). Illinois Governor JB Pritzker selected Guerrier to serve in these roles in March of 2019, based on his extensive background and leadership in the innovation and technology fields.
Guerrier has more than 20 years of experience managing technology in the private sector and has served as chief information officer for multibillion-dollar companies since 2012. Most recently, he held the position of CIO at Express Scripts, the nation's largest pharmacy benefit manager, and functioned in the same role at Farmers Insurance Group from 2015 to 2018. Prior to that, Guerrier spent 17 years at Toyota North America, rising from an IT manager to division director to chief technology officer to vice president and chief information officer.
Guerrier earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a master’s degree in operations management and supervision from North Park University. In addition, he has earned a certificate in IT management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an executive certificate in developing organizational innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Sloan School of Management, a certificate in innovation from the University of California, Berkeley; and a certificate in IT performance management from Boston University Questrom School of Business.
Guerrier serves as the Chairman of the Board of IS Associates at the University of California, Los Angeles and is the Executive Advisor for STEM Advantage, a non-profit organization that opens doors for young women and underserved communities to pursue their dreams of a career in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Guerrier sits on the Board of Directors of SBP (SBPUSA.org), an organization which assists with the rebuilding of homes after natural disasters.
Throughout his career, Guerrier has earned numerous honors and awards, including the 2019 Top Technology Executive to Watch from HMG Strategy, CIO Breakaway Leader of the Year, Digital Edge50 Award, CIO Lifetime Achievement Award, and was included in the Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America List. He has also written numerous articles for publications such as Entrepreneur, CIO Review and Fortune Magazines.
Guerrier has more than 20 years of experience managing technology in the private sector and has served as chief information officer for multibillion-dollar companies since 2012. Most recently, he held the position of CIO at Express Scripts, the nation's largest pharmacy benefit manager, and functioned in the same role at Farmers Insurance Group from 2015 to 2018. Prior to that, Guerrier spent 17 years at Toyota North America, rising from an IT manager to division director to chief technology officer to vice president and chief information officer.
Guerrier earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a master’s degree in operations management and supervision from North Park University. In addition, he has earned a certificate in IT management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an executive certificate in developing organizational innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Sloan School of Management, a certificate in innovation from the University of California, Berkeley; and a certificate in IT performance management from Boston University Questrom School of Business.
Guerrier serves as the Chairman of the Board of IS Associates at the University of California, Los Angeles and is the Executive Advisor for STEM Advantage, a non-profit organization that opens doors for young women and underserved communities to pursue their dreams of a career in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Guerrier sits on the Board of Directors of SBP (SBPUSA.org), an organization which assists with the rebuilding of homes after natural disasters.
Throughout his career, Guerrier has earned numerous honors and awards, including the 2019 Top Technology Executive to Watch from HMG Strategy, CIO Breakaway Leader of the Year, Digital Edge50 Award, CIO Lifetime Achievement Award, and was included in the Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America List. He has also written numerous articles for publications such as Entrepreneur, CIO Review and Fortune Magazines.
Jeremy Keeshin is the CEO and co-founder of CodeHS, a comprehensive online platform to teach computer science to high schools and middle schools. He is a leading expert in computer science education and education technology, and has visited over 150 schools for computer science all over the country. The CodeHS platform is now used by hundreds of thousands of students and is the largest platform for coding in high schools. He previously was a computer science student and teaching assistant at Stanford, helping to teach courses, manage the introductory program, and build tools before starting CodeHS.
Kenton Machina is the co-director of Illinois State University’s Computer Science subsequent endorsement program, 2013-present. Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and former occupant of the Andes Chair in General Education, Illinois State. Co-author of numerous research papers and presentations on STEMC education, and on relating mathematical logic or natural science to fundamental non-scientific notions such as semantic meaning or personal responsibility.
Dr. Ernesto Matias is a strong instructional and cultural leader with a solid record of improving student outcomes. He started his professional teaching career in Montana as a social studies educator at Lustre High School from 1990 to 1993. He then moved to Evansville, Indiana, in 1994 to teach social studies at Bosse High School. His willingness to embrace change, guide, and inspire others led him to be nominated for District Teacher of the Year during his time there. He returned in 1997 to his hometown of Chicago, where he taught at Moos Elementary School until 2002. While teaching at Moos Elementary, he was nominated for the 1999 Golden Apple Teacher of the Year Award. Dr. Matias left Moos Elementary to become the assistant principal at Kanoon Magnet Elementary School from 2002 to 2008. While at Kanoon, he received the Associated Colleges of Illinois Shining Example of Liberal Arts for Leadership award. Dr. Matias was also awarded the Arne Duncan Award for Educational Equity in 2009.
Dr. Matias moved on to become the principal of Wells Community Academy in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) from 2008 to 2013. He mentored four resident principals during his tenure there and successfully transformed the professional culture through school-based and team-led professional development. After serving as deputy chief of schools for the CPS Office of Strategic School Support Services, Dr. Matias was promoted to chief of schools for Network 4 in 2014. He served there for three years before being named academic chief of the CPS Office of Language and Cultural Education, where he was responsible for supporting more than 70,000 English Learners. Dr. Matias was named to the 2018 Cohort of the McCormick Foundation Executive Fellows program. He started his latest adventure on July 1, 2019, when he became the chief education officer for the Illinois State Board of Education, which serves more than 2 million students in 852 districts throughout the State of Illinois.
Dr. Matias moved on to become the principal of Wells Community Academy in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) from 2008 to 2013. He mentored four resident principals during his tenure there and successfully transformed the professional culture through school-based and team-led professional development. After serving as deputy chief of schools for the CPS Office of Strategic School Support Services, Dr. Matias was promoted to chief of schools for Network 4 in 2014. He served there for three years before being named academic chief of the CPS Office of Language and Cultural Education, where he was responsible for supporting more than 70,000 English Learners. Dr. Matias was named to the 2018 Cohort of the McCormick Foundation Executive Fellows program. He started his latest adventure on July 1, 2019, when he became the chief education officer for the Illinois State Board of Education, which serves more than 2 million students in 852 districts throughout the State of Illinois.
Sean Roberts leads Code.org's policy work across the country. A former classroom teacher, he has led state advocacy efforts in areas such as funding equity, teacher certification, and school accountability. Building strong partnerships is a hallmark of Sean’s work. Prior to joining code.org, Sean served as executive director of a school advocacy association and a district human capital consultant.
Mr. Nick Stoyas’ passion for CS can be traced all the way back to his first experience using an old Gateway computer running Windows 95 to play an animated chess game with his father. A Former Associate Principal, Technology Integrationist, and CS, Engineering, and Technology educator, Mr. Stoyas now serves as the Curriculum and Instruction Manager for the Office of Computer Science at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Mr. Stoyas sees Chicago as a beacon for diversity, progress, and change. His work focuses on building out and aligning curricula, implementing structures that drive data-based decision making processes, and implementing enrichment opportunities for educators and students. He remains motivated by the work of his colleagues, and team at CPS, to bring impactful experiences and opportunities to all Chicago neighborhoods and communities.
Panel Moderators
Luc Paquette is an Assistant Professor in Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He leads the Illinois Secondary Teacher Education and Computer Science (I-STECS) initiative to develop endorsement and licensure programs for high school computer science education. His research focuses on the usage of machine learning, data mining and knowledge engineering approaches to analyze and build predictive models of the behavior of students as they interact with digital learning environments such as MOOCs, intelligent tutoring systems and educational games. He is interested in studying how those behaviors are related to learning outcomes and how predictive models of those behaviors can be used to better support the students’ learning experience.
Kandace Turner, Assistant Director for Economic Development, assists in the overall operation of the Office of the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation (VPEDI), which includes strategic planning, human resources, fiscal and administrative functions, while also directing activities that drive economic development and enhance connections among Illinois-based corporate, government, community and university stakeholders. Kandace also assists with managing and growing the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) with a focus on education and workforce development.
Prior to joining the Office of the President of the University of Illinois System and later VPEDI, Kandace managed advanced data projects at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Kandace earned a B.S. in Organizational Leadership from Millikin University. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in information management from the iSchool at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Prior to joining the Office of the President of the University of Illinois System and later VPEDI, Kandace managed advanced data projects at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Kandace earned a B.S. in Organizational Leadership from Millikin University. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in information management from the iSchool at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Jerry B. Weinberg is Associate Provost for Research, Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of the Computer Science at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He holds a B.S. in nursing from Indiana State University, a B.S. in computer science from the University of South Carolina, and a Ph.D. in computer science from Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining the Graduate School in 2010, he was Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Graduate Program Director of Computer Science.
Dr. Weinberg served on the 2017 Illinois Task Force on Computer Science Education. He has also served as President of the Illinois Association of Graduate Schools and currently serves as the Chair of the Council of Graduate Schools Masters Advisory Committee. He conducts research in Mobile Robotics, Human-Computer Interaction, and STEM K-20 Education. Dr. Weinberg has served as PI or Co-Pi on over 20 grants including nine National Science Foundation grants totaling over $2.5 million.
Dr. Weinberg served on the 2017 Illinois Task Force on Computer Science Education. He has also served as President of the Illinois Association of Graduate Schools and currently serves as the Chair of the Council of Graduate Schools Masters Advisory Committee. He conducts research in Mobile Robotics, Human-Computer Interaction, and STEM K-20 Education. Dr. Weinberg has served as PI or Co-Pi on over 20 grants including nine National Science Foundation grants totaling over $2.5 million.