“I saw firsthand how legislation is drafted and passed and how policy is formulated while gaining great connections with government officials. Overall, this fellowship was priceless.”

Summer Responsibilities: During her summer, Denise researched computer science education in Virginia and laboratory schools. She mapped interest in laboratory schools among the state’s higher education institutions and provided documentation to support proposed new facilities. She additionally prepared office and policy-related documentation for the secretariat.

Background: Denise’s research looks at potential issues associated with virtual learning and experimentally tests the possibility of using technology-generated course content. Her findings research will be published at the 24th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction conference proceedings. Denise was a High-School Coding Competition instructor for the New Jersey Chapter of the Black Data Processing Associates, where she taught and mentored high school students for the national competition.