NCWIT Awards 109 Educators for Promoting Equity in Computing

NCWIT proudly announces the 2023 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award recipients, honoring 109 educators from 43 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Canada.

Each year, U.S. educators (formal or informal), counselors, administrators, mentors, or other influencers who support the computing-related passions of 9 through 12 grade students are eligible to receive recognition for their efforts to promote gender equity in computing. This year, the awards include three National Educator Award Winners, 64 Affiliate Award Winners, and 42 Affiliate Award Honorable Mentions selected from more than 130 amazing, talented applicants.

View a complete list of the 2023 Regional Award recipients here. View a complete list of the 2023 Honorable Mentions here.

Congratulate this year's educators with the resources in the AiC Educator Award Publicity Toolkit.

The entire NCWIT AiC program platform is supported generously by Apple. AiC also receives support for specific national program elements. The AiC Educator Award is sponsored by AT&T.

National Educator Award Winners

The National NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Educator Award elevates several educators whose work exemplifies the best of the AiC Educator Award. The Award identifies outstanding formal and informal educators who play a pivotal role in encouraging 9th-12th grade students who are women, genderqueer, or non-binary students to explore their interest in computing and technology. The award also recognizes these educators for their efforts to promote gender equity in computing.

In its sixth year running, NCWIT is pleased to announce the 2023 National NCWIT AiC Educator Award recipients:

Adam Riazi of Cabell Midland High School in Ona, WV;
Anne Laughlin-Fuller of of Dublin Jerome High School in Dublin, OH;
Khamphet "Phet" Pease of of Wilson Middle School in San Diego, CA

Read their full commendations below.

Adam Riazi

Adam S. Riazi is a National Board Certified Teacher of Mathematics and Computer Science at Cabell Midland High School in wild, wonderful West Virginia. He was named as a Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teacher Noyce Fellow, where he develops, promotes, and leverages mathematics teacher leadership across West Virginia. He was also honored as Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Education national winner, a Computer Science Teachers Association national educator award recipient, and a multiple time National Center for Women & Information Technology and AP Computer Science Female Diversity award winner. Adam instills in his students that learning is a collaborative endeavor, and that a high-quality STEAM education is one of the civil rights issues of our time. Through his classes, Adam’s students mapped the Milky Way Galaxy using radio telescopes at Green Bank Observatory, performed research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, won awards in the Congressional App Challenge, and planned and hosted community Hour of Code events in their school, district, and state.

Adam proclaims, “There is no such thing as teaching in the absence of learning. When my students learn, I have succeeded in becoming a teacher. Plain and simple. I aim to inspire my students to see the world as larger than themselves, yet not so large that they cannot change it.”

Adam earned a Bachelor’s Degree in mathematics, a post-baccalaureate certificate in secondary mathematics education, and a Master’s Degree in leadership studies, all from Marshall University where he was a member of The Society of Yeager Scholars. Adam S. Riazi is an unworthy husband and charmed father, an assimilated Appalachian and y’all utterer. A frustrated musician and a disc golfer. A random collector, eyeglass obsessor, evidence seeker and magic bean buyer. A backroad driver and habitual shoegazer, unfortunate optimist and hopeless dilettante. An indiscriminate aficionado, a general enthusiast. And a believer in that which is yet to come.

Anne Laughlin-Fuller

Anne Laughlin-Fuller is a CS Educator at Dublin Jerome High School in Dublin, Ohio. She teaches AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. During her time at Dublin City Schools, Anne has served as FIRST Robotics and FIRST Lego League advisor. She is the main advisor for our district Dublin Tech Club and assists students in producing our educational outreach curriculum for our Pre -K through middle school camps. With her students, Anne has developed the Coding for Community Authentic Service Learning Replication Model with other organizations, teachers, and school districts throughout Ohio and the US.

Anne has several degrees in the areas of Biology and Computer Science. They include a BS in Biology from Denison University, BS in Computer Science from Franklin University, an M.ED in Instructional Technology from Ohio University, and an MSCS in Computer Science from Franklin University. As a child from Appalachia, Anne’s goal as an educator is to encourage her students to reach for the stars and make sure that they have access to a curriculum that is equitable, culturally, and historically responsive to the needs of her students. She is very proactive in making sure all students have access to a computer science education, regardless of their gender, race, and ability level. CS is for ALL students. Anne encourages her students to work on the legacy that they leave upon graduation. We never know how the ripples that we leave can affect others.

Khamphet Pease

Khamphet "Phet" Pease teaches STEAM electives (Project Lead the Way’s Gateway to technology including modules such as 3D Design and Modeling, Automation and Robotics, and Computer Science for Makers and Innovators) at Wilson Middle School and has advised the Wilson Robotics Team since 2012 -- "Go Tigerbots!" where the students compete in First LEGO League (FLL) and Botball autonomous competitions.

Once a student at Wilson Middle School herself, Phet has a strong desire to empower students from all walks of life to pursue careers in science and technology. Phet has a particular interest in bolstering technology careers for young women, which led to her creating independent boys and girls robotics teams at Wilson from 2013-2015 and starting a Girls Who Code program at Wilson in 2017. She also founded the Society of Women Engineers (SWEnext club) at her school. From 2015-2016, she mentored 16 female students from across San Diego County to build, engineer, and program a microlab experiment deployed to the International Space Station to test zero gravity.

Phet graduated from UCSD with a B.S. in Biology and received her Masters in Education from the University of San Diego. She participated as a Noyce Master Teaching Fellow in Mathematics at San Diego State University from 2013-2018 and was voted San Diego County Teacher of the Year in 2015. She has numerous other accolades including the 2020 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), 2021 San Diego County Engineering Council's Outstanding K-12 Engineering Educator, 2022 SD2 STEM Educator, and 2022 CSTA CS Teaching Excellence Award. She and her students were featured on the second season of CBS's "Mission Unstoppable with Miranda Cosgrove" in partnership with Infosys Foundation USA. Phet participates in the STEM Advisory Committee for the San Diego Rotary and serves as a Rotary advisor to promote STEM education in the Hoover cluster of the San Diego City School district. Khamphet lives in San Diego with her husband (Jeff), son (Charlie) and two dogs (Panko and Bok Choy).

2023 Regional Affiliate Educator Award Recipients

Don Allen, Troy High School; Fullerton, CA
Bobbie Bastian, Bollman Technical Education Center; Thornton, CO
Andrea Cascia, El Camino High School; Oceanside, CA
Michael Claudio, Olympian High School; Chula Vista, CA
Jazmin Collins, New Mexico State University; Las Cruces, NM
Paul Daniel, Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School; Montgomery, AL
Vennie Della Cioppa, Timpanogos High School; Orem, UT
Bobbie Deuter, Warner High School; Warner, SD
Melody Dumas, Legacy High School; Midland, TX
Creighton Edington, Rural Education Advancement Program (REAP); Peralta, NM
Said El-Mejdani, Westwood Community High School; Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Mark Emry, McNeil High School; Austin, TX
Christine Faye, Sierra Vista High School; Las Vegas, NV
Brigham French, Fishers High School; Fishers, IN
Amanda Glunz, Audubon High School; West Allis, WI
Deborah Gray, Alabama School of Math and Science; Spanish Fort, AL
Laura Gray, Gwinnett County Public Schools; Athens, GA
Lisa Hauser, School for Advanced Studies - North; Miami, FL
Rebecca Hoffart, Peter Gruber International Academy; St. Thomas, VI
Kimberly Ingraham, Gretna High School; Omaha, NE
Robin Jones, Richland Two Institute Of Innovation (R2i2); Columbia, SC
Susan Jones, Midway High School; Waco, TX
Laura Juarez, CT STEM Academy; Wallingford, CT
Eilene Klaka, Eastlake High School; Redmond, WA
Keethan Kleiner, North Carolina School Of Science And Mathematics; Hillsborough, NC
Yolanda Kol, Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy; Wilmington, CA
Rebekah Lang, Villa Walsh Academy; Morristown, NJ
Ann Larson, Middletown High School; Middletown, RI
Selwyn Lawrence, South Lakes High School; Reston, VA
Jacqueline Lewis, Enterprise High School; Chunky, MS
Rajasree Mitra, Dougherty Valley High School; San Ramon, CA
Joseph Moceri, Troy High School; Troy, MI
Taylor Morton, New Century Tech Demo High School; Huntsville, AL
Cindy Moshman-Southworth, Patchogue-Medford High School; Riverhead, NY
Voke Ogueh, Hastings High School; Fulshear, TX
Hannah Oldham, Sprayberry High School; Atlanta, GA
Neil Plotnick, Everett High School; Winthrop, MA
Laurel Pollard, Lebanon High School; Lebanon, NH
Patrick Rambo Vieira, Southeast Career Technical Academy; Henderson, NV
Theresa Richards, Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh, PA
Jeanine Rioux, Valley View High School; Moreno Valley, CA
Andrew Schuetze, Lutheran High School of San Antonio; San Antonio, TX
Chiara Shah, Emma Willard School; Troy, NY
Brian Shay, Jl Ilsley High School; Fall River, Nova Scotia, Canada
Melanie Shimek, Manitowoc Lincoln High School; Manitowoc, WI
Bryan Silver, Kalani High School; Honolulu, HI
Mary Simms, James Hubert Blake High School; Ellicott City, MD
Dana Singer, Freedom High School; Orlando, FL
Kalyn Smith, Code Differently; Camden Wyoming, DE
Kristina Sorrells, Salem Academy; Winston-Salem, NC
Deepika Srivastava, Redlands Unified School District; Redlands, CA
Janice Loudon Stoner, Loyola Academy; Chicago, IL
Vinitha Subburaj, West Texas A&M; Canyon, TX
Jon Swaine, Bayridge Secondary School; Kingston, Ontario, Canada
David Swift, Atoka High School; Coalgate, OK
Jennifer Teague, Lavaca High School; Lavaca, AR
Leon Tynes, Xavier College Preparatory; Phoenix, AZ
Chinma Uche, Academy of Aerospace and Engineering; Windsor, CT
Bhawna Verma, Paradise Valley High School; Cave Creek, AZ
Mark Vukovic, C-TEC Career And Technology Education Centers of Licking County; Westerville, OH
Sarah Walsh, Visitation Academy of St. Louis; Saint Louis, MO
Eric Walters, Marymount School of New York; New York, NY
Jeff Wilkins, Hendersonville High School; Hendersonvlle, TN
Corey Woodring, Belleville Senior High School; Belleville, NJ
Julie York, South Portland High School; Westbrook, ME

2023 Affiliate Educator Honorable Mentions

Tammy Andrew, The Hotchkiss School; Lakeville, CT
Aundrea Atwood-Starkey, Southern High School; Harwood, MD
Christina Bright, Polaris Career Center; Middleburg Heights, OH
Gabby Brzozowski, Rocky Hill High School; Rocky Hill, CT
Beth Cerrone, Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools; Longmont, CO
Dee Chapman, The Griffin School; Austin, TX
Michele Coultas, Palo Verde High School; Las Vegas, NV
Josiah Davisson, Advanced Technologies Academy; Las Vegas, NV
Myra Deister, Sunny Hills High School; Fullerton, CA
Jane Dinh, Granada Hills Charter High School; Granada Hills, CA
Janice Dwosh, Paradise Valley Unified School District; Phoenix, AZ
Jordan Eldridge, Code Differently; Middletown, DE
Cindy Erickson, Newton Country Day School; Newton, MA
Nikerson Frederique, Providence Career And Technical Academy; Providence, RI
Lori Fuller, Monarch High School; Coconut Creek, FL
Kimberly Hermans, Woodbridge High School; Newport Beach, CA
Carrie Hil, St. Joseph's Academy; O'Fallon, MO
Kristin Holmes, Commack High School; Commack, NY
Saghar Homayounpour, New Berlin West Middle/High School; Port Washington, WI
Matthew Horner, Randolph High School; Randolph, NJ
Paul Johnson, Del Norte High School; Escondido, CA
Takeshi Kaneko, Henry M. Gunn High School; Palo Alto, CA
Nomie Keusch Baker, Girls Who Code; Forest Hills, NY
Amy MacPherson, Phoenix College Preparatory High School; Laveen, AZ
Lloyd Mann, Shadow Ridge High School; Las Vegas, NV
Joanna Marcotte, Franklin High School; Franklin, NH
Roger Mayo, Advanced Technologies Academy; North Las Vegas, NV
Marysa McCartney, Salina High Central; Salina, KS
Deborah Minassian, Dover Senior High School; North Hampton, NH
Joe Morel, Padua Franciscan High School; Bay Village, OH
Theodore Newfield, Armwood High School; Seffner, FL
Margaret Novack, Foothill High School; Henderson, NV
Cam Ogletree, Madison Central High School; Madison, MS
Roza Shaimurat, LISA Academy; Sherwood, AR
Robert Speciale, West Career & Technical Academy; Las Vegas, NV
Barbara Teterycz, Capital High School; Santa Fe, NM
Joe Thompson, McDonogh School; Owings Mills, MD
Tammy Vaught, Academy for the Arts, Science, and Technology; Galivants Ferry, SC
Todd Vawdrey, West High School; Salt Lake City, UT
Henry Vo, Richardson High School; Richardson, TX
Mary White, Augusta Preparatory Day School; Augusta, GA
Amber Williamson, Atlanta College and Career Academy; Ellenwood, GA
Melissa Wrenchey, Tesla STEM High School; Redmond, WA