Breakthrough Tech Chicago: Teaching & Coaching
Through my work with Breakthrough Tech Chicago, I have supported efforts to broaden participation in computer science as a coach and course co-instructor.
Teaching & Coaching
As a co-instructor, I supported students’ engagement with computing concepts and activities. As a coach, I provided guidance and encouragement as students navigated their learning experiences.
This work connects with my broader research interests in belonging, interest development, and the social supports that help students participate in computing.
My research goal is to design, build, and evaluate technology-facilitated learning environments. My work brings together learning sciences, human–computer interaction, computing education, and social robotics.
I completed my Ph.D. in Learning Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago in May 2026, advised by Dr. Joseph E. Michaelis. I also hold a master’s degree in Computer and Information Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Lahore University of Management Sciences.
My dissertation, “Broadening Participation of Girls in Computing: An Integrated Approach to Supporting Interest in CS,” examined how technological and social scaffolds support girls’ interest in computing. Through the MyTurn project, I designed a web-based pre-coding tool and studied its use alongside peer collaboration and mentorship during social robotics activities.
My broader research includes in-home robot learning companions and teacher-facing tools for designing robot-assisted learning experiences. I use iterative design and mixed methods to understand learners’ experiences and inform technology design.
My future research vision builds on my previous work to investigate the design of AI-enabled technologies that can adapt to learners’ evolving needs and complement social scaffolds embedded within authentic learning contexts to support learning and interest.
AI-generated illustration representing my research.