The CS4TX Statewide Meeting will be held in Houston on October 19th, bringing together education leaders, teachers, business leaders, policy makers, parents, and CS professionals to address the challenges we face in K-12 CS education, and ensure EVERY child in Texas has access to CS in school. Today, we’re excited to announce some of the speakers and panelists we have confirmed for the event.
Featured Speaker
Jennifer Wang, Ph.D.
Computer Science Education Outreach
Program Manager
Google
Dr. Jennifer Wang is an educator, researcher, and designer with an engineering background who aims to better understand learners and users of technology and to provide access to empowering opportunities. Dr. Wang views learning as a lifelong endeavor that happens anywhere, anytime. She is passionate about exposing the public to the power of STEM and strongly believe that everyone should learn to program.
Panelists
Ruthe A. Farmer
Senior Policy Advisor for Tech Inclusion at the White House
Office of Science & Technology Policy
Executive Office of the President
Ruthe Farmer has focused her efforts on diversity and inclusion in technology and engineering since 2001. She currently serves as Senior Policy Advisor for Tech Inclusion at the White House OSTP focusing on President Obama’s call to action for Computer Science for All and other tech related initiatives. Over the course of her career, Ms. Farmer has successfully launched and scaled up multiple national programs including the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, TECHNOLOchicas campaign for Latinas, AspireIT outreach program, Intel Design & Discovery, Lego Robotics for Girl Scouts and more. She served as the 2012 Chair of Computer Science Education Week, 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 Education UK Alumni Award for Social Impact in 2015.
Katie Hendrickson, Ph.D.
Advocacy and Policy Manager
Code.org
Katie works on state policy and advocacy issues for Code.org, including state implementation of computer science education initiatives. She earned a doctorate in mathematics education in 2016 from Ohio University, and is a former secondary mathematics teacher.
Hal Speed
CS4TX Founder
Code.org Facilitator
Hal Speed leads organizations through uncharted territory to bring new innovative technologies to market and grow new businesses. As an entrepreneurial change agent, Hal uses his expertise in strategic marketing and systems thinking to propel organizations toward the future.
Richard Tapia, Ph.D.
Director, Richard Tapia Center for Excellence & Equity
Rice University
Dr. Tapia is a mathematician and professor in the Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He is internationally known for his research in the computational and mathematical sciences and is a national leader in education and outreach programs. Tapia currently serves as University Professor; Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering; and Director of the Center for Excellence and Equity in Education at Rice University. In 2011, Tapia received the National Medal of Science from President Barack Obama.
Details
- Date/Time: October 19, 2016, 5:30 – 9:00 p.m.
- Location: Embassy Suites Houston Downtown, Discovery Ballroom, 1515 Dallas Street, Houston, Texas, 77010
- Registration Deadline: October 11, 2016
- Cost: Free!
More information / Registration
Downloadable Flyer
![Flier: CS4TX Statewide Meeting - October 19 - Houston, TX](https://sites.utexas.edu/weteachcs/files/2016/10/CS4TX-Oct19-Flyer-150.png)
![The Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance](https://sites.utexas.edu/weteachcs/files/2016/10/ECEP-cropped-150.png)