Emma McDonald selected as the 2024 CRA-E Graduate Fellow

Emma McDonald, PhD student with the Department of Computing Science, whose research goal is focused on increasing students’ success in CS by addressing both pedagogical and social factors. Photo supplied.

Emma McDonald, a PhD student supervised by Carrie Demmans Epp, is selected as the 2024 CRA-E Graduate Fellow. 

Emma is selected for her commitment to undergraduate education and her dedication to mentoring students in research, which is evident in her past work as a sessional instructor, a teaching assistant, a MOOC developer, and a junior researcher supervisor. Currently, she works as the local coordinator at the University of Alberta for the CRA’s UR2PhD program, which focuses on "increasing the number of undergraduate research opportunities and closing the gap between a first research experience and a successful PhD application."

From the CRA-E website, the "CRA-E Graduate Fellow program provides opportunities for Ph.D. candidates in a computing field to contribute to the Computing Research Association’s Education Committee (CRA-E) projects, network with computer science education advocates on the committee, and engage in advocacy for undergraduate research education."

The Computing Research Association’s Education Committee (CRA-E)'s mission is to address society's need for a continuous supply of talented and well-educated computing researchers. This mission is carried out by offering resources and professional development, recognizing the research efforts of undergraduate students and the mentoring accomplishments of faculty, and leading activities that encourage pursuing graduate studies and research careers.

Read the full story on the CRA news website here!