{"id":16,"date":"2025-10-23T18:42:38","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T18:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2025-11-11T18:26:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T18:26:03","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/?page_id=16","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1257c590 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:5.51rem;padding-right:1rem;padding-bottom:3rem;padding-left:1rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:1rem\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(1.556rem, 1.556rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.916), 2.61rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.5\">Project Team<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1cf432e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:1.01rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-85231905 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-column-is-layout-412b4476 wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:2rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-668d2085 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"545\" height=\"544\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cropped_circle_image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-74\" style=\"width:290px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cropped_circle_image.png 545w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cropped_circle_image-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cropped_circle_image-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 545px) 100vw, 545px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(1.044rem, 1.044rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.029), 1.61rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.4;text-transform:none\">Dr. Julie M. Smith<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.227), 1rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1;text-transform:none\">PI<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4f9f0532 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#252525;margin-top:0rem;font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.064), 0.91rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\">Dr. Smith is a Senior Education Researcher at the Institute for Advancing Computing Education. She holds degrees in Software Development, Curriculum &amp; Instruction, and Learning Technologies. Her research focus is computer science education and AI education, particularly the intersection of learning analytics, learning theory, and expanding CS education opportunities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-column-is-layout-a3af4fe5 wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:2rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-668d2085 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"254\" height=\"254\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dr.-Monica-McGill-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-73\" style=\"width:290px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dr.-Monica-McGill-1.png 254w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dr.-Monica-McGill-1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(1.044rem, 1.044rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.029), 1.61rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.4;text-transform:none\">Dr. Monica M. McGill<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.227), 1rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1;text-transform:none\">Co-PI<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4f9f0532 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#252525;margin-top:0rem;font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.064), 0.91rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\">Dr. McGill is the founder and CEO of the Institute for Advancing Computing Education. She earned her B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics, M.S. in Computer Science, and Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. She has authored\/co-authored over 70 articles related to computing education and is currently working as a primary investigator on several National Science Foundation (NSF) grants exploring CS education in the US.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1257c590 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:5.51rem;padding-right:1rem;padding-bottom:3rem;padding-left:1rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:1rem\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(1.556rem, 1.556rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.916), 2.61rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.5\">Advisory Board<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1cf432e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:1.01rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-85231905 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-column-is-layout-412b4476 wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:2rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-668d2085 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/QB_Pic-modified.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-102\" style=\"width:290px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/QB_Pic-modified.png 400w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/QB_Pic-modified-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/QB_Pic-modified-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(1.044rem, 1.044rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.029), 1.61rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.4;text-transform:none\">Quiana Bannerman<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-adeb4faa2dc1f53849ab2c5462fd1093\" style=\"color:#07277c\">Director, Maryland Center for Computing Education at the University System of Maryland<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4f9f0532 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#252525;margin-top:0rem;font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.064), 0.91rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\">Quiana Bannerman currently serves as the Director of the Maryland Center for Computing Education (MCCE) at the University System of Maryland, where she leads statewide efforts to provide free professional learning, training, resources, and grant opportunities to school districts and higher education preservice programs. With 20 years of experience in education, Quiana has taught at both the K\u201312 and post-secondary levels. She previously held leadership roles within a school district, overseeing multiple Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways and elective programs. She played a key role in implementing computer science education across PreK\u201312, organizing training and support to equip local educators to teach courses in information technology and computer science. Quiana is an experienced curriculum developer and actively contributes to local, state, and national committees focused on advancing computer science education. Her expertise includes writing and reviewing computer science standards, ensuring high-quality and equitable learning experiences for all students.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-column-is-layout-412b4476 wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:2rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-668d2085 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"779\" height=\"779\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Hoffman_Wren-modified.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-103\" style=\"width:290px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Hoffman_Wren-modified.png 779w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Hoffman_Wren-modified-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Hoffman_Wren-modified-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Hoffman_Wren-modified-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 779px) 100vw, 779px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(1.044rem, 1.044rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.029), 1.61rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.4;text-transform:none\">Wren Hoffman (she\/her)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a30fd3e3094cd336115ffde3e3289c6f\" style=\"color:#07277c\">Mynd Shyft, Owner\/Founder<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4f9f0532 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#252525;margin-top:0rem;font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.064), 0.91rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\">Wren is an educator with experience in teaching, coaching, professional development, leading, and program management. She brings more than 20 years in education to her work, with 13 of them teaching high school computer science. Wren previously served as the Computer Science State Lead at the Iowa Department of Education, ran the SCRIPT program at CSforALL, and led professional learning at aiEDU. She is the owner\/founder of Mynd Shyft, an AI and emerging technology consulting and education company. Wren is a life-long learner with degrees in business and computer science, secondary education, educational technology, and education administration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-column-is-layout-a3af4fe5 wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:2rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-668d2085 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1315\" height=\"1315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_0893-1-modified.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104\" style=\"width:290px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_0893-1-modified.png 1315w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_0893-1-modified-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_0893-1-modified-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_0893-1-modified-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_0893-1-modified-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1315px) 100vw, 1315px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(1.044rem, 1.044rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.029), 1.61rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.4;text-transform:none\">Blaine Pedersen, Ph.D.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e5378152333e62def11abb45f6fbcdce\" style=\"color:#07277c\">Psychometrician<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4f9f0532 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#252525;margin-top:0rem;font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.064), 0.91rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\">Blaine is a professional psychometrician. His research interests include test score linking and equating, growth modeling, multi-level modeling, and computer-adaptive testing. Blaine received\u00a0his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Research, Measurement, and Statistics from Texas A&amp;M University.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-column-is-layout-a3af4fe5 wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:2rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-668d2085 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"348\" height=\"348\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/leo-porter-about-modified.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-105\" style=\"width:290px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/leo-porter-about-modified.png 348w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/leo-porter-about-modified-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/leo-porter-about-modified-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 348px) 100vw, 348px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-prata-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#07277c;font-size:clamp(1.044rem, 1.044rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.029), 1.61rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.4;text-transform:none\">Leo Porter<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f77c927300ea4bfb965eb6c01cbfcf55\" style=\"color:#07277c\">professor, UC San Diego<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4f9f0532 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#252525;margin-top:0rem;font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.064), 0.91rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\">Dr. Leo Porter is a Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at UC San Diego. He is best known for his research on the impact of Peer Instruction in computing courses, the development of the Basic Data Structures Concept Inventory, and integrating GenAI into the CS curriculum. He co-wrote the first book on integrating LLMs into the instruction of programming with Daniel Zingaro. He has received eight Best Paper Awards, an ICER Lasting Impact Award, the SIGCSE 50th Anniversary Top Ten Symposium Papers of All Time Award, and the Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award at UC San Diego. He previously served as Secretary of the SIGCSE Board and as Program Chair for ICER. He currently co-Directs the GenAI in CS Education Consortium, aimed at helping faculty and institutions integrate GenAI into the CS Curriculum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Project Team Dr. Julie M. Smith PI Dr. Smith is a Senior Education Researcher at the Institute for Advancing Computing Education. She holds degrees in Software Development, Curriculum &amp; Instruction, and Learning Technologies. Her research focus is computer science education and AI education, particularly the intersection of learning analytics, learning theory, and expanding CS education [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-16","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106,"href":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16\/revisions\/106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aipairprogramming.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}