Belén Edgar

I am a fourth-year Computer Science major at Northwestern University, with minors in English and Classical Studies. I plan to continue on to grad school in Fall 2026, for a PhD focusing on computer science education. I am interested in exploring how we can create and support culturally responsive pedagogy in computer science education, and how technology can be leveraged to create more inclusive and accessible educational practices.

I am currently a research assistant at the Center for Learning, Computing, & Imagination(LCI) at the University of Washington advised by Amy Ko, looking at the negative emotional impacts students face in computing environments and exploring how help-seeking practices can be improved in computing with PhD student Eman Sherif.

I am also part of the Tangible Interaction Design & Learning Laboratory(TIDAL) at Northwestern University under Mike Horn, working for post-doc Nick LaGrassa. This research is focused on constructing educational opportunities for youth to learn about computer science via creative and nonconventional avenues. The current curriculum focuses on the intersection of music and computer science using TunePad, a platform that allows users to create music with Python.