Jandelyn Plane: Increasing Computer Science's Appeal in Maryland

Senior Lecturer Jandelyn Plane has certainly stayed busy this summer. In addition to leading the Computer Science Connect camp, directing the Maryland Center for Women in Computing, and serving as Associate Director for the ACES Honors Program, Dr. Plane has been working as Co-Principal Investigator for CS Matters in Maryland, an NSF-funded joint project between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the University of Maryland, College Park.

CS Matters in Maryland's focus has been on “...developing course materials, creating training materials, and increasing the expertise of high school computer science teachers in Maryland.” The project's website features an in-development curriculum that spans over 40 lessons in computer science, from units on how technology impacts life to discussions of cybersecurity and cryptography. The ultimate goal of the project is to increase Maryland students' interest “...in studying and pursuing careers in computer science.” Dr. Plane and CS Matters' work was featured on the front page of the Daily Record last Wednesday, available by subscription here. The project is funded through the NSF's CE21 program, dedicated to “Computing Education for the 21st century.”

In addition to working on CS Matters in Maryland, Dr. Plane is also the Principal Investigator on the MSP2 Minority Student Pipeline Math Science Partnership. MSP2 is an NSF-funded project that, Dr. Plane writes, “...will do additional training specifically for teachers from Prince George's County.” The project is funded by the NSF's STEM + Computing Partnerships (STEM+C) program.

The effects of Dr. Plane's tireless work transcend the University of Maryland, helping to make Computer Science education around the world more effective. The Department congratulates her for the latest of many incredible accomplishments!