I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina Asheville. As an educator, I develop and teach courses in human-computer interaction, web design / development, introductory programming, and computing / data ethics. As a researcher, I design and study educational interventions that aim to broaden participation in computing, and help emerging computer scientists recognize and engage with the societal and ethical implications of their work. I also build computational tools that support civic advocacy and citizen science initiatives.

Prior to joining UNCA, I was an Assistant Professor of Instruction at Northwestern University, where I co-directed the TREE Lab with Sepehr Vakil. My Ph.D. is from the UC Berkeley School of Information, where I was advised by Tapan Parikh, and worked with Kris Gutiérrez, Paul Duguid, and Coye Cheshire. Before academia, I worked as a software designer/developer, building data and communication systems to support public accountability for city and regional development projects.

Teaching & Course Design

Scholarship

Contact

To contact me, please email me at svanwart@unca.edu.