A Durham native, Dr. Nicki Washington currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at Winthrop University. She previously spent nine years at Howard University as the first Black female faculty member in the Department of Computer Science. She is also the author of Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women and Girls on Surviving and Thriving in the Tech Field, Stay Prepped: 10 Steps to Succeeding in College (and Having a Ball Doing It), and Prepped for Success: What Every Parent Should Know About the College Application Process.Her research on identity and culturally relevant pedagogy and curriculum to increase the participation and retention of underrepresented students in computer science includes partnerships with the Howard University Middle School of Math and Science, Google, Exploring Computer Science, and Washington, DC Public Schools that introduced computer science courses and teacher professional development across Washington, DC high schools. She also led the creation and implementation of the first Google-in-Residence program at Howard University in 2013. She was a lead writer for the K-12 CS Framework (led by Code.org) and South Carolina K-12 Computer Science and Digital Literacy Standards. Dr. Washington’s efforts in K-12 CS education have directly impacted approximately 10 million K-12 students and thousands of educators in over 20 states and Washington, DC, and they will continue to impact more as additional state and district leaders nationwide leverage the CS Framework to create state-based K-12 CS standards, curriculum, and teacher professional development. Most recently featured in Essence Magazine’s “15 Black Women Disrupting the Tech Industry,” Dr. Washington is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in computing+tech. She has also been a guest writer and speaker for organizations such as USA Today College, The Root/VerySmartBrothas, Code.org, blackcomputeHER, Grace Hopper Celebration, The Association for Computing Machinery's Council on Women in Computing, Advancing the Careers of Technical Women (ACT-W), NC A&T State University, University of Virginia, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, University of California-Irvine, Bennett College for Women, Google, The DC STEM Summit, the National Coalition for Women in Information Technology, and the National Society of Black Engineers. Dr. Washington has also served as program and scholarship co-chairs of national conferences such as the Conference on Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT) and Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing. She is an experienced technical writer/editor, with over 15 years of consulting experience ranging from small to large enterprises.Dr. Washington received her BS degree from Johnson C. Smith University in 2000 and the MS and PhD degrees from NC State University (in 2002 and 2005 respectfully), where she became the first African-American female to earn a Ph.D. at NC State.