Alicia Nicki Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alicia Nicki Washington
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|---|---|
| Education | Johnson C. Smith University (BS) North Carolina State University (MS, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer Science |
| Institutions | Duke University |
| Doctoral advisor | Harry Perros |
Alicia Nicki Washington is an American computer scientist, author, and professor at Duke University. She wrote the book Unapologetically Dope. Dr. Washington made history as the first Black woman to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Computer Science from North Carolina State University in 2005.
Contents
Discovering Computer Science
Alicia Nicki Washington grew up in Durham, North Carolina. Her mother was a programmer at IBM. This meant Dr. Washington learned how to code from a young age.
She found a lot of different people in her Girl Scout troop. This helped her connect with others outside of school. It showed her the importance of community.
Dr. Washington faced some unfair comments during her school years. She learned to overcome these challenges. These experiences helped her become a strong advocate for fairness.
Education Journey
Dr. Washington went to Johnson C. Smith University. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics in 2000.
Later, she studied at North Carolina State University. She received her Master of Science degree in 2002. In 2005, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Computer Science. She was the first Black woman to achieve a Computer Science PhD from that university. This was a very important accomplishment!
A Career in Computer Science
Teaching and Innovation
In 2006, Dr. Washington became an assistant professor. She taught Computer Science at Howard University. She was the first Black woman to be a Computer Science faculty member there.
At Howard, she helped create a special program. It was called "Google In Residence." This program helped students learn from Google experts.
In 2015, she moved to Winthrop University. There, she became an associate professor of Computer Science.
Leading at Duke University
Dr. Washington joined Duke University in June 2020. She became a professor of Computer Science.
During her first year at Duke, she started a new course. It was called "Race, Gender, Class, and Computing." This course helps students understand how computing affects everyone.
She also helped create the Cultural Competence in Computing (3C) Fellows Program. She worked with Dr. Shaundra Daily and Cecilé Sadler. This program helps make computing more welcoming for all.
In 2021, Dr. Washington and Dr. Daily received a big award. They got a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation. This money helped them start the Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education (AIICE) at Duke. AIICE works to make computer science education open to all identities.
In 2025, Dr. Washington was recognized as an ACM Distinguished Member. This is a high honor for computer professionals.
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