Andrea Lawrence (professor) facts for kids

Andrea Lawrence (born October 6, 1946) is an American computer scientist and educator. She teaches computer science at Spelman College.

Andrea Lawrence's Early Life and Education

Andrea Lawrence was born in Asheville, North Carolina. She finished high school at Allen High School in 1964.

She first went to Spelman College. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Purdue University in 1970.

In 1985, she received a master's degree in computer science from Atlanta University. Then, in 1993, she made history. She became the first African-American person to earn a Ph.D. (a very high degree) in computer science from Georgia Tech.

Andrea Lawrence's Career in Computer Science

Before getting her advanced degrees, Andrea Lawrence taught math. She worked in Cincinnati Public Schools from 1979 to 1983.

Since 1985, Dr. Lawrence has been a professor at Spelman College. She teaches many computer science classes. These include the theory of programming languages and how people interact with computers.

Inspiring Others in Computer Science

In 2018, a scientist named Juan E. Gilbert shared a story. He said Andrea Lawrence was why he finished his own Ph.D. Dr. Gilbert was working on a program funded by the National Science Foundation.

He explained that Dr. Lawrence, who was then the head of the computer science department at Spelman College, helped him. She introduced him to other Black computer science students who were also getting their doctorates. This motivated him greatly.

Awards and Recognition

In 2014, Andrea Lawrence received a special award. It was the SIGCSE award for Lifetime Service. This award honors people who have spent many years helping the computer science education community. It recognizes their hard work and dedication.