Cynthia Bailey Lee

Cynthia Bailey is a smart computer science expert. She teaches at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. She loves to study how to teach computer science better. She also works to make sure everyone feels welcome in the world of technology. This includes women and people from different backgrounds.

Learning and Working in Tech

Early Studies and Internships

Cynthia Bailey earned her first degree in Computer Science in 2001. She then got her master's degree in 2004. Both were from the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego). She continued her studies there, focusing on how supercomputers work. She learned how to handle huge amounts of data. In 2009, she earned her PhD. Her research looked at how to make supercomputers run more efficiently.

Before college, Cynthia spent her summers from 1996 to 1998 at NASA Ames. This is a famous research center. She also worked at a company called Mohomine from 1999 to 2002. This company helped manage documents and search for information.

Teaching Computer Science

In 2012, Cynthia Bailey and Beth Simon started a helpful website. It is called Peer Instruction for Computer Science. This site helps computer science teachers. It gives them ideas on how to use "Flipped classroom" methods. In a flipped classroom, students learn new material at home. Then, they practice and work on problems in class.

At Stanford University, Cynthia has taught many computer science classes. These include courses on how computers are built. She also taught about programming and math for computing. In 2018, she started a new course. It was called "Race and Gender in Silicon Valley." This class explored how different people fit into the tech world.

Making Tech Welcoming for Everyone

Advocating for Inclusion

Cynthia Bailey is a strong voice for women and minorities in technology. She believes everyone should have a chance to succeed in tech. She has written guides for other teachers at Stanford. These guides help them create a more welcoming classroom. For example, she suggests using words that include everyone. She also encourages teachers to give extra support to women and minorities. Cynthia also promotes talks about beliefs, good behavior, and tech culture.

Inspiring Others

Cynthia has given talks to inspire students. She encourages them to think about others' needs. She once spoke at a Stanford event for students. She used the story of Esther as an example. Esther was a person who stood up for those with less power. Cynthia also led a special workshop. It taught coding skills to young women and girls.

Awards and Recognition

Cynthia Bailey has received several important awards for her work:

• Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award (2019) from Stanford University.
• Best Paper Award (2016) from ACM SIGCSE. This is a big award in computer science education.
• Professor of the Year (2015) from the Stanford Society of Women Engineers.