Shaundra Daily facts for kids

Shaundra Bryant Daily, born on May 29, 1979, is an American professor and author. She is well-known for her work in human-centered computing. This field focuses on how people interact with computers. She also helps more students get involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Dr. Daily is a professor at Duke University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science.

Her Journey: Early Life and Education

From a young age, Shaundra loved math and science. She also enjoyed dancing and gymnastics. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Florida State University in 2001. Later, she received her Master of Science degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 2003.

She continued her studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab. There, she earned another Master's degree in 2005. She completed her Ph.D. in 2010. At MIT, she explored how computers can understand human emotions. She also studied new ways to learn.

Making a Difference: Shaundra Daily's Career

After finishing her studies at MIT, Dr. Daily became an assistant professor. She joined Clemson University's School of Computing. Her work was in the Human-Centered Computing Division. She later became an associate professor. She also helped lead the division as a co-chair.

Exploring Student Feelings in Class

In 2012, Dr. Daily worked on a project. It aimed to understand student engagement in classrooms. This project used special bracelets to gather information about how students were feeling. It was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Some people raised questions about student privacy. They wanted to make sure student information was used carefully.

Dancing into Computer Science

At Clemson, Dr. Daily found a creative way to teach computer programming. She used dance! Students learned to code by choreographing dances. They used a simple block programming system in a virtual world. This research aimed to encourage more girls to get into computer science and engineering. It helped close the gap between genders in these fields.

Leading the Way for Fairness in Education

In 2015, she became an associate professor at the University of Florida. Later, she moved to Duke University. At Duke, she is an associate professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering. She also leads the Duke Technology Scholars Program. Dr. Daily is a QuadEx lead Faculty Fellow. She represents faculty on the Pratt School of Engineering's committee for diversity and fairness. She continues her important work to make education fair for everyone.

Dr. Daily's achievements have been shared in many ways. Her work has appeared in articles, web series, and podcasts. News outlets highlighted her unique method of teaching coding through dance. The Washington Post also featured her. They discussed her research on privacy when using technology to understand emotions in classrooms. She even appeared on a PBS web series. It was called The Secret Life Of Scientists And Engineers. She was featured with famous scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Awards and Recognitions

• 2023: Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award. This was from the Association for Computing Machinery. She shared this honor with A. Nicki Washington.
• 2022: Recognized as a Black STEM Leader by Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina.
• 2020: Undergraduate Mentor of the Year at Duke University.
• 2015: Early Career Research Award. This was from the American Education Research Association.
• 2015: Extraordinary Educator Award from Delta Alpha Pi. This recognized her great work helping students with disabilities.
• 2013: Most Promising Technologist Epsilon Award from BDPA.
• 2013: Named an Emerging Scholar by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.