Dr. Nicki Washington is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at Winthrop University and author of Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women and Girls on Surviving and Thriving in the Tech Field. She previously spent nine years at Howard University as the first Black female faculty member in the Department of Computer Science. 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 organizations such as Google, Exploring Computer Science, Code.org, Washington, DC Public Schools, and the South Carolina Board of Education to create K-12 local, state, and national computer science standards and programs. She has also been a featured writer, speaker, and interviewee for USA Today College, The Root/VerySmartBrothas, The Atlantic, Code.org, Bennett College for Women, Google, The DC STEM Summit, the National Coalition for Women in Information Technology, and the National Society of Black Engineers. She received her B.S. in computer science from Johnson C. Smith University (2000) and M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science from North Carolina State University (2002, 2005), becoming the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from the university. She is a native of Durham, NC.
