Emma Benser

Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Primary Academic Program: Computer Science

Emma Benser is an assistant professor of computer science at Bard College. Her research focuses on improving computer science education in prisons, work that began as an undergraduate computer science student at Siena College. This was the subject of her dissertation at the University of California, San Diego, where she completed her Ph.D. in computer science and engineering, advised by Leo Porter, Bill Griswold, and Gerald Soosai Raj in the Computing Education lab. Benser's research has involved teaching computer science courses in college-in-prison programs and conducting research on the effectiveness of strategies used to adapt to the limitations and affordances of the prison environment. A large part of her research is focused on understanding incarcerated students’ experiences in computer science courses, and learning how to help them succeed. She specializes in qualitative research methods and grounds her work in asset-based frameworks of education for diverse learners (i.e., Culturally Relevant Education, computing in context, and andragogy).

Contact:

Website: https://emmahogan.github.io
Email:
Department: Sciences
Office: Reem-Kayden Center, 202