Kendra Walther

Biography

Kendra Walther serves as Director of the Technology and Applied Computing (TAC) Program at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, where she is also an Associate Professor of Practice. Since joining USC in 2014, she has provided academic and strategic leadership for TAC, working collaboratively with faculty and staff to support high-quality computing education for a diverse student community, many of whom major outside of engineering. She previously served as Associate Director beginning in 2021. Dr. Walther holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Harvey Mudd College, a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an EdD in Educational Leadership from the USC Rossier School of Education. Prior to USC, she worked at The Aerospace Corporation and taught computer science at Cal State LA, St. Albans School, and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Her leadership philosophy centers on building an inclusive, supportive, and empathetic teaching and learning community grounded in shared vision and transparent governance. She works to remove barriers, streamline processes, mentor faculty, and create structures that allow educators to focus on excellence and innovation in teaching. She views diversity not as a deficit framework, but as an opportunity to create environments where everyone can flourish.

Dr. Walther teaches computer science courses for non-majors and integrates active learning strategies, including Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), to help students build confidence and conceptual understanding. She is an active member of ACM’s Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education (SIGCSE), Access Computing, and related initiatives focused on broadening participation in computing. Her interests include inclusive pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, interdisciplinary education, and community-centered program design.

She also co-directs the Viterbi Afghan Pathways Program, partnering withHerFuture Afghanistan to expand access to computing education for Afghan girls who face barriers to formal schooling.

She believes computing education should be both technically rigorous and deeply humane — expanding who belongs in technology and how we learn together.

Academic Interests

Kendra believes in lifelong learning, and  really enjoys learning about how people learn best. She is an active member of SIGCSE (the ACM special interest group for computer science education) and loves to bring new ideas and teaching methodologies into her classroom. Kendra is an enthusiastic and passionate teacher who cares for her students.

Kendra is a Center for Excellence in Teaching Faculty Fellow, and she was part of the FTLP (Faculty Teaching and Learning Program) inaugural cohort in academic year 2020-2021. For academic year 2021-2022 she served as an FTLP co-facilitator. In 2020, Kendra developed a Teaching CommuniTEA where educators gathered virtually to discuss teaching and learning. Future plans for CommuniTEA are still under development, but in the meantime, Kendra encourages USC STEM faculty to consider applying to be part of the FTLP cohort.

Kendra is also involved in Teach Access and Access Computing, which both promote inclusivity and diversity within computer science, with the idea that diversity includes disabilities. In the summer of 2019, Kendra participated as a faculty advisor in the Teach Access Study Away Program and hopes to further explore new ways to make technology even more accessible. From 2019-2021,  Kendra served as co-lead of the Teach Access Student Task Force and ran the first virtual Teach Access Study Away program for 80 students across the US.