Biography

Christine Alvarado is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at the University of California, San Diego; she is also a Teaching Professor and holds the Paul R. Kube Chair in the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department.    Her current efforts are focused on designing curriculum and programs to make computing and computing education more accessible and appealing, with the specific goal of increasing the number of women and Black, Latinx, Native American and Pacific Islander students who study computing.  

Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation,  philanthropic and industry partners  She has won several awards for her teaching and contributions to education including the A. Richard Newton Educator ABIE Award (2013), the UC San Diego Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award (2017), the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Associates Faculty Excellence Award for Undergraduate Teaching (2019), the first NCWIT Academic Alliance Joanne McGrath Cohoon Academic Service Award (2022).  In 2018 was named a Distinguished Member of the Association for Computing Machinery for Outstanding Contributions to Computer Science Education.

Dr. Alvarado received her undergraduate degree in computer science from Dartmouth in 1998, and Masters and Ph.D. degrees in computer science from MIT in 2000 and 2004, respectively.   She is currently a co-leader of the CRA's UR2PhD program, a national program designed to support undergraduates in CS research with the goal of increasing the number of women who enter PhD programs in computing.  In 2022, she led the launch of the Center for Inclusive Computing's Transfer Pathways program.   She previously served on the College Board's commission to design the Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) course, served on AP CSP Development Committee from 2017-2022 (co-chair 2017-2020) and will serve as Chief Reader Designate for AP CSP in 2025.  

Last updated April 2024