About Victoria C. Chávez
Educator. Scholar. Engineer.
Unpacking ableism in computer science education.
Unpacking ableism in computer science education.
Hello there! My name is Victoria, I use they/them and she/her pronouns, and I’m an educator, scholar, and engineer. I’m passionate about accessibility, CS education, and social justice.
I’m a proud Chapine (Guatemalan) born and raised in Chicago, now calling Rhode Island home. I’m currently a PhD student in the Computer Science + Learning Sciences Program at Northwestern U. I am a proud Brunonian with a Master’s in Urban Education Policy with a focus on Computer Science Education, as well as a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Hispanic Studies.
I am also a proud QuestBridge Scholar, Technolochica, and a member of NCWIT Aspirations, among others. Outside of computer science and teaching, I enjoy reading, writing (poetry and short stories), and watching anything that’s suspense, thriller, or comedy.
My research interests explore systemic issues within computer science education, centering the experiences of Black, Disabled, Indigenous, and Latine/x students. Most recently, my research has focused on teaching and learning accessibility as well as unpacking how ableism is codified in the policies, practices, and pedagogies used in college CS courses.
I've always liked bananas for their taste and our shared fraught Guatemalan background. In high school, banana memes became my inside joke amongst friends, who covered my locker in pictures of them. I've never actually gone by Vickie or any variation of its spelling* but I liked the ring vickiebananas had to it, so I stuck with it. I chose the 'ie' spelling of it because my favorite teacher once addressed a note to me using that spelling.
Older me would have gone with conchabananas, as Concha is the nickname for my middle name (Concepción) and a fun word with many varied meanings in Spanish. But alas, I've built too large a realm as vickiebananas and so it shall remain.
*Except for family and they spelled it with just an 'i' or 'y' and sometimes no 'c'.
80 words, 583 characters
Victoria (V/they/she) is a Chicago-born and raised Chapine (Guatemalan) educator, scholar, and engineer. Currently, they’re a Joint PhD student in the Computer Science + Learning Sciences Program at Northwestern University. V’s research interests explore systemic issues within computer science education, centering the experiences of Black, Disabled, Indigenous, and Latine/x students. Most recently, their research has focused on teaching and learning accessibility as well as unpacking how ableism is codified in the policies, practices, and pedagogies used in college CS courses.
101 words, 624 characters
Victoria (V/they/she) is a Chicago-born and raised Chapine (Guatemalan) educator, scholar, and engineer. Currently, they’re a Joint PhD student in the Computer Science + Learning Sciences Program at Northwestern Universityand have a Bachelor’s in Computer Science (CS) and Hispanic Studies and a Master’s on Urban Education Policy, focusing on CS Education. Victoria’s research interests explore systemic issues within computer science education, centering the experiences of Black, Disabled, Indigenous, and Latine/x students. Most recently, their research has focused on teaching and learning accessibility as well as unpacking how ableism is codified in the policies, practices, and pedagogies used in college CS courses.
175 words, 1083 characters
Victoria (V/they/she) is a Chicago-born and raised Chapine (Guatemalan) educator, scholar, and engineer. Currently, they’re based out of Rhode Island and are a Joint PhD student in the Computer Science + Learning Sciences Program at Northwestern University.
Prior to joining their PhD program, Victoria earned a Bachelor’s in Computer Science (CS) and Hispanic Studies and a Master’s on Urban Education Policy, focusing on CS Education. They taught at both the college and high school level. They also have experience in industry, non-profits, and government. Victoria's previous positions include Lecturer, State Policy Fellow, Broadening Participation Consultant, Software Engineer, and Acting CTO. Their previous partners and employers include Brown University, University of Rhode Island, CS4RI (Computer Science for Rhode Island), Code.org, Girls Who Code, Twitter, and Microsoft.
Victoria’s research interests explore systemic issues within computer science education, centering the experiences of Black, Disabled, Indigenous, and Latine/x students. Most recently, Victoria's research has focused on teaching and learning accessibility as well as unpacking how ableism is codified in the policies, practices, and pedagogies used in college CS courses.
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'An olive-toned non-binary femme presenting person with straightened dark medium-length hair. They are smiling, wearing a white shirt and sitting indoors in semi-dark restaurant lighting.'
When using this image, please use the following image description, or something similar:
'Professional headshot of Victoria, an olive-toned non-binary femme presenting person with shoulder-length dark curly hair. They are smiling and outside while their shirt has a small squirrel pattern.'
When using this image, please use the following image description, or something similar:
'Professional headshot of Victoria, an olive-toned non-binary femme presenting person with short dark curly hair. They are smiling, wearing a blazer made with traditional Guatemalan textiles.'
