School of Computing Instruction (SCI) faculty member Nimisha Roy has been named director of online undergraduate initiatives, a new role created to expand online undergraduate programs and broaden access to computing education at Georgia Tech. 

The position was made possible by philanthropic support from alumnus Henry Shi. A College of Computing Advisory Board member and longtime advocate for accessible online education, Shi has built a career around scaling technology to reach millions. He cofounded Snapcommerce, which has more than 30 million users. The College previously honored him with its Rising Star Award. 

Shi said his motivation for supporting this new role stems from a belief that too many talented students are shut out of opportunity by barriers that have nothing to do with ability. 

“I’ve seen firsthand how much talent is excluded from opportunities when cost, geography, and exclusivity are the gatekeepers,” he said. “This role is about widening the aperture to make a Top 10, world‑class undergraduate education far more accessible and affordable for students.” 

Shi completed Georgia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) program in 2018. He says the experience shaped his view of what online learning can achieve. 

“OMSCS has proven to the world that online education can deliver real rigor, excellence, and impact at scale without compromising quality,” he said. “It opened my eyes to the life‑changing impact higher education institutions can have at scale when access is treated as a first‑class goal.” 

A Leader for the Next Phase of Online Undergraduate Growth 

Roy brings more than eight years of experience at Georgia Tech, serving in roles ranging from graduate teaching assistant to faculty lecturer. She has taught in the Online Master of Analytics (OMSA) program and led research on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into computer science (CS) education. 

This work included redesigning courses to use AI as a learning tool and benchmarking AI tools for software engineering tasks. She has also focused on improving accessibility in online computing courses, ensuring that materials support a wider range of learners. 

In her new role, Roy will help bring the quality and rigor of Georgia Tech’s online graduate programs to the undergraduate level. 

“A big part of the role is working with faculty to build these courses and making sure that what we offer online is just as strong as what students experience in person,” she said. 

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Olufisayo Omojokun, who supervises the position, says the new role reflects the College’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality computing education at scale.  

“As undergraduate programs continue to grow, this position will play a key role in strengthening student learning experiences and ensuring our curriculum remains rigorous, accessible, and responsive to emerging areas in computing like AI,” Omojokun said. 

“With that said, it's important to remember that the undergraduate space also includes the College's dual enrollment offerings. Nimisha will play an important role across Georgia's many school districts, especially as we expand our AI literacy offerings.” 

Interim Vice Provost for AI in Education David Joyner noted that perceptions of online learning have shifted significantly. 

“When OMSCS started, there was a general belief that online education worked better for more experienced adults who could manage their own learning,” Joyner said. “But especially coming out of Covid, it’s been more and more clear that online education offers fantastic benefits for undergraduates as well.” 

That shift has created momentum to expand online offerings beyond graduate education—momentum Roy is positioned to lead. 

Early Priorities: Online Minors and Scalable Access 

Roy’s first major initiative is starting online CS minors, which she sees as a practical way to make an immediate impact. 

“We can reach a lot of students without having to build an entire degree from scratch,” she said. 

She will continue teaching while serving in this leadership role, something she considers essential for staying connected to students’ day‑to‑day experiences. 

Roy views online education as a powerful tool for expanding access for students who cannot relocate to Atlanta or enroll in a full-time program. She believes online learning can be more interactive, flexible, and personalized than traditional formats, especially in computing fields where practice and feedback are essential. 

“Especially in computing, we can design systems that support that more intentionally,” she said. 

Building for the Future: AI, Accessibility, and Opportunity 

Roy is also exploring how AI tools can support accessibility and content-creation workflows by improving video and audio quality, generating and refining captions, and creating narrated tutorials from demonstrations. Her research focuses on how AI can make course materials more accessible across different learning styles, whether that’s presenting concepts in multiple ways, generating diverse examples, or supporting different learning styles. 

Looking ahead, Roy hopes her work will expand access to a Georgia Tech education. 

“There are so many bright, curious, and hardworking students who, for different reasons, aren’t able to be physically present on campus,” she said. “If we can give them access to the same level of rigor, support, and opportunity, that’s incredibly meaningful.” 

Joyner sees this work as part of a broader reimagining of undergraduate computing education that uses online flexibility to reshape the timeline between education and employment. 

“Our hope is to eventually make it so students can jumpstart their careers while still finishing their degrees because of the flexibility online classes give them,” he said.