{"691662":{"#nid":"691662","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Expanding Access: New Director Role Advances Online Undergraduate Computing Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Computing Instruction (SCI) faculty member \u003Cstrong\u003ENimisha Roy\u003C\/strong\u003E 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe position was made possible by philanthropic support from alumnus \u003Cstrong\u003EHenry Shi\u003C\/strong\u003E. 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 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/rising-stars\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERising Star Award\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShi\u0026nbsp;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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve seen firsthand how much talent is excluded from opportunities when cost, geography, and exclusivity are the gatekeepers,\u201d he said. \u201cThis role is about widening the aperture to make a Top 10, world\u2011class undergraduate education far more accessible and affordable for students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShi completed Georgia Tech\u2019s Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) program in 2018. He says the experience\u0026nbsp;shaped his view of what online learning can achieve.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOMSCS has proven to the world that online education can deliver real rigor, excellence, and impact at scale without compromising quality,\u201d he said. \u201cIt opened my eyes to the life\u2011changing impact higher education institutions can have at scale when access is treated as a first\u2011class goal.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Leader for the Next Phase of Online Undergraduate Growth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoy 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 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/teaching-students-use-ai-wisely-new-research-highlights-opportunities-and-risks-cs-education\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eintegrating artificial intelligence (AI) into computer science (CS) education\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn her new role, Roy will help bring the quality and rigor of Georgia Tech\u2019s online graduate programs to the undergraduate level.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA 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,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Dean for Undergraduate Education \u003Cstrong\u003EOlufisayo Omojokun\u003C\/strong\u003E, who supervises the position, says the new role reflects the College\u2019s commitment to expanding access to high-quality computing education at scale.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs 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,\u201d Omojokun said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith that said, it\u0027s important to remember that the undergraduate space also includes the College\u0027s dual enrollment offerings. Nimisha will play an important role across Georgia\u0027s many school districts, especially as we expand our AI literacy offerings.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterim Vice Provost for AI in Education\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Joyner\u003C\/strong\u003E noted that perceptions of online learning have shifted significantly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen OMSCS started, there was a general belief that online education worked better for more experienced adults who could manage their own learning,\u201d Joyner said. \u201cBut especially coming out of Covid, it\u2019s been more and more clear that online education offers fantastic benefits for undergraduates as well.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat shift has created momentum to expand online offerings beyond graduate education\u2014momentum Roy is positioned to lead.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarly Priorities: Online Minors and Scalable Access\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoy\u2019s first major initiative is starting\u0026nbsp;online CS minors, which she sees as a practical way to make an immediate impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can reach a lot of students without having to build an entire degree from scratch,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe will continue teaching while serving in this leadership role, something she considers essential for staying connected to students\u2019 day\u2011to\u2011day experiences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoy 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEspecially in computing, we can design systems that support that more intentionally,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding for the Future: AI, Accessibility, and Opportunity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoy 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\u2019s presenting concepts in multiple ways, generating diverse examples, or supporting different learning styles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, Roy hopes her work will expand access to a Georgia Tech education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are so many bright, curious, and hardworking students who, for different reasons, aren\u2019t able to be physically present on campus,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we can give them access to the same level of rigor, support, and opportunity, that\u2019s incredibly meaningful.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoyner 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur 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,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Computing Instruction (SCI) faculty member \u003Cstrong\u003ENimisha Roy\u003C\/strong\u003E 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"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 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