Prior to this, she was an associate professor at Howard University. Her research interests focus on computer science education, specifically increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities. Her research projects have included partnerships with District of Columbia Public Schools, Exploring CS, and Google. Her most recent research includes the development of the Computer Science Attitude and Identity Survey, a tool for measuring the impact of ethnic identity on student attitudes toward and pursuit and persistence in computer science. She is a 2000 graduate of Johnson C. Smith University.