Elizabeth E.

Elizabeth Eakin is a Computer Science teacher at Northside College Preparatory High School in Chicago, Illinois. She teaches AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. Now in her fifth year at Northside, Elizabeth has been highly involved in creating an inclusive environment where all students can find a place where they belong in computer science! She co-founded Northside's first Computer Science Honor Society chapter and helped create a Women in STEM chapter. Elizabeth is also part of a team to revamp the technology spaces at Northside and was the 2023 co-winner of the CIA Mission Possible Makerspace Nation grant. Elizabeth is a Knowles Teaching Fellow, as well as an active member of two professional learning communities at the school and district level that are geared towards increasing representation, equity, and doership in computer science. Elizabeth credits her inquiry work as part of these communities, based on Grading for Equity, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Building Thinking Classrooms, with helping her to develop a reflective practice and to cultivate a positive and collaborative environment in her classroom where all computer science students can find support and success. She is also enormously proud of the fact that the gender diversity of her school's AP CSP classes and the Computer Honor Society chapter is very high, and that the percentage of female and non-binary students in AP CSA has increased from previous years. Elizabeth graduated from Indiana University with a B.S in Biology. She then went on to pursue her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago. After receiving her doctorate, Elizabeth decided to pursue her passion for teaching and got her Masters in Science Education at the University of Illinois Chicago. She received her teacher endorsement in Computer Science from Northeastern Illinois University. Elizabeth lives in Chicago. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband, and two sons, preferably going hiking or generally being outdoors!