About me
"Speaker’s Bio Ying Chen
Dr. Ying Chen is a Senior Research Associate at the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC). He specializes in measurement, psychometrics, and STEM education, with published articles in leading STEM education and measurement journals. At IWERC, Dr. Chen’s work include the landscape of high school computer science (CS) education in Illinois. His research examines access gaps, teacher preparation, and student outcomes, offering findings to expand equitable CS CTE opportunities statewide. Dr. Chen also investigates the integration of generative AI in education, including its impact on policy and teacher AI literacy. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and an M.Ed. in Measurement, Evaluation, Assessment, and Statistics from the University of Illinois Chicago. Through his work, Dr. Chen supports Illinois educators and policymakers in advancing equitable, data-informed approaches to STEM education and workforce development.
Speaker’s Bio Stephanie Werner
Dr. Stephanie M. Werner is a Research Specialist and Project Director of the Computer Science Education Research Portfolio at IWERC. She leads a state-wide research project to explore the structures and pathways of CS education from high school to career to improve equitable access and outcomes for all students. Stephanie’s research interests focus on examining the participation and retention of historically marginalized groups in STEM using a lens centering on justice and equity and working with data visualizations to make critical data more accessible for all audiences. Stephanie has a multi-disciplinary background with extensive experience in chemistry, STEM education, research methodology, educational psychology, and the learning sciences. Before joining IWERC, Stephanie earned her PhD in Chemistry with an emphasis in Chemistry Education Research from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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