Deborah Tatar, professor of computer science in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor emerita by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

In addition, this honor is extended, by courtesy, to her faculty appointment in the Department of Psychology in the College of Science.

The emerita title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive a copy of the resolution and a certificate of appreciation.

A member of the Virginia Tech faculty since 2003, Tatar made significant contributions to computer science through her work on human-computer interaction, computer-supported collaborative learning, educational equity, participatory design of technology, and computational thinking. Her work has focused on enlarging the ways that we think about technology design to include responsibility for the full gamut of human experiences that are touched by technology use. She has been principal or co-principal investigator on grants ranging from researching human agency in technology to middle-school learning of computational thinking in the context of chemistry.

Throughout her career, Tatar has authored or co-authored more than 100 research publications, 16 book chapters, one book, and one patent. Her work has led to collaborations with colleagues Great Britain, Denmark, Korea, Spain, and Ecuador.

In addition, Tatar has worked to promote gender diversity in computing, particularly through 15 years as advisor to the Virginia Tech chapter of the Association for Women in Computing, the annual Women in Computing Day, and as affiliate of the program for Women and Gender Studies.

In the classroom, she has taught multiple undergraduate and graduate courses and has directed nine Ph.D. students, numerous master’s degree students, and has served on many graduate student committees.

Tatar received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.

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