Ellen Spertus

Ellen Spertus has been teaching Computer Science since 1998, when she received her PhD from MIT and joined the faculty of Mills College, now part of Northeastern University. She has done research and development in compilers, programming languages, computer architecture, information retrieval, and online communities at MIT, University of Washington, Microsoft, Mozilla, and Google. Ellen has been involved in broadening participation in computing since writing a 1991 report "Why Are There So Few Female Computer Scientists?", which went viral. She helped create the Hour of Code and App Inventor, which have introduced millions of students to computer programming. She is the co-founder of the Tech Intersections conference for women of color in computing and has served on the boards of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, Just Detention International, the Human RIghts Defense Center, and the Ada Initiative. During summers, she teaches technical interview skill preparation through CodePath. She has contributed chapters to App Inventor 2, Rendering History: The Women of ACM-W, and She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, child, and cats. She is a second-generation New Trier graduate through her father Phil Spertus '52. Ellen spent her freshman year at the Northfield campus and her remaining years at the Winnetka campus. She participated in Math Club all 4 years, helping win state championships, and was president of Bridge Club. She fondly remembers playing bridge with her friends on the bus to math meets. She credits the rigor of her New Trier education for the ease of her transition to MIT.