Job Title: Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Software Engineering
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Hometown: Nicosia, Cyprus
What brought you to Cal Poly College of Engineering?
Last year, I was wrapping up my thesis for my Ph.D. when I attended a recruitment presentation at my college about Cal Poly. During that presentation, I found myself resonating with the culture and the vision of Cal Poly, which motivated me to apply for a faculty position at the university. So far, I’m very pleased with my decision!
Tell me about your research interests and why you are passionate about this topic.
My research interests are related to computer science education. Specifically, how can we train teachers to teach computer science in K-12 as a separate course or infused into other courses? I’m passionate about this topic because I believe there are a lot of benefits from learning how to think computationally. It’s an approach to thinking about tasks and problems methodically, and learning this at a young age can shape the way children interact with the world around them and contribute to what they understand and what choices they make.
What do you want others to know about your research? Why is your topic important?
Computational thinking is a concept which recently gained a lot of attention because it promises great advantages in problem solving, abstract thinking and generalization. These skills will be essential as our society becomes even more diverse, complex and information-technology-oriented.
What is your favorite part of your job?
The moment I see that “aha” expression on the students’ faces when something clicks in their brains.
What is your favorite place in San Luis Obispo County and why?
I have only been in San Luis Obispo County for two months now, so I’m sure there are a lot of places to visit. For now, I would say the Prefumo Canyon Road from San Luis Obispo to Avila Beach.
How do you like to spend your free time?
Riding my bike, running, baking and fishing.
What is the most helpful advice you’ve received?
To always be 10 minutes early. Not that I’m always successful doing this, but at least I try!
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what band or musician would keep you entertained?
The Greek band Trypes.
What is something you can’t live without?
The people around me! My family and friends.
How do you encourage engineering students to make an impact on the community?
I think being an engineer has a lot of value because engineers bring ideas to life. I always try to push my students to be curious about what changes we can make to our society and explore ideas and solutions for those changes. I push them to explore their interests, and to challenge themselves in a way that builds both their confidence and self-efficacy. College is a great place to question and experiment because of all the different fields and people that students can talk to and expand their perspective about those things they are interested in.
How do you support the college’s commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion?
By continuously reflecting on my thoughts, decisions and actions as well as getting educated in ways I can be more diverse and inclusive in my teaching and research. There are a lot of great seminars and workshops from the college about JEDI ideas and practices and how to bring them to classes and research. I already attended a couple of trainings at my previous college, but I’m planning to expand my knowledge more in the near future.
By Taylor Villanueva
