Amy J Ko

Amy J Ko is a Professor at the University of Washington Information School with a courtesy appointment in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. She directs the Code & Cognition Lab, where her research focuses on computing education, human-computer interaction, and integrating equity and justice into computing systems.

Her educational background:

• Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008
• Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science and Psychology (with Honors), Oregon State University, 2002

Professor Ko's research addresses humanity's struggle to understand computing for creativity, equity, and justice. She has invented tools and programming languages for debugging and program understanding, developed equity-focused pedagogy, and influenced K-12 CS education policy through advocacy. Her work bridges technical innovation with social impact in computing education.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• 18 paper awards and 4 most influential paper awards from 130+ publications
• ACM Senior Member status
• SIGCHI Academy membership
• Active roles in ACM SIGCHI, SIGCSE, and SIGSOFT

As an entrepreneur, she founded and sold a venture-backed startup. She mentors graduate students in the Code & Cognition Lab and drives initiatives to weave equity into computing education culture and technology. Her lab serves as an interdisciplinary hub for research on human-computing interactions with societal implications.