Dan Garcia

Dan Garcia is a Teaching Professor in the EECS department at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his PhD in 2000. His work focuses on transforming computer science education through innovative curricula like the NSF-funded Beauty and Joy of Computing, which has trained over 1,500 high school teachers for AP CS Principles. He currently teaches introductory and architecture courses (CS10, CS61C) while leading research in mastery learning, equitable assessment, and educational tools.

Research Focus: Garcia explores novel pedagogical techniques across K-16 education, emphasizing computational thinking, block-based programming (Snap!), and scalable course designs. His work intersects with educational equity, professional development, and technology-enhanced learning environments. Recent projects include automated grading systems, retake policy efficacy, and cybersecurity education tools.

Publications: Garcia's recent works center on educational innovation, with consistent themes of mastery learning frameworks, automated assessment tools, and equity-focused classroom practices. Collaborative projects dominate his output, reflecting team-based development of pedagogical resources and technologies.

Awards & Leadership:

• ACM Distinguished Educator (2012) and Distinguished Speaker (2019-2028)
• SIGCSE Vice-Chair (2019-2022) and Secretary (2022-2025)
• CRA-WP Board Member (2023-2026)
• Program Co-Chair for SIGCSE 2017/2018

Advising & Outreach: Garcia mentors student groups like GamesCrafters and Snap! development teams. He co-leads California's CSforCA advocacy initiative, serves on multiple national advisory boards (TEALS, PACT), and organizes CS4HS teacher workshops. His NSF grants support curriculum scaling and diversity initiatives.