Jelani Nelson

Jelani Nelson is a Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, renowned for his humanitarian contributions to computer science education. He founded AddisCoder, a nonprofit offering free intensive summer programs in programming and algorithms to underserved Ethiopian high school students. The program has expanded to Jamaica (JamCoders) and impacted over 500 students, many of whom pursued higher education at top institutions like Harvard and MIT.

His work focuses on algorithmic problem-solving, including topics such as binary search, dynamic programming, and graph exploration. AddisCoder emphasizes diversity, with 40% female participation and inclusion of students from all 11 regions of Ethiopia, particularly underrepresented groups.

• Scientific Award: ACM Eugene L. Lawler Award (2022) for fostering equity in computing education.

Nelson personally mentors students, advocates for accessibility (e.g., live-captioned lectures for a deaf student), and mobilizes funding from government and industry to sustain his initiatives. His efforts have become a model for scalable, inclusive education programs globally.