Jessie Durk

Dr. Jessie Durk is a Research Fellow in Computing Education at the University of Cambridge's Department of Computer Science and Technology, affiliated with the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre. She is also a Postdoctoral By-Fellow at Churchill College. Her current research focuses on a longitudinal study investigating the long-term impact of physical computing on primary school students' attitudes, creativity, and technological agency, with a focus on gender differences and parental/teacher roles. This work is supported by the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, BBC, and Nominet.

Dr. Durk holds a PhD in theoretical cosmology from Queen Mary University of London (2019), alongside prior roles in physics education research at Imperial College London, King’s College London, and the University of Cambridge. She has been recognized with the 2024 Advance HE Fellowship for teaching excellence, having led staff-student partnerships and taught modules like 'How to Outreach' and 'The Science of Learning' at Imperial.

Her research interests span widening participation in STEM, inquiry-based learning, and assessment design. Beyond academia, she volunteers with the Access Project to support under-resourced GCSE physics students and has contributed to public outreach through roles at the Royal Observatory and initiatives like Soapbox Science.

Dr. Durk’s work bridges theoretical physics and educational research, with recent contributions to understanding student motivation, exam experiences, and gender dynamics in STEM education. Her interdisciplinary approach addresses both foundational cosmological models and practical educational challenges.