Sarah Heckman

Sarah Heckman is a Teaching Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Computer Science at North Carolina State University, where she holds the Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor title as the department's first teaching-track faculty hire. Her work bridges computer science education and software engineering through empirical research on learning processes and educational tool development.

Heckman earned all her degrees from NC State: B.S. (2004), M.S. (2005), and Ph.D. (2009) in Computer Science. As a graduate student, she received the IBM Ph.D. Fellowship three times.

Her research centers on computing education (SOS-CER), investigating software engineering skill transfer, automated feedback systems, and student help-seeking behaviors in programming environments. She develops tools like EclipseMonitor for real-time data collection and examines pedagogical approaches across diverse student populations, with particular focus on inclusive teaching practices and educational technology integration.

Recent publications reveal strong trends in computing education research methodology, student behavior analysis, and faculty development for teaching-track academics. Her work spans empirical studies on office hour dynamics, help resource ecosystems, and cross-national comparisons of CS education research, consistently emphasizing evidence-based interventions to improve learning outcomes.

Heckman has received numerous teaching honors recognizing her educational impact.

• Computer Science 'Person of Exceptional Performance' (PEP) Award (2019)
• Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Award (2018)
• NC State Computer Science Outstanding Young Alumni Award (2017)
• NC State Academy of Outstanding Teachers (2015)
• Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award (2015)
• Google CS Engagement Award (2015)
• Carol Miller Undergraduate Lecturer Award (2014)
• Most Receptive Undergraduate Professor Outside of the Classroom (2013)
• IBM Ph.D. Fellowship (three-time recipient)

She has advised graduate students including Brittany Johnson (2017, now Assistant Professor at George Mason University) and Kai Presler-Marshall (2022, now Lecturer at Bowdoin College). Her $4+ million in research funding spans nine major NSF grants addressing cybersecurity workforce development (SFS: $2.7M), K-12 CS education capacity building ($202k), undergraduate retention diagnostics ($60k), and peer teaching initiatives ($98k), with consistent focus on broadening participation for women and underrepresented groups.

As Director of Undergraduate Programs, Heckman leads the Early Research Scholars Program (ERSP) and develops integrated teaching platforms for STEM education. She collaborates across campus on initiatives like the Computer Science Pathways grant to analyze student persistence patterns and implements evidence-based practices through the NC State Academy of Outstanding Teachers.