Zahra Derakhshandeh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at California State University East Bay. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Arizona State University (2017), where she worked under Professors Andrea W. Richa and Christian Scheideler. Her research focuses on distributed computing, algorithm design, bio-inspired algorithms, programmable matter, and self-organizing particle systems. Notably, her work on 'Smart Paint' for universal coating problems has received media attention from MIT Tech Review and ACM TechNews. Dr. Derakhshandeh has extensive teaching experience, including instructing courses like Foundations of Algorithms (CSE 551) at Arizona State University and serving as a faculty member at multiple institutions in Iran. Her industrial experience includes roles as a software developer at eBay/PayPal and research positions in network security and data center projects. Her research trends span theoretical computing (programmable matter, self-organization) and educational technology (online learning dynamics, active learning strategies). Recent publications explore federated learning, student engagement in online environments, and interaction design in digital education systems. Dr. Derakhshandeh’s work emphasizes cross-disciplinary applications, bridging computer science theory with real-world systems like financial eligibility services and telecommunication infrastructure.








