Doctoral student awarded 2021 Haynes Lindley Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

​The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation awarded fourth-year doctoral student Sharin Jacob a 2021 Haynes Lindley Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship in support of her dissertation research. The award recognizes “well-conceived and imaginative research into the pressing economic, social, policy, or political issues that impact the five counties of Southern California” (Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Ventura counties).
 
Jacob will receive $20,000 for her project, titled "Breaking the language code: Unlocking computer science for Latinx students."
 
“My research project represents the first initiative in the nation to develop and test a computer science curriculum that helps predominantly Latinx and low-income students designated as English learners succeed in computing,” Jacob said. “The curriculum employs what we know about linguistic scaffolding, culturally relevant pedagogy, and instructional design to help Latinx students and other diverse learners leverage their own and their community resources for greater success and entry into the field of computing.”

Sharin Jacob

​Jacob’s research interests are interdisciplinary, bringing theory from the learning sciences, computer science education, and applied linguistics to study the teaching and learning of computing and computational thinking to multilingual students. Prior to her doctoral work, she taught high school English as a Second Language for four years to multilingual students, including at a New Arrivals Center where she taught sheltered math and science to newcomers. As part of her research, Jacob is developing, implementing, and evaluating a computer curriculum that is being integrated into elementary schools across Santa Ana Unified School District as well as in San Francisco Unified and Chicago Public Schools.
 
Jacob currently is a UCI 2021 Public Impact Distinguished Fellow, one of four graduate students university-wide to receive the honor. She is specializing in Language, Literacy, and Technology for her doctoral work. Professor Mark Warschauer serves as her advisor.
 
Eight doctoral students across southern California received a 2021 Haynes Lindley Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship award. Three of the awardees are UCI students – Jacob (Education), Nathan Mahaffey (Social Ecology), and Steven Schmidt (Social Science).
 
Read more about the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation here.