Diana Franklin
Associate Professor
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL USA
“My pivot to educational research was right for me—I have more than enough passion and commitment to be a professor in that!”
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I first got my PhD in computer architecture and became a professor at a primarily-undergraduate institution with that focus. I earned tenure in that area.
I then got married, and I chose to take a more teaching position at a research school and switch to educational research. I loved it, but too much time teaching to do the amount of research I wanted.
I then went to University of Chicago and eventually earned a professor position in computer science education. I am finally back to being a tenured professor - in a new field and at a research school.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Live Oak High School
Live Oak High School
Bachelor
BS
University of California, Davis
BS
University of California, Davis
Graduate
M.CS.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
M.CS.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Doctorate
PhD
University of California, Davis
PhD
University of California, Davis
Career
Associate Professor
I teach college-level CS and research how to design engaging, effective learning experiences for young students.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Design
Helping People
Day to Day
My job has three main roles. First, I manage several current research projects. This entails lots of meetings with my team, at which we share updates, discuss progress on data collection and how to handle certain hiccups that arise (e.g. school going virtual during the pandemic), discuss results, discuss how to think about and present results. Second, I teach classes. Finally, I write proposals to get funding for new project. We discuss new ideas, and I write a plan for new studies.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
It depends on where you are! If you are still in school, take a programming class! There are a lot of chances to get into computer science - your college major, a college minor, a professional masters program, edX courses for professionals. A little coding skill can take you a long ways.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Bachelor
BS
BS
Graduate
M.CS.
M.CS.
Doctorate
PhD
PhD
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Teachers:
"You don't have the commitment and passion it takes to be a professor."
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
