Name:Lara Karki

Bio:

I research pathways to computing careers outside of college degrees, especially those accessible to adults who aim to learn through work. My research aims to identify barriers that inhibit alternative learning and career pathways in computing for working adults. At Georgia Tech, I am advised by Dr. Betsy DiSalvo and work closely with DataWorks. I use a participatory research approach to develop work-based learning programs in computing in collaboration with workers at DataWorks. Through this research, we are characterizing computing work outside of typical elite computing roles and examining barriers to workers’ procuring middle-wage roles.

Before pursuing a PhD, I worked as a software developer for over 10 years. I studied art in my undergraduate, and addressing the gatekeeping I encountered during my informal pathway to a computing career is a primary motivation for my research.

Country:United States

Affiliation:Georgia Institute of Technology

Research interests:Adult Learning, Workforce Development, Data Science, Broadening Computing