Ann Drobnis

National Science Foundation
Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate, Education and Workforce Program

Virginia, High School Math and Computer Science

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Dr. Ann Drobnis has been a math and computer science teacher for the past nine years in Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia. Following a career as a computer consultant, Dr. Drobnis began her teaching career at an extremely diverse high school with a diverse, international student body in Northern Virginia. In 2004 she started teaching at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a nationally recognized magnet school.

Dr. Drobnis holds a B.S. in Engineering from Cornell University, a M.Ed. from George Washington University and a Ph.D. in Secondary Mathematics Education from George Mason University. Her Ph.D. was focused on Instructional Technology and her dissertation was titled, “Girls in Computer Science: a Female Only Introduction Class in High School.” Through this work, Dr. Drobnis feels she has gained insight about opening the field of computer science to underrepresented populations in the field.

In 2007, Dr. Drobnis was named an Intel Schools of Distinction Finalist. She has been an active member of the Northern Virginia Council for Teachers of Mathematics since 2005 and presented at the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology conference in 2010.

Ann views a foundational understanding of computer science as fundamental to a student’s education because it teaches the basic premises of problem solving and introduces students to the backbone of technology, which is ever-pervasive in our society.

“So few K-12 students even have access to a computer science class; the lucky few who do often pass it over for another elective. I hope to and want to help change that.”

Dr. Drobnis will be serving her fellowship at the National Science Foundation, Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate, Education and Workforce Program, Computing Education for the 21st Century Project.