Additionally, Leshell is the creator of Myles & Ayesha, digital friends (intelligent tutors) that help children learn.
Previous to joining AAUW, Dr. Hatley was an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Coppin State University. She and the students in her research lab, the Lab for Artificial Intelligence and its Applications (LAIA), won the 2016 USA White House HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Maker & Innovation Challenge.
Uplift designed and facilitated YOUTH APPLab, the first mobile app development course for teens in the US, funded by the MacArthur Foundation (Winner of the 3rd Annual Digital Media & Learning Competition in 2009-2010) and is one of the first organizations to offer after school courses in Lego Mindstorms Robotics in Washington, DC over a decade ago.
Dr. Hatley is a passionate computer engineer, educator, and researcher who continuously combines these three attributes to create innovative approaches to teaching STEM concepts to students between the ages of 3 and 73.
With over 20 years of teaching experience, Leshell leads teams of enthusiastic students, dedicated volunteer instructors, and teams of engineering to achieve award winning success, national news coverage, and innovative technology product designs. She's also a proud (2 time) graduate of Howard University.
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2016 Dissertation