Welcome!

My name is Vidushi Ojha (she/her/hers) and I'm a PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I'm advised by Dr. Colleen Lewis.

My work in computer science education focuses on broadening participation in computing and aims to improve the experiences of students from historically underrepresented groups in computing. I'm particularly interested in how policies and practices can impact outcomes such as students' sense of belonging and computing self-efficacy.

Prior to grad school, I grew up in India and Switzerland. I did my undergrad at Harvey Mudd College (class of 2017) in Claremont, CA. After graduating, I spent a couple of years in Los Angeles, CA as a software engineer for Originate, Inc., before starting my PhD in 2019.

I'm on the faculty job market this year for positions beginning Fall 2024!

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Front page of Ojha et al. (2023) Computing Specializations: Perceptions of AI and Cybersecurity Among CS Students (SIGCSE 2023)
V. Ojha, C. Perdriau, B. Lagesse, and C. M. Lewis
Front page of Hastings et al. (2023) Composing Team Compositions: An Examination of Instructors' Current Algorithmic Team Formation Practices (CSCW 2023)
E. M. Hastings, V. Ojha, B. V. Austriaco, K. Karahalios, and B. P. Bailey
Front page of Ojha et al. (2022) Forming and Fulfilling Expectations: Perspectives of Underrepresented Computer Science Doctoral Students (CoNECD 2022)
V. Ojha, R. E. Platero, and B. B. Bullock
Front page of Isenegger et al. (2021) Understanding and Expanding College Students’ Perceptions of Computing’s Social Impact (RESPECT 2021)
K. Isenegger, Y. Birhane, V. Ojha, C. Coxe, and C. M. Lewis

Upcoming Publications

Paper loading icon Computing Self-Efficacy in Undergraduate Students: A Multi-Institutional and Intersectional Analysis (SIGCSE 2024)
V. Ojha, L. West, and C. M. Lewis
Paper loading icon The Diversity-Hire Narrative in CS: Sources, Impacts, and Responses (SIGCSE 2024)
C. Perdriau, V. Ojha, K. Gray, and C. M. Lewis
Paper loading icon How do Computing Students Conceptualize Cybersecurity? Survey Results and Strategies for Curricular Integration (SIGCSE 2024)
N. Q. Cowit, V. Ojha, and C. Fiesler

Ongoing Collaborations

First slide of Videos that Spark Conversations Videos that Spark Conversations: Let’s Talk About Identity, Inclusion, and Intersectionality (2023)
with National Center for Women & Information Technology
C. M. Lewis, B.A. Quinn, V. Ojha, and C. L. Hovey