People

The following people are involved in CS4HS 2018. This list will be updated as speakers confirm sessions. 

associate professor ​
​Andrew Luxton-Reilly 
​aSSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF cOMPUTER SCIENCE at the university of auckland

Andrew Luxton-Reilly is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Auckland, where he has taught introductory programming courses for more than 20 years. His research is in Computer Science Education, focusing on assessment of novice programmers, novice programmer comprehension, gender equity in Computer Science, and tools that facilitate collaborative learning.

Topic: Improving quality of feedback in student programs

cHERYL DOIG
Board Chair of the NZ Brain Research Institute and establishment Board Chair of Haeata Community Campus

​Cheryl is a leadership futurist who sees exponential technologies as an opportunity to amplify our human characteristics.  Her passion is to support organisations to think differently in order to adapt to a rapidly changing and complex world. This world must consider equity, ethics and social impact as our preferred future.
In 2017 Cheryl was a finalist in the Westpac Women of Influence Awards, in the Innovation and Science category. In 2018 she co-organised a series of events around the Future of Learning, bringing cutting edge technology and education together to consider how humanity and technology will interact in changing times.
Cheryl is currently Board Chair of the NZ Brain Research Institute and establishment Board Chair of Haeata Community Campus. Her previous background in education and principal ship inform her current work in change management and keep her grounded in the real world.

Keynote address, The Future of Learning: Implications for Teacher Practice

​Dan Milward

“Today's kids learn through doing!  Whether they are coding a game and tinkering with algorithms, debugging how bacteria spreads in a simulation, or writing trigonometry to control a character in a game we want them to have a learning experience that they won’t forget”
Dan’s superpower is to combine game industry practice with curriculum outcomes to make learning engaging, applied and irresistible to young people.
Kids are hungry for knowledge, but their learning experiences are not like the other forms of digital content that they choose to consume each and every day. Dan wants to change that.
With over 20 years of combined industry experience Dan and his team have built Gamefroot, an online platform that steps kids through making and building their own games and simulations.
Most recently Dan and his team have launched Game Dev Club, a new Digital Technologies Curriculum aligned After School Program where kids (and their teachers) learn through the process of making a video game over the period of a school term.

Title:  Game design for kids – easy!

​Professor enrico haemmerle
DEAN OF ENGINEERING AND THE HEAD OF THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTER AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES, AUT

Professor Enrico Haemmerle is the Dean of Engineering and the Head of the School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences at AUT. He has a background in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and his most recent interests are in the research and design of medical devices and sport technology.
​
AUT Profile

associate professor
Ewan tempero
​associate professor in the department of computer science at the university of auckland

Ewan Tempero is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Auckland. He teaches introduction to object-oriented design, as well as other courses in software engineering. His research interests include automating feedback and assessment of student code.

Topic: ​Improving quality of feedback in student programs

dr Farhad Mehdipour
research leader, and senior lecturer at Techschool at NZSE (New Zealand School of Education)

Farhad received his PhD in computer science, and also completed his post-doctoral research in Kyushu University, Japan between 2007 and 2010.   From 2006 to 2016, he was a senior R&D expert and an academic in Japan, where he participated in several joint projects with industry in Japan.
He joined Tech Futures Lab in Auckland in May 2016.  Later in 2017 he joined Unisys as a senior consultant and data scientist. He is currently a research leader, and senior lecturer at Techschool at NZSE (New Zealand School of Education).
Farhad has a broad experience both in industry and academia across three different countries and has initiated and led several interdisciplinary R&D projects particularly on AI, robotics, and IoT-enabled smart systems.  Alongside his current academic placement, he has also founded STEM Fern, a startup in Auckland developing AI and robotics technologies and content for primary aged STEM education.

​Topic: The Internet of Things

Fiona Holden

Fiona has been combining her design education, her background with teaching as well as education management and strategy over the past decade. 
From curriculum design to e-learning and classroom facilitation, Fiona places a strong emphasis on relevance to the learner, their background and interests. This has been achieved with both her own students as well as whole-organisational change. Her role as Head of Faculty saw successful curriculum and e-learning roll out. In her cultural change role, anti-bullying and increased empathy programs were implemented. 
Fiona holds several majors in visual communication at bachelor degree level as well as a graduate diploma in Secondary Teaching. Using design thinking she has focused on custom tailoring outcomes to overhaul and streamline systems in various educational settings. 

​Topic: Design Thinking

Professor guy littlefair
Pro vice-chancellor AND DEAN OF THE FACULTY OF DESIGN AND CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, AUT

Professor Guy Littlefair is the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies at AUT.
Guy held a successful role as the Dean of Engineering in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and the Built Environment at Deakin University in Australia.  Combined with an academic career spanning 25 years, Guy has also spent time in industry, most recently at Navman where he oversaw the integration of the Mercury Marine business when the company was acquired by the Brunswick Group.
Guy is internationally regarded as an authority in the field of machining.  He has led research teams in England, Australia and now in NZ focusing on the machinability of materials. Guy has worked with some of the world’s most innovative research-led manufacturing organisations including Rolls Royce, DeBeers, Toyota and Land Rover.

AUT Profile

​Hanno sander
Founder roboticmagic

​Hanno has had a lot of fun with robots and computers in his career spanning 25 years of Silicon Valley startups, satellites, electric cars and America’s Cup sailboats.  His latest project is a collaboration with teachers to help kids master critical thinking skills and technology concepts.  He’s passionate about helping teachers prepare students for the world of tomorrow.

Topic: RobotMagic: Robots + Computers=Fun! 

​Heather ricketts
Lecturer foundation programme, AUT

Heather joined AUT permanently in 2013.  She teaches statistics, problem solving and algebra in the Foundation programme.  In the Foundation programme we take students with varied academic backgrounds and lift them to a level that will enable them to succeed in their chosen degree. With an industry and teaching background, Heather's interests include creating resources to encourage student engagement and enjoyment by bringing statistics alive in the classroom.  Heather is also the liaison person for students with learning difficulties looking at supports and approaches to enable success at the tertiary level.

Topic: Hungry for Data

AUT Profile

jADE TANG-TAYLOR
​LECTURER Design thinking, AUT

Jade Tang-Taylor is a designer, dreamer and doer.
Jade is a design educator, design facilitator and design thinker. She currently lectures at AUT in Design Thinking, she regularly facilitates co-design workshops with the community and she was trained in visual communication, digital communication & graphic design so she understands how to take ideas and concepts from design strategy phase through to implementation.
Jade believes in the democratisation of design, that we all need to embrace a designer’s mind-set of how to approach complex problem solving, utilising creativity and collaboration and be confident in teaching our students the 21st century skills they need to thrive in the future of work.
Jade holds a BAD, Bachelor of Design and a MAM, Masters of Arts Management (Distinction) where she focused her readings and research on creative & social entrepreneurship. And is incredibly passionate about design for social impact, with a particular focus on diversity.

Topic: Design Thinking

JULIE BAKER
motat sPONSOR

​DR mAHSA MOHAGHEGH
​LECTURER ENGINEERING, COMPUTER & MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES, AUT
DIRECTOR/FOUNDER SHESHARp

Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh is a computer engineer with a background in artificial intelligence and natural language processing. She obtained her PhD from Massey University with a thesis in Statistical Machine Translation.
Prior to joining AUT, Mahsa was a Senior Lecturer and Program Leader at Unitec, and also lead an outreach effort within the Department of Computing there. After being awarded Google's Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship in 2012, Mahsa became involved with Google's Computer Science for High Schools initiative, and successfully applied for Google funding to run these workshops in Auckland for the last 3 years.
​Mahsa is also the founder and director of the women's technology group She# - shesharp.co.nz, a platform aimed at promoting STEM to the next generation, and creating networking opportunities for tertiary students and industry professionals in the digital sector. Her passion for promoting careers in technology to young women has been recognised by a number of organisations, and resulted in her being awarded at the Westpac Women of Influence Awards.

​AUT Profile

dr mali senapathi
​Senior Lecturer in the Department of IT and Software Engineering, aut

Mali Senapathi is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of IT and Software Engineering at the Auckland University of Technology. Originally from India, Mali has been at AUT since 1999. Mali’s research interests include agile software development, requirements engineering, and computing education. Mali has designed and taught courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study. She teaches mainly in the areas of databases, OO analysis and design, software engineering for services, and research methods.

Topic:  Diving into Data: learn to code SQL and PL/SQL using Oracle tools ​

AUT Profile

Maru Nihoniho
managing director, game producer and designer at Metia Interactive

Maru Nihoniho is the managing director, game producer and designer at Metia Interactive, an award-winning game development studio founded in 2003. 
Under Maru’s leadership Metia developed SPARX, an educational tool to help rangatahi combat depression. SPARX has won several awards including the 2011 United Nations World Summit Awards in the e-Health and Environment category and the UNESCO Netexplo Award in 2013.  Maru was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 for her work in gaming and mental health and awarded the Innovator of the Year in 2017 MCV Pacific Women in Games Awards from Microsoft Xbox.  She was appointed to the Māori Television Board in 2017.
In 2018 Maru completed a Master’s Degree in Technological Futures and also received the Māori Entrepreneurial Leader Award presented by Māori Business Leaders Awards, Māori Economic Development and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Topic: How programming and computer science in schools can be authentically relevant and engaging to Māori learners ​

naomi manu
founder and Director of Massey University’s Pūhoro STEM Academy  

PuhoroNaomi Manu of Rangitāne and Ngāti Kahungunu descent is the founder and Director of Massey University’s Pūhoro STEM Academy.  Puhoro STEM Academy, the Massey University-led science, technology, engineering and maths project was launched in 2016 with the goal of improving Maori leadership and capability in a world needing more scientists. Naomi had an aspiration to provide a programme to improve Maori student participation, access and success in STEM subjects that would provide exposure to career possibilities and opportunities to grow personal and professional skills in a way that included whanau and cultural values. The Puhoro STEM academy is now the most comprehensive indigenous STEM academy in the world.
Naomi is passionate about rangatahi development and in particular creating opportunities for rangatahi Māori to enhance their skills for increased economic transformation and knowledge creation. Naomi previously worked as a social sector researcher at Kāhui Tautoko Consulting Limited and held numerous senior advisory roles across multiple government agencies. Naomi was the principal investigator within numerous local and nationwide research projects including Youth Guarantee, Whānau Ora provision and Māori language revitalisation.

Topic: Puhoro Academy Programmes, Massey

DR ​sarah marshall
LECTURER ENGINEERING, COMPUTER & MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES, AUT ​

Sarah joined AUT in February 2014.  She teaches analytics papers at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.  Sarah’s research focuses on stochastic modelling for remanufacturing systems, inventory management and warranty cost analysis.  Sarah is the Industry Liaison for the Master of Analytics. This involves talking to organisations who are interested in providing projects for analytics students.  

Topic: Hungry for Data

​AUT Profile

Associate professor
sergiy Klymchuk
​Associate Professor of mathematics in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, AUT

​​Sergiy is an Associate Professor of mathematics in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, AUT.  He has been teaching university mathematics since 1980.  His PhD was in applied mathematics and recent research interests are in mathematics education.  He has been the author or co-author of over 240 publications including several books on popular mathematics.

Topic: Unlocking Creativity through Puzzles
​
AUT Profile

​dr stefan marks
senior lecturer at Creative Technologies, the interdisciplinary unit, AUT

Stefan is a researcher and senior lecturer at Creative Technologies, the interdisciplinary unit at Auckland University of Technology.  His main areas of research are virtual reality, visualisation, and computer graphics.  He combines these interests in his function as director of Sentience Lab, a facility for the development of immersive, multimodal and multisensory data visualisation and interaction. 
Stefan has eight years of industry experience as a hardware and software developer, a Diploma of Microinformatics, a Master’s Degree in Human-Computer Interaction from the Westfälische Hochschule, Germany and a PhD from The University of Auckland.
In his free time, Stefan enjoys hiking and photography.

Topic: “I can get you virtually anywhere” – Using VR/AR in the classroom

AUT Profile

​Steffan hOOPER
LECTURER ENGINEERING, COMPUTER & MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES, AUT

Steffan joined Auckland University of Technology in 2013, and has taught a variety of programming-related papers in the School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences.  He is currently Paper Leader for the first-year introductory paper, Programming 1, which introduces student to computer programming, as well as the third-year Game Programming paper where students get the opportunity to work in teams and implement their own game ideas.
Steffan has programming experience in C, C++, Java, C# and various assembly languages, and game and real-time computer graphics programming with industry standard APIs, such as DirectX and OpenGL.  He also has experience with in-house game engine development, as well as developing with commercial game engine middleware.
Prior to joining AUT, Steffan held the position of Senior Lecturer – Game Development at the Media Design School in Auckland.  Beginning in 2006, he developed and taught across a variety of papers offered in Media Design School’s game development-related programmes.
 
Title:  Unity 101

AUT Profile

Tanya gray
FREELANCE JAVA SCRIPT DEVELOPER at plexture

Tanya is a freelance JavaScript developer, currently developing analytics dashboards at Plexure. She has a history of teaching programming in high schools, and a passion for the web which she loves to share with anyone who will listen.
​
Topic 1: Programming, python for beginners 
Topic 2: Programming, java script for beginners

Tyne Crow
SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHER AND PHD STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

​Tyne Crow is a secondary teacher on sabbatical from Pakuranga College and currently a professional teaching fellow in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Auckland. He has taught programming at NCEA level in schools and is currently undertaking a doctoral project related to aspects of programming education in the context of the NZC and NCEA.

Topic: Improving quality of feedback in student programs
Website by AUT Events
  •