B.S.:Educational Technology and Culturally Responsive Design
Any other major, minor, certificate, and/or honors that will be on your graduation records
- Honor College Certificate
Degree Mentors
- Dr. Karen Chen, Assistant Professor, Information Systems
- Dr. Jamie Gurganus, Assistant Teaching Professor, College of Engineering and Information Technology
- Dr. Vickie Williams, Director of Student Services, Department of Education
- Steven McAlpine, Assistant Teaching Professor, Individualized Study
Why did you choose to major in INDS?
I felt incredibly limited by the predetermined path that the information systems four-year degree plan had set. I felt as if I didn't have full autonomy in what I was learning and was able to pursue my interdisciplinary interest. Especially with my desire to code, program, create, and improve, I realized that I wanted to do so in the field of education. Thus, HCI (human-computer interaction) and ID/UX (interface design/user experience) became my primary academic and research interests. Media and communication are invaluable assets to this interface design, so I take classes in IS, education, and MCS to fulfill all aspects of what I initially thought I could never discover.
What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you see using your INDS degree?
I plan to conduct educational technology research abroad and apply to graduate school to earn my PhD while also working a job related to curriculum design and development.
Were you involved in any clubs or organizations? Did you hold any leadership positions? URCAD? URA? Off-campus internships? On-campus research experiences?
- Vice President, UMBC African Student Association
- PeerSIST Mentor & Data Science Scholar, UMBC CWIT program
- Research Assistant, UMBC Education Department
- Research Assistant, UMBC ITE Department
- Researcher as a Principal Investigator and Presenter at URCAD
Joy is a Zainab Damji Memorial Scholarship and an INDS Award Recipient
For More information on Joy's INDS journey please click here: