Leo Porter

Dr. Leo Porter serves as a Professor of Computer Science at UC San Diego, where he co-founded the Computing Education Research Laboratory focused on understanding how students learn computing and creating inclusive learning environments. His journey includes service as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy's Pacific fleet and Operation Iraqi Freedom before earning his M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science from UC San Diego in 2007. His groundbreaking research in computer science education, particularly on Peer Instruction and active learning pedagogies, has earned numerous accolades, including Best Paper Awards at SIGCSE and the International Computing Education Research Conference. Recently, he co-authored "Learn AI-Assisted Python Programming" with Daniel Zingaro, addressing the integration of AI tools in programming education. His research spans computer architecture, educational technology, and student learning assessment, with particular emphasis on using data-driven approaches to predict student outcomes and identify critical course concepts. As a Distinguished Member of the ACM, he has influenced over 500,000 learners through popular Coursera and edX courses while maintaining active research in both computer science education and computer architecture.