Ralph A. Morelli

Ralph Morelli serves as Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at Trinity College, where he has established himself as a leading innovator in computer science education and mobile computing. As Principal Investigator of the Mobile CSP project, an NSF-funded initiative, he has transformed computer science education by developing a curriculum that uses mobile app development to teach computer science principles. The project, launched in 2013, has trained more than 700 teachers and reached over 30,000 students globally, with a particular focus on increasing participation among underrepresented groups in computer science. His work includes developing the Mobile Computer Science Principles curriculum, a College Board-endorsed AP Computer Science Principles course that engages students through building socially useful Android and iOS mobile apps using MIT's App Inventor. During 2012-13, he contributed to the App Inventor development team at the MIT Center for Mobile Learning, enhancing the platform's educational capabilities. His academic contributions extend to authoring "Java, Java, Java: Object-Oriented Problem Solving," and developing Quizly, an open-source toolkit for creating live-coding exercises in App Inventor. Through initiatives like Mobile Apps for Hartford, he continues to promote community engagement by helping students develop mobile applications that benefit local organizations.