Welcome! And thanks for visiting.

In 2016, with a Master's degree in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language and almost eight years in the teaching field, I decided to transition into a career in software development.

 

Through the process of learning to code, I was delighted to discover the many analogies between learning human languages and learning programming languages, and have since spoken and written extensively on this topic.

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Over the last few years, I've had a ton of fun improving my programming skills, as well as advocating for and supporting folks who are trying to make the transition into technology careers. I truly believe that with sufficient time, motivation, and support from the community, anybody can learn how to code and become a software developer.

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I've also become passionate about applying evidence-based science to help software teams learn, work, and thrive. I've been using my background in learning science, pedagogy, and classroom-based research to develop innovative workshops, interventions, and curricula that promote effective behavior change on software teams.

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I also enjoy contributing to the engineering community through writing articles and giving conference talks, aiming to demystify empirical research on software teams for those best equipped to utilize its insights.

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When I'm not doing the above, I'm probably curled up with a book, or learning something new, or running up hills in the Colorado Rockies, or traveling to faraway places, or working on my golf swing, or beating my husband at ping pong.

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Feel free to get in touch, especially if you need someone to convince you that you, too, can successfully transition into a career in computer programming. If I could do it, you can do it.

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Following are research, presentations, articles, webinars, podcasts and interviews published and hosted externally:

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> Research

• The New Developer: AI Skill Threat, Identity Change & Developer Thriving in the Transition to AI-Assisted Software Development

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> Conference Presentations

• "I Didn't Grow up Speaking Code": GitHub Copilot as a Programming-as-a-Second-Language Tool" (Monki Gras 2024)

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• ​​​Using a learning-themed retrospective to strengthen your team’s learning culture and reduce learning debt (LeadDev New York 2023)

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• How a Year in Engineering Leadership Has Made Me a Better Individual Contributor  (LeadDev SanFran 2022 | Selected for LeadDev's Annual Wrapped Conference where they recast the best of the year's presentations from their four conferences)​

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> Articles

• Improve your learning culture with retrospectives

• Close technical skills gaps with a principal learning engineer​

• ​What second language acquisition can teach us about learning to code: Part 1​

• SLA Insights Part 2: Input, Interaction & Output

• SLA Insights Part 3: Noticing and Attitudes

• How Business Can Hone STEM Skills Outside of Academia

• How to Find and Solve Engineering Bottlenecks

• Solving Engineering Bottlenecks Is Key To Increasing Productivity and Delivering Value to Customers

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> Podcasts

• ​Learning to Code and Embracing Failure - All Hands on Tech

• The Definition of Done - Perspectives in Leadership

 

> Webinars

• Applications of Foreign Language Learning to Coding

 

> Interviews

• Inspiring Women in Tech: Interview with Kristen Foster-Marks

• Women in Tech: “Remember to ask for a lot of help along the way”

• The data engineering leaders need to prioritize

• Create your own talent: build developers from nontech employees

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> Miscellany

• Flow@Flow - Drinking our own Champagne

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