Dr. Swati Mehta

Contact Information:
(+1) 224.730.6205
smehta@csudh.edu
mehtaswati.com/
@swati1201

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

I am a postdoctoral scholar at California State University, Dominguez Hills at Carson, CA. I have a doctorate in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology from Michigan State University. As a critical scholar, I employ culturally responsive lenses to understand the gendered and racialized experiences of students of color and women in computer science and engineering education and urge faculty to practice culturally responsive pedagogies in teaching. I have experience working on an NSF(STEM+C) funded project that used culturally situated design tools (csdt.org) to teach mathematical and computing concepts to students at the K12 level. As part of an NSF-ECE funded research project, I worked with first-generation, minoritized largely Hispanic mechanical engineering students to stress the use of case studies using principles of design thinking helping students to smoothly transition into their capstone courses. In addition to this, I facilitated research and online presence of MSU-Wipro Urban STEM & Leadership Teaching Fellowship Program, a project that worked with Chicago Public School district teachers to help them learn how to manipulate and use technology to foster learning and teaching.

EDUCATION

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology (2021)
Michigan State University

Graduate Certification in Science Education (2018)
Michigan State University

Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Operations Management and Information Technology (2010)
Devi Ahilya University, Indore

Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science (2008)
Rajiv Gandhi Technical University, Bhopal

 UNIVERSITY TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Adjunct Faculty, Kremen School of Education and Human Development, Fresno State University

CI 246: Action Research in the Multicultural Classroom: Capstone Project and Dissemination (Graduate level): Fall 2021, Fall 2022
CI 152: Adolescent Learning & Development (seminar, teaching credential course): Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2022

Instructor of Record, College of Education, Michigan State University

CEP 818: Creativity in Teaching and Learning (Graduate Level): Fall 2019, Fall 2018
CEP 416: Teaching and Learning with Technology (Undergraduate Level): Spring 2020, Fall 2019, Summer 2018.
CEP822: Approaches to Educational Research (CEP822; Graduate Level): Summer 2018
TE150: Reflection on Learning (Global Educators Cohort Program; Undergraduate level): Spring 2018
TE150: Reflection on Learning (General Section, Undergraduate level): Fall 2017

Teaching Assistant, College of Education, Michigan State University

TE150: Reflection on Learning (Online; Undergraduate level): Spring 2019
CEP800: Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings (Graduate Level): Fall 2018
CEP820: Teaching Students Online (Graduate Level) – Summer 2017

COLLEGE & K-12 TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Lecturer, Malwa Institute of Technology (MIT) – Master’s Level students

Courses: Information Technology, SQL, C++, Database Management Systems, Operations Research, and Operations Management (2012-2013)

Teacher, Middle and high school students in local schools in Indore, India (2009-2010).

FACILITATOR: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

Mehta, S. (2017, August). Planning to Transition to Teaching in the U.S. – An Introduction to U.S. and Michigan State University Student Culture & Teaching Policies. Teacher professional development workshop under Dr. Melissa McDaniels, Assistant Dean, The Graduate School & in collaboration with 20 peer facilitators.

Mehta, S. (2017, May). Youth Educators Society (YES) Conference. Young Educators Society Michigan Chapter. Youth College Readiness workshop under Dr. Sonya Gunnings-Moton, Associate Dean, Support Services & Engagement, College of Education, Michigan State University and in collaboration with 10 peer facilitators.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Summer 2022-Present: Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Liberal Studies, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA.

Team Leads: Dr. Mike Karlin, Assistant Professor, Department of Liberal Studies, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA.

Project: Snap Inc. Institute of Technology and Education (SITE) (Snap Inc. Grant)

Summer-Fall 2020: Research Assistant – Curriculum developer, School of Information, University of Michigan

Team Leads: Dr. Ron Eglash, Professor, School of Information, University of Michigan; Dr. Michael Lachney, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University

Project: VISTA: Virtual Inclusive Studios for working across all school grades (NSF STEM+C grant)

• Working with Dr. Eglash and Dr. Lachney to develop computer science curriculum around the culturally situated design tools found on csdt.org website (a virtual STEM+C multicultural studio suite).
• Background of the project: Dr. Eglash and his CSDT team are the creators of the CSDT web application tools that are being used by students and organizations across the globe, like, the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program, in schools in Upstate New York, and so on. These web tools allow students to learn about “heritage algorithms” of their interest through African, Indigenous, Mexican, Arabic, and Indian cultural practices and learn their connection to STEM principles. These tools allow children to use math and computing principles to simulate the patterns of cornrow braid styles, Appalachian & Lakota quilting designs, Mexican bead looms, Arabic and Indian henna designs, and many more other cultural design practices.

Spring 2019-Spring 2020: Research Assistant, College of Education, Michigan State University
Team Lead: Dr. Michael Lachney, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University

Project: Programming Identities: Educational Technologists Perceptions and Beliefs about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

• Conducting interviews with software developers and educational technologists to understand their beliefs and perceptions concerning issues of equity, diversity, and inclusivity in CS education, with specific attention to how these issues inform software design and development.
• Working with Dr. Lachney on the Institutional Review Board (IRB) application involving the development of the interview protocol and questions, consent form, and fulfilling all the requirements of the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP).
• Working on data analysis, journal articles, and conference proposals and presentations.

Fall 2015 – Summer 2019: Research Assistant, College of Education, Michigan State University
Team Leads: Dr. Aman Yadav, Professor, Michigan State University and co-lead Dr. Ashlie Martini, Associate Professor, University of California, Merced

Project: Case-Based Instruction in Engineering Education (CaBIE)

• • Working on grants, research projects and papers that use case studies to introduce design thinking to first-generation and underrepresented students to help them transition from classroom and lab-based learning to engineering capstone design and ultimately to their careers in engineering fields.
  • Developing pre- and post-test surveys for analyzing design thinking conceptions of students.
  • Developing case studies that use designing thinking to expand engineering students’ view of problem formulation and solution development.
  • Leading data analysis, journals articles, grant proposals, and conference proposals and presentations.

Fall 2015- Spring 2017: Research Assistant, College of Education, Michigan State University
Project Directors: Dr. Sonya Gunnings-Moton, Dr. Punya Mishra, and Dr. Leigh Graves Wolf

Project: Michigan State University Urban STEM (MSUrbanSTEM) Leadership program

• Worked on research papers on teacher’s creation of STEM lesson plans and combining and reinventing TPACK and STEM teaching.
• Worked on designing curriculum activities for teachers around maker education and STEM teaching.
• Worked on data analysis, conference proposals, and conference presentations.
• Managing online presence of MSUrbanSTEM (2015 and 2016 cohorts) and the MSUrbanSTEM main website.

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

Yadav, A., Alexander, V., & Mehta, S. (2019). Case-based instruction in undergraduate engineering: Does student confidence predict learning? International Journal of Engineering Education, 35(1A), 25-34.

Seals, C., Mehta, S., Berzina-Pitcher, I., & Graves-Wolf, L. (2017). Enhancing teacher efficacy for Urban STEM teachers facing challenges to their teaching. Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, & Research, 13, 135-146.

Mehta, R., Mehta, S. & Seals, C. (2017). A Holistic Approach to Science Education: Disciplinary, Affective, and Equitable. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 36(3), 269-286. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved from http://www.learntechlib.org/d/180388

Seals, C., Mehta, S., Graves Wolf, L. & Marcotte, C. (2017). Theory and Implementation of an Innovative Teacher Professional Development Program. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 36(3), 219-235. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved April 16, 2018 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/180385/.

Mehta, S., Mehta, R., Berzina-Pitcher, I., Seals, C. & Mishra, P. (2016). 49 Stories That Make an Ultimate STEM Lesson Plan. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 35(4), pp. 343-353. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved from http://www.learntechlib.org/d/174349

BOOK CHAPTER

Henriksen, D., Mehta, R. & Mehta, S. (2019). Design thinking gives STEAM to teaching: A framework that breaks disciplinary boundaries. In M. Khine & S. Areepattamannil (Eds.). STEAM Education: Theory, Research, and Practice (pp. 57-78). Switzerland: Springer

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Lachney, M., Mehta, S., Dunbar, K., & Opps, Z. (2021). Educational Technologists Talk about the Politics of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity in Design and Development. Paper accepted at the American Educational Research Association in the SIG on Design and Technology.

Mehta, S. (2020). A Technofeminist Lens for Exploring Undergraduate Women’s Belonging and Persistence in Computing. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education as a Panel on Computational Thinking/Computer Science Education in Higher Education — Pedagogical Strategies, Supports, and Initiatives.

Yadav, A., & Mehta, S. (2019). Learning from Case-Based Instruction in Engineering: Does Confidence Predict Learning? Paper presented at American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.

Mehta, S. & Yadav, A. (2019). Gendered Representation in Computer Science: Exploring Women’s Belonging, Interest, Confidence, and Persistence. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.

Mehta, S. & Yadav, A. (2018). Gender Inequity in Computer Science: Undergraduate women’s belonging, interest, confidence, and persistence in CS. Paper presented at the 44th Annual Research on Women and Education (RWE) Conference. San Antonio, TX, USA.

Mehta, S., Good, J., Sands, P., Yadav, A., Gretter, S. & Levenhagen-Seeley, J. (2018). Impact of After-School Learning Programs on High School Girls’ Confidence and Interest in Computing. In E. Langran & J. Borup (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 372-378). Washington, D.C., United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved April 16, 2018 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/182551/.

Mehta, S., Yadav, A., & Martini, A. (2017, March). Students’ conceptions of engineering design: An exploratory study in an engineering capstone course. Poster presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Conference. San Antonio, TX.

Mishra, P., Graves-Wolf, L., Gunnings-Moton, S., Seals, C., Mehta, R., Berzina, I., Mehta, S., Horton, A., Shack, K., Marcotte, C., Cosby, M. & Pawlicki, D. (2016). Reinventing TPACK, STEM Teaching and Leadership in an Urban Context. In G. Chamblee & L. Langub (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 1265-1269). Savannah, GA, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved April 16, 2018 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/171853/.

Mehta, S., Mehta, R., Berzina-Pitcher, I., Seals, C., & Mishra, P. (2016). 49 Stories that Make an Ultimate STEM Lesson Plan. In Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2016 (pp. 2398-2406). Chesapeake, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

Yadav, A., Alexander, V., & Mehta, S. (2016). Case-Based Instruction in STEM: Analysis of student confidence. Proceeding of International Conference on Learning and Teaching in Computing and Engineering (pp. 24-26), Mumbai, India: IEEE. DOI: 10.1109/LaTiCE.2016.46.

GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS

Grants:

2021 (not funded): Computer Science Equity & Diversity advisor on the California Department of Education, 2021 Educator Workforce Investment Grant Program: Computer Science. $5 million.

Travel Grants:

MSU Graduate Student CEPSE Conference Travel Grant (2016; $500)
MSU Graduate Student CEPSE Conference Travel Grant (2018; $500)Grants:

Fellowships: 

2021: Dissertation Completion Fellowships ($7000) are funded by the Graduate School at Michigan State University and are intended to expedite the completion of strong dissertations by providing students additional funding and thus time to dedicate to completion of their dissertations.

2017: Inside Teaching MSU – Innovation Hub Graduate Fellowship ($5000) for graduate students is to expose them to intellectual spaces at MSU where innovation in teaching and learning is occurring – within collaborative projects between academic departments and the MSU-Innovation Hub (“the Hub”). Website: http://insideteaching.grad.msu.edu/

2016: Fellowship to Enhance Global Understanding (FEGU) ($500) to China in collaboration with Southwest University in Chongqing, China, the Chongqing Municipal Educational Committee, and the Beijing Normal University to observe the educational system in China, exchange ideas with the local educators, and to gain an international perspective of what the education system is like in China.Website and blog post: http://china2016.educ.msu.edu/index.php/2016/06/15/experiencing-china-its-culture-and-education/

WORKSHOPS ATTENDED

AAUW Start Smart Salary Negotiation. Michigan State University (Spring 2018)
Michigan State University

Communicating your Professional and Scholarly Self Workshop Series (Spring 2018)
Michigan State University

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2012 – 2015: Higher Education Counselor

Employer: The Globalizers

• Worked online and in-person on organizing motivational and assessment sessions to students aspiring to pursue education internationally. Providing counseling sessions in Information Technology, Information Systems, and Management Information Systems for students and parents.

2010 – 2012: Financial Sales Associate, Sales

Employer: HDFC Bank

• Undertook team leadership, training employees, providing investment reviews for clients, and providing customer support.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Journal of Educational Computing Research (A SAGE Journal)
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE)
Association for Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

SERVICE

Reviewer, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2021, 2020
Steward, Graduate Employees Union, Ed. Psych. & Ed. Tech. department (2018-19).
Evaluator, University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF), Michigan State University (2018).
Volunteer at Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) Conference (2018).
Volunteer for teachers from Azim Premji Institute, India visiting Michigan State University as part of a collaborative project (2016).
Reviewer, American Educational Research Association (AERA) (2016).
Volunteered at Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) Conference (2016).

LEADERSHIP INITIATIVES

Social Initiative for Women’s issue: Collaborated with two colleagues at College of Education at Michigan State University to extend initiatives begun by the Women’s March in January 2017. Conducted an action-oriented group looking to welcome diverse members to discuss and act on social causes across MSU and the Lansing area.