Warter-Perez, Nancy

2016 Distinguished Alumni Award

For outstanding contributions to research, education, and the advancement of underrepresented minorities in engineering

Nancy Warter-Perez is a professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology at California State University Los Angeles. She is also the Director of the National Science Foundation IMPACT LA GK-12 Program, which helps to change the image of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in society by training graduate students to communicate their research to a broad audience, works with middle school teachers to bring research-related STEM activities into their classrooms, and provides a wide-range of opportunities for underrepresented minority students to explore science and engineering careers. Over the past five years, the IMPACT LA Program has impacted more than 5,000 underserved middle and high school students from East Los Angeles.

Additionally, Warter-Perez has developed and taught a broad range of computer engineering courses and, since 2000, has co-developed curriculum for training biologists and computer scientists in the emerging field of bioinformatics.

Warter-Perez has published widely on compiler techniques for high-performance computing and on collaborative project based learning (CPBL), an active learning strategy for engaging students using a tablet-based platform. Her CPBL work has been proven to enhance student retention and persistence in computer engineering. She is currently co-leading an academy to train other STEM faculty in CPBL and other active learning strategies.