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Owen Astrachan

Owen Astrachan

Duke

Durham, NC USA

Career Roadmap

Owen's work combines: Education, Technology, and Teaching / Mentoring

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Day In The Life

Professor of the Practice

I work to change what computer science education means.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Dartmouth College

  • Doctorate

    Mathematics, General

    Dartmouth College

Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary:

Bachelor's Degree: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

Graduate Degree: Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life took a while to figure out

  • 1.

    Wanted to change the world by teaching high school math.

  • 2.

    Discovered that teaching is a tough job, very rewarding but tough.

  • 3.

    Learned that computer science has lots to offer, spent a summer at CMU learning this.

  • 4.

    Went to graduate school to merge my vocation and my avocation.

  • 5.

    Figured out that teaching is teaching, but teaching college is a little different.

  • 6.

    Was very fortunate: right place at the right time for being a teaching professor.

  • 7.

    Became comfortable teaching a room of 20 and a room of 200 students.

  • 8.

    Started working on CS Principles in 2008.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Friends:

    You are capable of much more than you're doing now, you can do more.

  • How I responded:

    If you really love what you're doing, you can go so much further than even you imagine.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • I made so little money my first years teaching that I often was way way behind paying my bills. I often invented excuses, but eventually I paid them.