We are pleased to announce that the 2020 Susan Dean CCSC Distinguished Service Award recipient is Laura Baker. Dr. Laura Baker has been associated with CCSC for 30 years. She has served in various capacities over the past three decades, but perhaps most notably has served as the Program/Papers Chair for the South Central region since 2004. She is very dedicated to this position and her colleagues consider it to have been an honor to work with her.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 CCSC Annual General Business meeting was held virtually. Dr. Baker will be receiving this award during the next CCSC:SC Conference.Laura Baker
Due almost entirely to Laura Baker’s dedication and continuity of service, the South Central regional meetings are well‐organized and efficient. Laura is professional, but very pleasant and thoughtful. She greets everyone on the board by name and is quick to complement. She is welcoming to new members, making sure everyone in the room is comfortable.
Laura’s expertise in running the annual CCSC:SC conferences is notable, and her attention to detail, as well as ensuring a fair and professional review process of the submitted papers, is unmatched. In addition to her high level of professionalism, she is always energetic and hard‐working, which carries over to each steering committee member. At every meeting, Laura ensures that every member not only contributes, but also feels confident with their committee position and contributions. Her years‐long experience in CCSC and running these conferences is evident through their success rate. Laura is remarkably dedicated to the success of the annual conference, and is a true blessing to the South Central Region.
In addition to serving in this capacity with CCSC:SC since 2004, Laura has been committed to the success of the overall CCSC organization throughout her career. She served as president of the CCSC national board from 2012–2014 after serving as vice president from 2010‐2012. Prior to this, she served multiple terms as the South Central Representative to the CCSC National Board.
CCSC is indebted to Laura for her many years of dedication to the organization and to Computer Science education in general. It is with great pleasure that we present the 2020 Susan Dean CCSC Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Laura Baker.