The Carol Giuriceo Computer Science Teacher of the Year Award

In 2021, the annual Rhode Island Computer Science (CS) Teacher of the Year Award was named in honor of Carol Giuriceo, a leader and champion of Computer Science for Rhode Island. Carol was passionate about including many different perspectives in all areas of her work. This award recognizes individuals who embody the impact of Carol’s work through collaboration, leadership, and innovation.

Michael Deslauriers graduated from Rhode Island College in 1996 with a BA in Secondary Education Mathematics.  He received his Master’s in Arts in Teaching Mathematics from Providence College in 2000. Michael saw the need for students to learn Computer Science so he started an AP Computer Science A course at Smithfield High School in September 2010.  After a couple of years of all boy classes, he started an Exploring Computer Science Semester Course to introduce female students to this field. In the fall of 2016 he started teaching an AP Computer Science Principles Course to get even more students interested. He then became a Code.org facilitator in 2018 for AP CSP in order to help other teachers bring CS to their students throughout the state. He later became a Code.org facilitator for AP CSA in 2022. Michael was Smithfield’s District Teacher of the year in 2021-22. He also helped create the CSTA Rhode Island Chapter and is currently the Vice President.  He runs several after school clubs such as Girls Who Code and a CyberPatriot Club. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 adult children. He enjoys fishing, sailing, skiing, biking, hiking and golf.

Elizabeth Patterson

2023 Carol Giuriceo Computer Science Teacher of the Year Award

Elizabeth (Liz) Patterson of Portsmouth High School has been selected as the 2023 Dr. Carol Giuriceo Computer Science Teacher of the Year! Liz was selected from a competitive applicant pool this year which speaks to the volume of exceptional Computer Science teachers in Rhode Island. Liz is a dedicated and passionate Math and Computer Science teacher who engages a diverse group of students with her love of technology. Beyond teaching Java, Video Game Development and AP CS Principles, Liz embraces a growth mindset and fosters a loving school community. Liz takes advantage of every professional learning opportunity that comes her way and pays it forward by sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience with her students. Liz’s advocacy for Computer Science in her school and district has led to increased opportunities for all Portsmouth students to engage in and further pursue Computer Science. Liz was a part of the team that worked closely with Dr. Carol Guiriceo to develop the Rhode Island Computer Science standards.

Patricia Piros

2022 Carol Giuriceo Computer Science Teacher of the Year Award

Patricia Piros (Pati) graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a BA in Management along with receiving her Master’s in Arts in Teaching in Special Education and Business from Johnson & Wales. She has also received her Computer Science Endorsement. Before making the transition to the education field, Pati worked at AT Cross where she developed her passion for teaching and learning. Pati is the Information Technology Program Teacher at East Providence High School's Career & Technical Center. In addition, she is the Head Coach for the girls cross country team, AV Advisor, SkillsUSA Advisor and a coach for the school's CyberPatriot teams. She loves teaching APCSP, Cyber Security, Computer Science Essentials and Intro to Computing and Data Science, just to name a few. For the past four years, Pati has been committed to supporting teachers and colleagues throughout RI to continuously improve and implement their CS programs as part of the CS4RI initiative as a Lead Trainer in CS. With connections to the corporate world, her passion is to empower students to acquire skills and opportunities that allow them to grow as individuals and to enter the workforce. She has collaborated with industry partners to place students in internships in both cybersecurity and IT within the RI business community. Pati focuses on building a collaborative environment where students can analyze and problem solve. She is a strong proponent of CS in her school and loves to see her students develop the same passion for CS that she has. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and doing outdoor activities, which includes walking her dog Bucky.

Alison Murray

2021 Carol Giuriceo Computer Science Teacher of the Year Award

Alison Murray teaches and inspires students in Central Falls and colleagues across the state. As 2021’s recipient of the Carol Giuriceo Computer Science Teacher of the Year award, Alison embodies all the values that Carol and the CS4RI team hold as a beacon in their work. She has worked tirelessly to broaden the reach of computer science for typically underrepresented students. She has done this by designing a comprehensive Computer Science program for students in Central Falls. She has implemented and broadly shared CS curriculum modifications to increase access for English language learners. She is committed to supporting her CS educator colleagues across the state to achieving the same excellence in their classrooms as she does in hers. As an example, she is committed to connecting students with diverse industry mentors so they can see themselves in the CS field. She has not only worked to connect her own students to a diverse group of industry mentors but has also created a website show-casing diverse Rhode Island CS professionals that serves as a resource for teachers and students across the state. This year’s recipient amazingly finds time serve as the Lead Trainer providing professional development to over 50 colleagues across the state as well as an active member of the Computer Science Teacher Association RI chapter.

Doug Rademacher

2020 CS4RI/CSTA-RI Computer Science Education Award 

Doug Rademacher, lead computer science and information technology teacher at the Met School in Providence, Rhode Island has been named the recipient of the 2020 CS4RI/CSTA-RI Computer Science Education Award.  The award recognizes an educator who demonstrates a strong commitment to computer science education in their schools, districts, and communities. 

Doug has been with the Met School in Providence since 2010. Prior to joining the Met, he worked in the IT industry, his last position being VP/CIO at Rhode Island-based APC. Over the past two years, Doug has developed the Met’s CS/IT program and established student internships at several local businesses and organizations. He worked with CS4RI this year to pilot a U.S. Department of Education funded work-based learning course which will be implemented in 10 schools next year. Doug is also a board member of Junior Achievement RI.

As the recipient of the award, Doug will be working with CSTA-RI and CS4RI to share innovative practices and pedagogy in computer science.

Bryan Lucas

2019 CS4RI/CSTA-RI Computer Science Education Award

Bryan Lucas, computer science/literacy teacher at Chariho Middle School has been named the recipient of the 2019 CS4RI/CSTA-RI Computer Science Education Award.

Bryan has been with the Chariho Regional School District since 2006 after a long and distinguished career with the United States Navy. His local and state involvement include working with the Center for Leadership and Educational Equity for middle school professional development and collaborating with University of Rhode Island faculty, the Rhode Island Department of Education and state offices to develop computer science curriculum for all Rhode island schools under a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. He also served on the advisory committee that developed the Rhode Island K-12 Computer Science Education Standards.