Daniel Moix, the director of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts Coding Arkansas’ Future initiative, recently was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Computing.
The Arkansas Academy of Computing is administered by the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The purpose of the organization is to:
- Recognize persons who have made significant and sustained contributions to the computing industry;
- Influence and advocate computing and information technology education at all levels and jobs within our state;
- Raise funds among the membership to provide direct scholarships to students and support related programs; and
- Promote professionalism in the field of computing.
Academy inductees must have graduated from an Arkansas institution of higher education and/or have had a significant portion of their computing career within the state of Arkansas.
Moix, a member of ASMSA’s Class of 1998, has served as director of Coding Arkansas’ Future since its inception in spring 2015. The program has included computer science education courses for school districts statewide, both high school and middle school.
The main focus of the program has been to provide teachers from across the state opportunities to learn computer science while teaching courses at their own school as well as to prepare for the state computer science licensure test. It also offers professional development opportunities for current computer science instructors who want to continue to grow their computer science skills.
“It's a tremendous honor to be inducted in the Arkansas Academy of Computing,” Moix said. “The organization recognizes professionals with ties to Arkansas whose work has advanced the field of computing. While my contributions have been in education, the membership spans the full spectrum of sectors. I look forward to the opportunity to connect with those who came before me and laid the foundation for computing in the state.
“A number of the ArAoC missions align directly with the work we do at ASMSA. The organization works to support and promote computing and information technology education at all levels and to promote computer literacy. The organization does this through scholarships funded by member donations. ASMSA does this through our various outreach and professional development programs.”
Moix has previously been recognized as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and was one of 10 teachers internationally who received an Award for Teaching Excellence in Computer Science from Infosys Foundation USA, the Association of Computing Machinery and the Computer Science Teachers Association.
The Arkansas Academy of Computing held induction ceremonies on Oct. 11. Moix was one of eight new members accepted into the organization this year.