Yolanda Lozano

My CSTA Story

I joined CSTA in 2018 when I began teaching in New Mexico. As the only CS teacher at my high school, I was thrilled to connect with like-minded educators statewide and nationally. Gradually, I became more involved, leveraging my programming experience to contribute to the group. This led to my role as president of the New Mexico chapter, and eventually, I was elected to the board.

My Story

Yolanda’s interest in computer science began as a TA for a technology course at the University of Michigan. She earned an MS in data modeling and Management from Carnegie Mellon, followed by roles at Rice University and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. She later embraced an entrepreneurial challenge with a Harvard Business School tech/finance start-up, leading to its successful acquisition. After a career in software, retiring from Citrix Systems in corporate strategy, she now manages funding from NSF, USDA, and major tech companies to advance equitable CS education. Yolanda serves on the IEEE Quantum Education Committee, is a board member of Elevate Quantum Workforce Collaborative (EQWC), state representative for AI4K12, treasurer of the Computer Science Teachers Association, and teaches computer science at Gogebic Community College.