Leshell Hatley, PhD is an Associate Professor with Tenure of Computer Science at Coppin State University, a small Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Baltimore, MD.  She was recently recognized by technical.ly Baltimore as one of the Most Influential Technologists of 2020 in Baltimore City.  Leshell’s research interests cover artificial intelligence and its applications in learning technologies, computer science education, and broadening participation in STEM.  She and students in her research lab at Coppin State, the Lab for Artificial Intelligence and its Applications (LAIA), won the White House HBCU Maker and Innovation Challenge in 2016.   

Before joining the Coppin State Community in 2016, Leshell led Uplift, Inc. as the Founding Executive Director, a 501c3 nonprofit STEAM education organization. Uplift designed and facilitated YOUTH APPLab, the first mobile app development course for teens in the US, funded by the MacArthur Foundation (Winner of the 3rd Annual Digital Media & Learning Competition in 2009-2010) and is one of the first organizations to offer after school courses in Lego Mindstorms Robotics in Washington, DC over a decade ago.  

Leshell is a passionate computer engineer, educator, and researcher who continuously combines these three attributes to create innovative approaches to teaching STEM concepts to students between the ages of 3 and 73. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Leshell leads teams of enthusiastic students, dedicated volunteer instructors, and teams of engineering to achieve award winning success, national news coverage, and innovative technology product designs. She’s also a proud 2-time graduate of Howard University, a renowned HBCU in Washington, DC.