DES MOINES, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa is pleased to announce that Sarah Diesburg, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, is one of the Technology Association of Iowa’s Computer Science Educators of the Year.

Diesburg is one of five Iowa educators who earned the award during the Technology Association of Iowa’s 2022 Prometheus Awards ceremony in Des Moines earlier this month.

“I am very honored to be the only four-year college educator to receive this award in its first year of inclusion in the Prometheus Awards,” said Diesburg. “I would not be able to bring these technologies into the classroom without incredible teamwork with the computer science department and the UNI IT department. I'm especially grateful to Marty Mark, UNI Network & Infrastructure Services and Information Security for their help and support.”

The Prometheus Awards unites innovators and leaders from technology, business, education and government organizations across the state to celebrate the year's most momentous achievements in technology.  

“The future of Iowa technology begins in the classroom, and we are so happy to honor these amazing educators who work tirelessly to equip the next generation with future-ready skills and prepare them for successful careers,” said Brian Waller, President of the Technology Association of Iowa (TAI).  

Eugene Wallingford, head of the UNI Department of Computer Science, says he’s glad to see Diesburg honored for her work by industry leaders.

“We are so happy to see Sarah honored by the TAI this year,” he said. “She works hard to create great learning experiences for our students, and it's nice to know that members of the tech community recognize the quality of her work.”

Diesburg joined the UNI Department of Computer Science in 2013. During her time at the institution, she’s been awarded the designation of UNI Center for Educational Transformation Fellow for the years 2015-2017, and she is the overall winner of the 2016 Technology Association of Iowa Women of Innovation Award in the Academic Innovation and Leadership category. 

Diesburg is currently involved with a National Science Foundation-funded Computer Science for All initiative to train Iowa teachers to prepare and teach high-quality computer science courses to Iowa students. Beyond that, her research interests involve using emerging technologies to facilitate classroom learning and ways to engage women and underrepresented minorities in computer science.