Reagan Razon has long been interested in the intersections of computer science, education and policy. As a computer science major studying child policy research, Reagan found her perfect fit course when she enrolled in Equity in STEM Education (EGR190S/EDUC290S) her junior year.
In taking this course, led by Dr. Whitney McCoy, Reagan became involved with the InventHERS Institute, a program that provides mentorship and hands-on engineering experiences for young girls and their caregivers from local underserved communities. Dr. McCoy, creator and founder of InventHERS, invited students enrolled in Equity in STEM Education to participate in the Institute’s weekend sessions to serve as mentors to local third through fifth grade girls.
The following summer, Reagan was invited by Dr. McCoy to participate in research using data collected during the Institute. She has continued to work with Dr. McCoy -- as part of the L.I.F.T. LAB at Duke -- on other endeavors related to engineering education and outreach in the Durham community as they directly relate to her thesis project.
Read on to learn more about Reagan, her research, and what she plans to do next.
Q&A with Reagan Razon
Responses have been edited for clarity.
What is your thesis about?
My project looks at how informal programs increase students' confidence and self-efficacy in elementary and middle school grades. More specifically, the purpose of my research is to investigate student outcomes associated with informal, mentorship-based, computer science (CS) programs, focusing on the relationships between self-efficacy, STEM identity, and utility among students in grades 4-8.
What inspired this project?
Currently, I am president of a group called CS Sidekicks, which is a group that was started by Duke students around four years ago, with the goal of empowering a future generation of computer scientists specifically in Durham. We teach CS to students in Durham Public Schools for free twice a week after school. This is a very informal computer science program that centers on mentorship. I've always been interested to learn what impact programs like this have on students' confidence, perceptions of CS, and perceptions of themselves. Specifically, I looked at the constructs of self efficacy - their belief in their ability to do CS - and their belief in the utility of CS. Do we think it’s useful? And then this new concept called equity ethic, which is the idea that marginalized students have a motivation to use CS to help the community for good. This is seen when students want to use CS to build tools for the community. I was interested in seeing how these different constructs occur in elementary and early middle school students because a lot of this research is done on high school students and undergraduates.
The main impetus for this project, however, was House Bill 8 that passed two years ago and mandates a CS graduation requirement for high school students in North Carolina by 2026. A lot of activists have been pushing for these policies across the United States. However, when I'm looking at this policy I think, "What about the students who will drop out of CS or what if the CS classes will push them out?" That will lead to attrition and to lower graduation rates for specific demographic groups.
A lot of activists have been pushing for these policies across the United States. However, when I'm looking at this policy I think, "What about the students who will drop out of computer science or what if the computer science classes will push them out?"
So, my whole idea for this project is that the existence of programs like CS Sidekicks at an early age can help students enter high school already feeling confident about CS, and thus, able to pass the courses and graduate. We know that just mandating something does not mean gaps will necessarily close.
What professor(s) had the most impact on your journey here? Why?
Integral to my [Child Policy Research] capstone course and CS thesis were Dr. Katie Rosanbalm and Dr. Whitney McCoy.
They both bring an evident passion to their work, whether they’re teaching classes or working on their interventions.
That's what I've loved about being in the Child Policy Research Certificate program is that all of the professors that I've had in the program have been very caring with students, sharing resources and being transparent about what it’s like to do their job. This is not always present in other disciplines.
Dr. Rosanbalm takes the time to give very specific feedback on your work. This is something that's very valuable but time consuming, and I admire that because it helps you find very targeted things to improve upon. That’s something I want to take with me if I do go into teaching. It shows students that professors really do care about your success and growth.
Dr. Whitney McCoy and Reagan Razon at AERA 2025 Annual Meeting.
With Dr. McCoy, I admire her passion for her research interests in equity in research education. Just seeing how she build the InventHERS Institute and where it is now just two years later is incredible. I was grateful to work with her last summer and attend the annual American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference with her recently. I got to witness the larger research community get excited about her work with InventHERS. It was exciting to see that you can be doing something in Durham, North Carolina and people around the nation can be wanting to bring your work to where they are or build upon it.
Dr. Rosanbalm and Dr. McCoy have also encouraged me to apply for opportunities like the Morris Fellowship. Before this year, when I was thinking about the projects I wanted to do while at Duke, I didn't fully understand that I didn’t have to be a public policy major or in a certain discipline to do a thesis related to education.
I was the first CS student to get the Child Policy Research Certificate, and I wasn't sure if my work would be eligible for the Morris Fellowship. Dr. Rosanbalm and Dr. McCoy encouraged me to apply, even when I was unsure. I did, and I was awarded the fellowship. Their encouragement helped me see that if you say no to yourself first then obviously you won't get it. But if you put yourself out there, there’s a possibility that you can. I am grateful that I’ve been able to shift my mindset and put myself out there.
Where do you hope to go next?
I'm currently an intern at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Being able to work in a state department has exposed me to all aspects of policy development. I've really enjoyed this internship. I've been able to work on CS education projects, as well as rural education grants and policymaking.
In the future, I'd love to do something in the same realm and continue influencing education. Being a NC native, I would hope to return to North Carolina after I pursue more training and education.
In the near future, I'll be moving to New York and doing something to build up my technical skills in CS. For me, this will be more of a building block toward my aspiration of pursuing a PhD in the realm of education or education policy and focus on STEM or K-5 education.