Biography
Lora Klein is a software engineer who has managed to raise six children, one tortoise, and seventeen houseplants while teaching computer science at Utah Tech University. She jokes that debugging code and debugging life require surprisingly similar skills. Off campus, she enjoys snowboarding at Brian Head, riding roller coasters at Six Flags, and rock climbing local crags and boulders with her family.
At Utah Tech, Lora teaches computer science and software engineering courses to high school students in the SUCCESS Academy program and to adult learners pursuing computing degrees on campus. She has helped launch a new master’s program in Software Development, establish the annual Computing Student Showcase, and mentor students through the Sandbox program—helping them turn their ideas into real-world projects and businesses.
She’s passionate about making computer science hands-on, creative, and relevant—especially through the use of active-learning methods and emerging technologies like AI. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree to expand her teaching into graduate-level courses and continue empowering students of all ages to grow, create, and succeed.
Previous Teaching
Began teaching at summer STEM camps with Girls Go Digital and CodeChangers, where she taught programming to students ages 8–18. She helped them discover the excitement of creating their own games instead of only playing them.
Experience
10 years of teaching experience.
Research & Interests
Her expertise lies in applied software engineering and computer science education. She focuses on ensuring students learn skills they can use after graduation. She is particularly interested in:
- Active learning strategies such as POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning)
- Integrating industry insights into classroom teaching
- Preparing students for professional software development
Presentations
- “Trailblazing POGIL-Inspired Activities in IT and Web,” Poster Presentation, National Conference for Advanced POGIL Practitioners (NCAPP), 2023
Conferences & Workshops
- POGIL Facilitator Workshop, Online (2021)
- POGIL Writing Workshop, Washington University, St. Louis, MO (2022)
- NCAPP, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (2023)
Awards & Honors
- CIT Student of the Year, Dixie State University (2017)
- Dixie 11 Award, Dixie State University (2017) – recognized as one of the top 11 bachelor’s degree graduates across all majors