Connor Bain

Hello world! I’m a Teaching Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Northwestern University.

My research lies at the intersection of computer science and the learning sciences and focuses on 1. cognitive studies of computer science learners; 2. teacher learning and practice (specifically pedagogical content knowledge); 3. agent-based modeling in educational contexts. I often advise undergraduate, masters, and doctoral research projects adjacent to these areas in addition to those focused on computer science education, teacher professional development, and AI in education.

In the CS Department at NU, I teach both at the intro and upper-level but specialize in large course coordination. My COMP_SCI 111 Fundamentals of Computer Programming I course routinely has 400+ engineering and other STEM major students enrolled while COMP_SCI 110 Introduction to Computer Programming usually has around 300 students from majors across the university. My upper-level seminar courses tend to focus on CS Pedagogy, communication, and cognitive aspects of computer science education. As a CS+LS Affiliate faculty member, I often teach courses cross listed in both departments like COMP_SCI & LRN_SCI 372/472 - Designing and Constructing Models with Multi-agent Languages.

Since 2025, I’ve also served as the Faculty Chair of Willard Residential College (Northwestern’s largest and most storied residential college).