Initiatives

Dr. Rizk has dedicated her career to reimagining how undergraduate students learn, grow, and thrive in computing. Through a comprehensive ecosystem of initiatives — including the CodePathways Mentorship Program, Scholar Enrichment Program (SEP) workshops, SheCodes, and the AI Triangle framework — she is actively closing the gap between classroom theory and real-world practice. Her initiatives are grounded in a belief that every studen deserves structured, personalized support to reach their potential. From organizing AI hackathons and data science showcases to leading competitive programming teams, Dr. Rizk continually pushes the boundaries of what undergraduate CS education can look like.

A champion for inclusion and equity, Dr. Rizk has built programs that specifically target underrepresented groups in computing. SheCodes empowers undergraduate women to mentor middle and high school girls from marginalized communities through coding and digital storytelling. Her Women Coding for Success and Women Empowerment Booster programs invite companies to offer education and internship opportunities to women in STEM. The (RS)²@UH Retention Strategies program provides one-on-one mentoring to help students navigate the challenges of university life and graduate on time. Through these efforts, Dr. Rizk fosters a culture of belonging, ensuring that diversity and representation are not afterthoughts but core pillars of her department.

The impact of Dr. Rizk's work is found on many students each semester. Through initiatives like CoogTube, the Microsoft Tech Resilience Program, and TA/Mentor Training, students become active creators of knowledge rather than passive consumers — developing communication skills, deepening their understanding, and building a lasting repository of peer-generated learning resources. Together, these efforts transform students into confident, collaborative, and career-ready computer scientists.