Getting Help

Having questions or getting stuck on something is entirely expected in the learning process. If you find something challenging with your studies, that is a sign you are learning! Learning is not something that you need to do alone though! In fact, connecting with your peers or asking a member of the course staff for help can add extreme depth to your knowledge.

If you have a general question that other students could potentially benefit from, considering posting on Ed! On Ed, you can also set your questions to private or anonymous as you see appropriate.

We are often available at other times by appointment, and we encourage you to schedule 1:1 appointments whenever you want to talk about concepts, grades, or anything else.

Ed Tips

  • If you are asking a general question about the course logistics or content, you can make a public post. This way other students can benefit from seeing your question, and you can even answer each other’s questions to share your perspectives!
    • If you want, you can choose to post anonymously so that other students in the course can’t see your name. Note that anonymous posting does not hide your identity from the course staff.
  • You’re encouraged to answer each other’s questions as well! Explaining a topic to someone else (even on a discussion board) is a great way to help you better understand the material The course staff will still look over student answers and can nicely point out some misconception if there is one so that everyone benefits.
  • If you have a question that’s pretty specific to your homework solution, or, is about some personal details that you would not want to share with the class (e.g., DRS accommodations), you can make a private post on Ed that is only visible to the course staff. This way, any member of the staff can respond to get you the help you need!
  • For sensitive matters that you only want to discuss with Fitz, you can instead email Fitz if that makes you feel more comfortable. Note that the response time for Fitz’s email is longer than posting on the Ed board.

Instructor

Photo of Alessia S. Fitz Gibbon

Alessia S. Fitz Gibbon he/him

asfg@cs

Hi! I typically go by “Fitz” – I’ll respond to that or Alessia, but Fitz is my default. I’ve been an instructor with CSE since 2019, but I’ve been teaching in one capacity or another for a long time before that. I’ve taught CS and programming to students as young as 8, emeritus professors, and everything in between. I’ve taught your typical undergraduate student, incarcerated prisoners, working professionals looking to change careers, software engineers looking to just pick up another skill, and many others. No matter the subject or audience, I fundamentally believe that anyone can learn anything.

Outside of teaching, I work in the software industry. I spent 12 years between Amazon and Google, and recently joined a startup called Temporal Technologies. And, outside of technology, I like to do small home improvement projects, ski, play games, and hang out with my dog and two cats.

Teaching Assistants

Photo of Aneesha

Aneesha she/her

aneeshra@uw

Quiz Section: AD

Hello everyone! My name is Aneesha, and I am an incoming senior studying Computer Science in the B.S./M.S. program. I have TA‘d for CSE 163 for 3 quarters, and this is my second time for CSE 160. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, traveling, learning languages, running, and playing with my dog. I spent the entire last school year studying abroad in Zurich, Switzerland, but I’m excited to be back and TA for CSE 160 this quarter! If you have any questions or just want to chat, feel free to reach out!


Photo of Annalisa

Annalisa she/her

anname37@uw

Quiz Section: AG

I am looking forward to TAing this quarter (my last quarter, sob). I am also doing a degree in International Studies, so hit me up if you want to chat about CSE 160, Eurovision (topic of my thesis), or anything else that wanders into your brain. We are going to have a fantastic spring quarter!


Photo of Chandler

Chandler he/him/his

chanlp@uw

Quiz Section: AB

Hi everyone! My name is Chandler and I am a PhD student in Computer Science and Engineering in the Allen School. I do research in DNA computing and molecular programming. I have been a TA for several courses and I always really enjoy working with students. This is my first time as a TA for CSE 160 and I am looking forward to meeting everyone!


Photo of Jason

Jason

lzw365@uw

Quiz Section: AB


Photo of Johanna

Johanna she/her

jskarras@uw

Quiz Section: AA

I am a third-year PhD student studying generative image and video synthesis in the graphics and imaging lab (GRAIL) at UW. Before coming to UW, I grew up in Silicon Valley and studied computer science at Caltech. Outside of research, you can find me practicing yoga, thrift shopping in Capitol Hill, outside on a run, or trying new vegan recipes! :)


Photo of John

John he/they

yijohn@uw

Quiz Section: AE

Hello everyone! I am a junior double majoring in psychology and biology, and this is my second time TA‘ing CSE 160. As a non CS major myself, I would be excited to learn why you decided to learn python if I ever get the chance to meet you! Although I came into this class last year with barely any programming experience, being able to do cool things with code by the end of the quarter made it so satisfying to learn, and now to teach. When I’m not in the classroom, you can find me playing baritone horn in the marching/concert bands or leading an anime club at UW.


Photo of Melanie

Melanie

mekne@uw

Quiz Section: AC

My name is Melanie. I am a 1st-year PhD student studying accessibility, specifically within the context of AR & VR. Prior to starting graduate school, I worked at Microsoft where I spent most of my career as a software engineer on Microsoft Soundscape, a navigation technology for people who are blind or have low-vision. In my free time, I enjoy reading or running around any of the amazing PNW trails.


Photo of Mia

Mia she/her

yingyw2@uw

Quiz Section: AG

Hi everyone, I’m Mia and I am currently a Junior undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science! This is my first time TAing and I can’t wait to meet you guys. Beyond Classes, I enjoy watching movies and playing various video games. Feel free to ask me any questions through email or during my office hours!


Photo of Sierrah

Sierrah she/her

sbessl@uw

Quiz Section: AC

Hello everyone! My name is Sierrah and I’m in my final quarter of my Applied Mathematics Bachelor’s degree. I use Matlab, Python, R, and other coding languages for health research, and I really look forward to being able to introduce you to my favorite of them: Python. This is my eighth quarter TAing for CSE160.

In my free time, I love running, listening to music, and getting tea. I look forward to meeting and getting to know everyone!


Photo of Suhas

Suhas

ksuhas16@uw

Quiz Section: AF

Hello! I am a Computer Science major here at UW. I spent most of my life here in Washington (more specifically Redmond). I’m interested in gardening and architecture if that’s something you want to talk about! I have TA -ed CSE 160 before so if you have any questions feel free to ask. I look forward to teaching you all!


Photo of Therese

Therese she/her/hers

tpacio@uw

Quiz Section: AD

Hello everyone! My name is Therese and I am a senior studying computer science. This will be my 5th quarter as a TA and I’m excited to spend it in CSE 160! I really enjoy being a 160 TA because it is awesome to see how much students grow from the 1st week of the quarter to the last! Looking forward to meeting all of you!


Photo of Zeynep

Zeynep

ztoprakb@uw

Quiz Section: AF

My name is Zeynep and I am a BS/MS student within The Allen School. I am currently researching AI explainability and interpretability methods in the ICTD lab at UW. Previously, I was a TA for CSE416 and CSE340! In my free time I like to draw, write, dance, and spend time with my friends.