Ella Kokinda
Ella Kokinda
ekokind@clemson.edu Github Art Instagram ninjabrer Twitch Streams Charleston, SC
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Hello!
My name is Ella, and I am a PhD candidate at Clemson University’s Zucker Family Graduate Center in Charleston, South Carolina, under Dr. Paige Rodeghero. In 2018, I decided it was time to pursue a graduate degree in the evenings while maintaining my full-time industry position. In 2020, the opportunity arose to switch from a master’s to PhD program full-time – so here I am! My research focuses on software development communities, live streaming software development, and software engineering education. My goal is to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application in software engineering education to create more inclusive and effective learning environments for all students, regardless if they have access to formal education.
When not studying, writing, or attending class, I enjoy playing video games with a tight-knit group of individuals who have stayed together since my undergraduate days. When not playing a multiplayer game, I love Stardew Valley and any and all rogue-like deck builders (Slay the Spire, Balatro) and general rogue-like games (Death Must Die, Deep Rock Galactic Survivors). I also own a small laser-etching and rug tufting business that I run out of a spare room; it has been an absolute joy to share my art with others and motivate others to create.
Recent Posts
Invited Talk with Adam from Adam Learns Live!
24 Sep 2024
While recruiting for my most recent study ((which you can check out here))[_pages/participate.md], I reached out to Adam from Adam Learns Live, who is an established streamer on Twitch focusing on software and game development edutainment streams and, most recently focusing on developing his own indie game Skeleseller! When reaching out to Adam, he suggested an on-stream interview about my PhD journey and my research; how could I say no?
We talked a lot about mentorship and how my personal journey to graduate school wasn’t the most rosey, but I ended up in a place where I think I needed to be with my interests in live streaming research and beliefs that everyone needs access to an education, even if it is not in a formal classroom. Being able to showcase the work I have done in a casual, non-critical setting, was awesome and I felt like my work reached a broader more general audience in a way that was impactful.
ASEE Annual Conference 2024!
30 Jun 2024
ASEE 2024 was my first education-focused conference and, wow, what a group of the most compassionate, insightful, and fun people! Clemson having such a presence was a super cool experience that I wish could happen at every conference.
Having dedicated poster sessions really made a difference from other conferences that I have been to. Almost two hours of feedback, insight, and discussion with others interested in your work is not only motivational but, I think, better than any 5 minutes of questioning at the end of a presentation. Check out my poster on viewer and streamer interactions, as well as the full paper here, and if you want to check out Makayla Moster and I’s joint paper on first generation women in graduate computing degrees.
Outside of the conference, Portland was a wonderful and weird city with so much public transport, the best donuts (mochi donuts, ftw), brews, food, and weather that I could have asked for. Running from the conference to Powells or to get in line at Voodoo couldn’t be beaten, and neither could going to the flagship restaurant for a cookbook that I own, Kyatcha! I could also have spent three whole days in the botanical gardens.
Ella Kokinda
Ella Kokinda