Charles Wang

AEF Fellow 2024-25

Charles Wang

Fellowship Placement: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Hometown: Pearland, TX

Charles Wang has been teaching for 8 years at Clear Springs High School (CSHS) in League City, Texas. He transitioned from teaching high school Physics to Computer Science and Cybersecurity and contributed to the development of a four-year computer science pathway in his district, which includes a comprehensive applied cybersecurity course. During his time teaching at CSHS, Charles led the growth of the Computer Science program from 100 to over 250 students annually.

Charles holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Science from his alma mater. His educational interests are rooted in the applications of computer science to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Throughout his teaching career, Charles has earned several prestigious awards, including the STEM Teacher Hall of Fame Award from Honeywell and the Houston Astros Foundation, the inaugural WeTeach_CS Cyber Change Maker Award, and the CYBER.ORG Educator Award. His students have consistently excelled in local, state, and national competitions. These competitions include the Congressional App Challenge, National Cyber League competition, AFA CyberPatriot competition, and Esports tournaments. Charles has applied for and secured over $40,000 in grant money to provide new learning opportunities for his students.

Beyond the classroom, Charles has been actively involved in professional development and research. He has presented at numerous conferences, including the WeTeach_CS Summit and CYBER.ORG EdCon, where he has shared his insights on cybersecurity education. His work with the College Board Career Kickstart Cybersecurity and the WeTeach_Cyber programs has helped prepare other teachers to teach cybersecurity. As part of his graduate studies, Charles worked as an Air Force Research Laboratory Scholar for a summer, where he conducted research on reinforcement learning applications to space vehicle control, further highlighting his dedication to advancing STEM fields.

Charles is committed to developing curriculum that allows students to apply their knowledge in meaningful, personalized ways. He strongly supports public education and is dedicated to making computer science and cybersecurity education accessible to all, recognizing its growing importance in our increasingly digital world.