CRA Welcomes New Staff
By Elora Daniels, Communications Associate
The Computing Research Association is proud to welcome new staff to our CCC, CERP, CRA-E, operations, and grants teams. With a range of unique backgrounds and skills, CRA is thrilled to continue bringing together a world-class team in support of our mission to unite industry, academia, and government to advance computing research and change the world.
While some of these celebrations are long overdue, please join us in welcoming Petruce Jean-Charles, Ashley Crnkovich, Nene Bundu, Jasmine Batten, and Sheila Khan to CRA!
Petruce Jean-Charles, Communications Associate, CCC
Petruce holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Kean University and a Master of Journalism and Public Affairs from American University. With her background in communications, journalism, and social media, she has a passion for creating and strategizing content in various communities.
Ashley Crnkovich, Grants Specialist
Ashley Crnkovich is a Grants Specialist for the Computing Research Association. Within the Contracts & Grants Administration team, she is responsible for grants administration of CRA’s funded initiatives. She joins CRA with about seven years of experience in pre and post award management at the International Computer Science Institute.
After nearly a decade in the Bay Area, Ashley returned to her roots in Omaha, NE where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Literature and a Master’s in Public Administration. Outside of work, she is an amateur real estate entrepreneur with her husband and enjoys baking bread, gardening, and spending quality time with her family.
Nene Bundu, Administrator for Events Management
Nene Bundu hails from Sierra Leone with a degree in business administration and over 9 years of experience in the event and hospitality industry. She is beyond excited to be a part of CRA and assist with fulfilling the mission of this organization.
As a dedicated meeting planner, Nene is known for creating seamless and memorable events. Nene specializes in corporate events and combines creativity with meticulous attention to detail to deliver exceptional experiences for clients and attendees. Her career began with planning weddings, social, black tie, and charity events. In the past 5 years, her focus has shifted to corporate, meetings, conferences, seminars, and virtual events. Having coordinated events ranging from intimate corporate meetings to large-scale conferences and conventions, Nene understands the importance of customization and personalization in every event. She thrives on challenges and is committed to ensuring every aspect of an event exceeds expectations, from initial concept to final execution.
Outside of work, Nene enjoys reading, spending time with family, and being involved in community activities. She is dedicated to staying current with industry trends and innovations, with a personal mission to continually enhance her skills and deliver unparalleled services to CRA.
Jasmine Batten, Research Associate, CERP
Dr. Jasmine Batten (she/her) is a Research Associate at the CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP). In her role, she manages the annual Taulbee survey and supports the evaluation of various programs aimed at broadening participation in computing within higher education. Dr. Batten earned her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 2019 from Florida International University (FIU) and her Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2024 from FIU. Before joining CERP, she was a research assistant in Dr. Monique Ross’s LEARN-CS lab at Florida International University in Miami, FL. During her Ph. D. program, she was awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF), which supported her research endeavors around broadening participation in computing.
Dr. Batten is passionate about improving computing education to support minoritized students in pursuing computing degrees and occupations. Specifically, Dr. Batten’s research interests center on understanding the factors that influence the persistence and retention of female and minoritized students in computing degree programs through mixed-methods research. She is particularly interested in how pedagogical practices and classroom cultures impact students’ sense of belonging in computing at the intersection of gender, race, and ethnicity. Dr. Batten is passionate about improving computing education to support minoritized students in pursuing computing degrees and occupations. Dr. Batten has published in various computing and engineering education conferences in journals during her undergraduate and graduate school years. She has also volunteered as a moderator, judge, and reviewer at several conferences.
In her free time, she enjoys knitting (while watching TV), reading, and practicing yoga.
Sheila Khan, Program Associate, CRA-E
Sheila Khan is a Program Associate for the Computing Research Association’s Education (CRA-E) subcommittee. In this role, she supports the CSGrad4US graduate fellowship and mentoring program.
Sheila has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Health, both from Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to joining CRA, Sheila worked for the Virginia Department of Health in Richmond, VA. Outside of work, Sheila likes to travel, go on walks, bake, and spend time with her cat.
