Dr Wendy Yánez is an Assistant Professor (Education) at the School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham, UK, where she also serves as Director of the BSc Computer Science with Digital Technology Partnership programme and Outreach Lead. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Birmingham, funded through a joint doctoral programme with the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China. Her doctoral research focused on the architectural design of blockchain-based systems for the Internet of Things (IoT). She also holds an MSc in Computer Security (Distinction) from the University of Birmingham, supported by a full scholarship from the Ecuadorian Government, and a BEng in Telematics from Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Ecuador.
Throughout her career, Wendy has demonstrated an integrated approach to research and education, with peer-reviewed publications in top-tier venues, including ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (TOSEM) and the IEEE Internet of Things Journal. She is also an active contributor to the wider academic community, serving as a programme committee member for the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Conference and a regular reviewer for high-impact journals such as IEEE Internet of Things Journal, ACM Transactions on Autonomous and Adaptive Systems, Software: Practice and Experience, and PeerJ Computer Science.
Wendy is a committed academic leader and mentor, supervising students at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. Between 2016-2017 and 2020-2021, she was a lecturer at the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Ecuador before joining the University of Birmingham as Teaching Fellow in 2022. Her current work focuses on improving software engineering and CS1 computing education, with a focus on redesigning assessment, enhancing formative feedback and supporting neurodiverse learners.