Kelly R. Cannon

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Kelly R. Cannon is a dedicated advocate for broadening participation in STEM, with a primary research focus on inclusive robotics education and outreach. Her most impactful work centers on designing and evaluating informal learning environments that make technology accessible to historically underrepresented groups, including girls, African Americans, and Hispanics. Cannon’s landmark paper, “Second annual robotics summer camp for underrepresented students” (2007), has accumulated 24 citations, serving as a foundational reference for researchers and practitioners in equity-focused STEM education. In this work, she details the University of Minnesota’s Technology Day Camp, a week-long program hosted by the Center for Distributed Robotics and the Digital Technology Center that engaged students from the Twin Cities metro area. By surveying participants and analyzing outcomes, Cannon provided early, evidence-based insights into how hands-on robotics experiences can spark interest and build confidence among young learners who have been systematically excluded from technical fields. Her contributions have helped shape best practices for designing inclusive robotics curricula and camps, influencing subsequent outreach initiatives nationwide. Through her research and program development, Cannon has demonstrated that targeted, supportive interventions can effectively diversify the pipeline of future engineers and computer scientists.