Chris Murphy, visiting assistant professor of computer science, emphasizes the importance of empathy and mental health awareness in computer science education.

Murphy researches computer science education, working to destigmatize mental health and create supportive learning environments to help computer science  students thrive academically and personally.

Murphy is open about having anxiety, explaining that he lived with the condition long before his research on the mental health of computer science students began. As he recognized how deeply anxiety impacted him, he was inspired to raise awareness among computer science educators, and strategically focus on how mental health conditions impact students. His research into anxiety and depression among computer science students emerged during a time when the demand for mental health services in academia was rising, particularly as exacerbated in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I balance learning and health,” says Murphy, who received a DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking & Technology) Trailblazer Award from the University of Washington for his leadership in making computer science more inclusive last year.

“If I only prioritize learning, it can be detrimental to students’ well-being,” he says. “I have policies designed to give students agency, as well as hold them accountable.”

Collaborating with Asli Yuksel ’26 and Van Nguyen (a 2024 Bryn Mawr graduate), Murphy conducted nationwide surveys to understand the perspectives of computer science students and faculty in regard to their interactions about mental health. The surveys revealed that faculty members who are women, newer instructors, and those living with mental health conditions tend to feel more responsible for supporting students’ mental health. The survey also showed that senior faculty members often took more concrete actions to assist students.

“Students come to us about their mental health, and we have to make sure not to make it worse,” says Murphy, who encourages computer science educators to make their courses more inclusive for students with mental health conditions.

He has presented at conferences including ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education and the Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing. In a recent AccessComputing webinar, he provided actionable strategies to educators. Murphy’s article, "Making CS Education Inclusive for Students with Mental Health Conditions," published in the recent issue of re:think Magazine by the National Center for Women & Information Technology, underscores his efforts to equip faculty with resources to better support their students.

Conversations about mental health are nuanced, says Murphy, who cautions against treating mental health conditions monolithically. Students with anxiety, depression, or eating disorders may have very different needs in terms of support. His work considers how race and gender intersect with mental health.

“There are lots of students who feel marginalized in computer science — women, students of color,” he explains. “They want to succeed while staying healthy and they want to talk to someone about that.”

At the SIGCSE symposium in February 2025, Murphy and two students will showcase three projects. Murphy, Mei Prasetio ’25, and Yuksel will lead a discussion session on "Understanding Intersectional Experiences of Computer Science Students Living with Mental Health Conditions." Prasetio and Murphy will present a poster on "Intersectional Identities of Asian Americans Living with Mental Health Conditions in Computer Science Education," a project that Prasetio completed in summer 2024 as a Swarthmore’s Teaching & Learning Commons (TLC) Fellow. Yuksel and Murphy will present a poster on "Computer Science Faculty Perspectives on Undergraduate Student Mental Health,” which was funded by a TLC Summer Teaching & Learning Serendipity Grant.