Falls Church High School math teacher Dan Tra, who teaches all five sections of the school’s computer science classes, was named the 2014 Outstanding Educator by the National Center for Women in Information Technology.

Tra has helped establish a Girls in Technology club at Falls Church High to encourage female students to pursue additional knowledge in information technology. The student co-founders – Rachel Albrecht, Eliette Claros, and Michelle Lynskey – have worked to get club members involved in local conferences to further the understanding and education of girls in IT.

Lynskey and fellow club member Cindy Bang received runner-up awards from the NCWIT for computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education. The awards are part of the center’s talent development program that encourages young women to be successful in the IT field, in which they are underrepresented. NCWIT provides them with leadership opportunities and research experiences.