Rate My Professor Sara Owsley Sood

Sara Owsley Sood is Professor of Instruction, Chookaszian Family Teaching Professor, and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education in the Department of Computer Science at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering. She earned her PhD in computer science from Northwestern in 2007. Prior to her current role, she served on the faculty at Pomona College. Sood’s research has focused on understanding the expression and impact of emotion in online communication, including the development of systems to detect insults, profanity, and personal attacks in online forums, as well as the effects of anonymity on online communities and advancements in sentiment analysis.

In addition to her research, Sood has received multiple teaching awards, including the 2019 Cole-Higgins Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2019 Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Professor of Instruction Award, and the 2010 Pomona College Wig Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence in Teaching. She was named a 2026 recipient of the Daniel I. Linzer Award for Faculty Excellence in Service and has contributed to curriculum development initiatives, including recognition from the Northwestern University Alumnae Association. Sood co-leads the Education Pillar of the Northwestern Network for Collaborative Intelligence and plays a key role in advancing computer science and AI education across the university.