Theresa Lim will present her MSE Thesis "A Functional Introduction to Computer Science" on April 20, 2026 at 11am in CS 302. Adviser: David Walker, Reader: Kevin Wayne All are welcome to attend. Abstract below: In recent years, there has been increased demand for computer science (CS) education at the primary and secondary level. Traditionally, introductory CS courses teach students about an imperative language, such as Java or Python, and students practice writing increasingly complex programs from scratch. However, with the rise of AI-generated code, it is more important than ever that students develop the skill of reasoning about unfamiliar code in a systematic and critical manner. Additionally, many researchers have identified discrete mathematics courses as a common difficulty for college computer science students due to students' unfamiliarity with writing proofs. This work presents a 20-hour introductory computer science curriculum that aims to address both of these problems. The course is tailored to high school students with little to no coding experience, and it teaches students to code in OCaml and reason about program correctness using equational reasoning and proof by induction. We incorporate modern pedagogical techniques, including backward design, differentiated instruction, and culturally-responsive pedagogy. This course not only prepares students for future work in computer science but also strengthens the logical reasoning skills that math and science disciplines require. This abridged course serves as a foundation for future proof-based introductory computer science curricula.