CS+ Social Good

Join the fourth webinar in an inspiring new series with NCWIT!

Discover the power of using computing to generate and elevate social impact! Our panel of speakers shared how they are using technology to drive positive change and make meaningful impacts in data privacy and genealogical mapping. To explore rewarding career paths and the potential to make a difference in the world through the uplifting fusion of computer science and social responsibility, watch the video.

Meet our first panelist: Jessica Yauney

Jessica Yauney works at FamilySearch as a software development engineer, where she builds tech that helps millions of people find their ancestors. Before that, she taught high school computer science in Los Angeles and was awarded the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Educator Award. As a Troy High School student, she received an NCWIT AiC High School Award. She then graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a Bachelors in Computer Science, Applied Math, and Math & Science Education. She also earned a Masters in Technology at Brigham Young University.

Meet our second panelist: Pradnya Desai

Pradnya Desai graduated from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) with a B.S. in Computer Science in 2022, and now works as a software engineer at Microsoft. As a research assistant in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Social Good Laboratory at NJIT, she published the paper “Continual Learning with Differential Privacy,” describing the first formal connection between differential privacy and continual learning. She presented the paper in the International Conference on Neural Information Processing in 2021, won the silver medal in NJIT’s Dana Knox Research Showcase, and was an NCWIT AiC Collegiate Award finalist.

Pradnya also built AD-Connect, which aims to teach social skills to children with ADHD using virtual reality. This project received funding from the National Science Foundation and won the Audience Choice Award in TiE University’s pitch competition. Pradnya has worked as a teaching assistant, mentors high school and non-traditional college students through various organizations, and teaches blind and visually-impaired high school students programming in Python. She is currently building an initiative to help high school students in rural Washington go to college.

Meet our Moderator: Brittney Anderson-Martin

Brittney Anderson-Martin is a facilitator, diversity and inclusion enthusiast, and consultant Project Manager for the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance and Regional Initiatives teams. She supports strategic growth and development, manages day-to-day operations, and has worked at the intersection of non-profits and higher ed since 2012 with orgs such as Public Allies and America Reads.

She is a graduate of Arizona State University, earning a Bachelor’s in Global Health and Master’s degrees in Nonprofit Leadership and Management (MNLM) as well as Post-Secondary & Higher Education (M.Ed.).

Outside of her work, Brittney serves as the Secretary of the Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals, a membership-based extension of the Greater Phoenix Urban League. Beyond service and work, Brittney spends her time traveling with her wife, Adonna, and listening to the Harry Potter audio books on a loop.

About the new CS+ webinar series
Computing + Passion = Careers of the Future

Hear students, educators, researchers, and professionals talk about their experiences with combining computer science and other interests (CS+), such as art, music, medicine, and other fields and learn how computing is embedded in what they do.

Whether you’re a current student who is curious about future possibilities, a recent graduate who is seeking career inspiration, or an aspiring professional who is looking for guidance, these webinars are designed to empower you with knowledge, insight, and a sense of belonging in these innovative fields.