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CS+ Environmental Action

Date: April 4, 2024
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Online
Green graphic with cupped hands holding a green seedling in the background, ncwit.org logo, and text:
Join the fifth webinar in an inspiring new series with NCWIT!

On Thursday, April 4th, explore the ways computing and technology cultivate innovative solutions to environmental issues with two amazing panelists from the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Community: Grace Magny-Fokam and Neha Shukla. Both featured speakers will share how they work alongside well-known organizations to raise awareness and address environmental concerns in arenas ranging from agriculture to water conservation and using ethical, child-safe artificial intelligence (AI) for climate advocacy. Participants will learn how these two technologists leverage computing to amplify innovations in frontline communities. Join the live webinar to ask questions during the Q&A!

This free event will last one hour, and it is open to all. Whether you’re a current student who is curious about future possibilities, a recent grad seeking career inspiration, or an aspiring professional looking for guidance, these webinars are designed to empower you with knowledge, insight, and a sense of belonging in these innovative fields. Register online to join.

Meet the panelists
Graphic design featuring the ncwit.org logo above a a grayscale photo of Grace Magny-Fokam smiling toward the viewer and text that reads:

Grace Magny-Fokam is an 18-year-old AI researcher, climate advocate, social innovator, and author who is passionate about mobilizing young people to solve global challenges through social innovation. As the founder of Folia Technologies and inventor of a novel device called FoliaNet, Grace uses her skills and influence as both a tech creator and scientific communicator to raise awareness about enacting positive change in climate advocacy by using AI.

Throughout her journey as a researcher, she has collaborated with organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the National Security Agency. She has received over $70,000 in research funding and has received numerous awards for her work from tech enterprises like Google and Microsoft.

Graphic design featuring the ncwit.org logo above a grayscale photo of Neha Shukla smiling toward the viewer and text:

Neha Shukla is 18 years old and is a New York Times-featured inventor, social entrepreneur, activist, bestselling author, and AI ethicist at the World Economic Forum. She works to create solutions for communities using tech, tackling issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and homelessness with support from Microsoft, NASA, and NVIDIA. Her debut book, “Innovation for Everyone,” encourages youth to find their voice and take action within their communities.

She serves as the Chair and US Representative at the World Economic Forum’s Generation AI Youth Council, advocating for ethical and child-safe AI in collaboration with corporations and policymakers. Continuing with her activism, Neha spoke at the Capitol alongside Senators and Representatives to push for $70 million in funding to improve educational access for over 700,000 at-risk youth. Her innovations and activism are recognized in the New York Times, Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar, and commended by President Biden and the Royal Family. She was also selected by the White House National Space Council to advocate for girls in technology nationally, and serves as the Youth Advisor to the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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. To see recordings of past CS+ presentations on topics including social good, sports, dance, and medical devices, visit the NCWIT Media Hub at ncwit.org/media.

Meeting of the Minds: AI in BPC

Date: April 3, 2024
Time: 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Location: Online
Blue and green graphic with circular accents featuring the ncwit.org | Higher Ed Alliance logo and text: Meeting of the Minds; Discussing the Role of AI in Broadening Participation in Computing; April 3, 2024; Enrico Pontelli, Ph.D; Irene Lee, M.Ed; Tom Pearson, M.S.; Melanie Moses, Ph.D.

Hosted by the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance

On Wednesday, April 3rd at 2:30 pm ET | 1:30 pm CT | 12:30 pm MT | 11:30 am PT, join a Meeting of the Minds discussing the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in broadening participation in computing. Register and attend to learn more about the impact of early exposure to AI among historically underrepresented groups in computing, the role of AI education in 2-year programs, the challenges of AI within the higher education landscape, and conclude with an interactive discussion of the interplay between cultural responsiveness and AI education. The event will be moderated by Enrico Pontelli, Dean of Arts and Sciences at New Mexico State University (NMSU), and he will be joined by panelists from other NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance member institutions:

Meet the Moderator

Enrico Pontelli, Ph.D.
Dean of Arts and Sciences, Regents Professor Leadership at New Mexico State University (NMSU)

Dr. Enrico Pontelli is currently a Regents Professor of Computer Science and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at NMSU, which is where he received his Ph.D. in 1997 and continued his academic career, moving through the ranks. He is an active researcher with over 300 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of knowledge representation and reasoning; logic and constraint programming; high performance computing; bioinformatics; and assistive technologies. He has been involved in a broad range of efforts focused on broadening participation in computing – including the creation of the NMSU Young Women in Computing program — which has been in place since 2006 and has served thousands of students in southern New Mexico — and serving on the leadership team of the Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI) where he is the lead of the CAHSI Southwest region. In addition, Dr. Pontelli and his NMSU colleagues have been ongoing and active participants and contributors to NCWIT’s broadening participation in undergraduate computing programs. He is the recipient of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Career award and he is the founding director of the NMSU Center of Research Excellence in Smartgrid Technologies.

Meet the Panelists

Irene Lee, M.Ed.
Research Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 

Irene Lee is a Research Scientist at MIT and a Distinguished Scholar at the Education Development Center. She earned a B.A. in Pure Mathematics from the University of Chicago and a Master of Education, specializing in Technology Education from Harvard University. She is a leader in AI Literacy education with experience in research and development of AI Literacy curricula, assessment tools, and teacher professional development programs. She also serves as PI/co-PI on three NSF projects investigating AI Literacy education for middle and high school students and their teachers. Lee has contributed 11 publications of AI Literacy education between 2020-present and has played a pivotal role in the field through sharing curricula, PD designs, and a validated AI Concept Inventory assessment instrument. Lee is a regular speaker on the topic of AI literacy, computer science education in the age of AI, and Ethics in AI education at conferences and on expert panels. She sits on the advisory boards of over a dozen NSF funded projects, education foundations, and non-profit organizations.

Tom Pearson, M.S.
Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Maricopa Community Colleges (CGCC)

Tom Pearson is the Interim Associate Dean of Workforce Programs at CGCC. He earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Hawaii Pacific University and a M.S. in Computer Information Systems from the University of Phoenix. At CGCC, he served as the division chair and a faculty member of computer information systems. Mr. Pearson was part of the core team that collaborated with Intel to create the Artificial Intelligence program at CGCC; the first AI associate’s degree in the nation. He also was a presenter at the AI Teaching and Learning Summit at CGCC in October 2023. Prior to joining academia in 2012, Mr. Pearson worked in the Information Technology field for 12 years in desktop support, server administration, and network engineering. He also served in the US Air Force for 22 years, where he worked in electronics on ground-based air defense radars.

Melanie Moses, Ph.D.
Professor of Computer Science at the University of New Mexico (UNM)

Dr. Melanie E. Moses is a Professor of Computer Science and Biology at UNM and an External Faculty Member at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI). She earned a B.S. from Stanford University in Symbolic Systems and a Ph.D. in Biology from UNM. Her interdisciplinary research crosses the boundaries of Computer Science and Biology by modeling search processes in complex adaptive systems such as ant colonies and immune systems, and most recently, the immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19. She also uses bio-inspired designs of swarms of robots which autonomously cooperate with each other and adapt to monitor environmental conditions, currently focusing on monitoring gas emissions from volcanoes. She has mentored dozens of graduate and undergraduate students and led projects, including NM CSforAll, the NASA Swarmathon, and the Google ExploreCSR Swarmathon:TNG to engage thousands of women and members of underrepresented groups in computer science from high school through graduate school. In addition, she co-founded the UNM-SFI Working Group on Algorithmic Justice and is on the leadership team of the UNM ADVANCE program to support the success of women faculty in STEM. Dr. Moses is currently a board member of the Computing Research Association’s Committee on Widening Participation in Computing (CRA-WP), a NSF BPC Alliance which partners closely with NCWIT and other BPC Alliances. In addition, she serves on the board of Reboot Catalyst to increase participation of Black, Latina, and Native American women in computer science. At UNM, Dr. Moses is a Special Advisor to the Dean of Engineering for Educational Initiatives and to the Vice President for Research for Artificial Intelligence.

About the Meeting of the Minds series

This web-based discussion series is free and open to the public – geared toward post-secondary computing faculty, staff, researchers, graduate students, and those in student-facing roles. By bringing together experienced practitioners and evidence based research, these events take on today’s largest challenges in broadening participation in computing. These problems are commonplace but require unique solutions. Join in to learn and share innovative solutions alongside colleagues.

About the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance

The NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance is a nationwide coalition of post-secondary institutions that are dedicated to increasing equity and inclusion in computing by broadening participation of underrepresented and marginalized groups. To join the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance, simply complete this Higher Ed Alliance Membership Form to be sent further details regarding membership. Please direct any questions to [email protected].

TeachEngineering at NSTA

Start date: March 20, 2024
End date: March 23, 2024
All-day event
Location: Multiple Venues
Square graphic design featuring a color photo of roads leading to the Denver skyline at twilight, the TeachEngineering logo, and text:

The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is hosting its national conference on science education in Denver, Colorado, from March 20th through March 23rd, and attendees will have multiple opportunities to connect with TeachEngineering at that event! Below, find a comprehensive list of where to connect with NCWIT. All times listed reflect the local time zone, Mountain Time. Learn more about registration online, and follow NCWIT on social media — Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter — for daily reminders. Search #NCWITontheroad for updates, highlights, and more!

Find NCWIT @ NSTA Denver 24

Friday, March 22nd

Speed Sharing Session: “Engaging Middle School Minds in Science Exploration”
10:40 AM – 11:40 AM | Colorado Convention Center | Mile High Ballroom 3A

Hear from speaker Reindert Reitsma, PhD – a researcher with TeachEngineering and Professor of Business Information Systems at Oregon State University, an NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance member institution. He will present an alternative way of exploring, searching and navigating the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Instead of presenting the NGSS as a set of linked tables, the NGSS Explorer uses the connectivity between the standards to display them as interactive network graphs.

Speed Sharing Session: “Building an Equitable Science Classroom for Grades 6-8”
10:40 AM – 11:40 AM | Colorado Convention Center | Mile High Ballroom 3B

Join members of the TeachEngineering team – Ellen Parrish and Jennifer Kracha – to learn about and access free, teacher-tested K-12 STEM resources! The TeachEngineering Digital Library is a free, online collection of 1,850+ K-12 curricular STEM resources. This session highlights the key features and benefits of TeachEngineering, shedding light on how this digital collection empowers educators to explore the “E” in STEM: Engineering!

Hands-on Workshop: “Creative Engineering Design”
10:40 AM – 11:40 AM | Hyatt Regency Denver | Mineral Hall C

Creative Engineering Design is a classroom-tested, ready-to-teach, hands-on introductory engineering curriculum that highlights concepts of the NSF-funded ASPIRE Engineering Research Center, which aims to make equitable and sustainable widespread electric vehicle-based transportation a reality. Learn more about with ASPIRE Pre-college Director Jennifer Taylor, from NCWIT’s home campus – The University of Colorado – Boulder – and Jennifer Ramos-Chavez, from The University of Texas at El Paso, an NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance member institution.

Poster: “TeachEngineering Digital Library: Free, Standards-Aligned STEM Resources”
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Colorado Convention Center | Exhibit Hall, Poster Session

The TeachEngineering Digital Library is a free, online collection of K-12 curricular STEM resources. The goal is to help educators put the ‘E’ in STEM— by making applied science, technology, and math come alive through engineering design and design thinking. Stop by the exhibition to learn more about an array of hands-on, standards-aligned activities for K-12 students.

About TeachEngineering

TeachEngineering was founded in 2001 by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and is now part of NCWIT – an NSF-founded and funded national non-profit which aims to increase the meaningful participation of underrepresented people in STEM education and in the workforce. TeachEngineering continues to expand with published curricula from over 60 different institutions. Individual authors who make specific contributions receive recognition at the end of every curricular resource. Visit teachengineering.org to learn more.

NCWIT at SIGCSE 2024

Start date: March 20, 2024
End date: March 23, 2024
All-day event
Location: Oregon Convention Center
Graphic design featuring the ncwit.org logo above an aerial photograph of the Portland, OR, skyline and Mount Hood. Text reads: "#NCWITontheroad; Join us at SIGCSE TS 2024; March 20-23 | Portland, OR"

The SIGCSE TS 2024 conference will be held in Portland, Oregon, between March 20th – 23rd, and several NCWIT researchers and leaders with the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance will be attending! Below, find a comprehensive list of where to connect with NCWIT at the Oregon Convention Center. All times listed reflect the local time zone, Pacific Time. Learn more about registration and lodging options online. Follow NCWIT on social media — Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter — for daily reminders, and search #NCWITontheroad for updates, highlights, and more.

Find NCWIT @ SIGCSE

Booth #308

Want to learn more about NCWIT alliances, programs, and get resources to take home? Interested in learning more about how to create systemic culture change via NCWIT’s Tech Inclusion Journey for Undergraduate Programs and Learning Circles? Make sure to stop by the Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) triple booth to say hello to NCWIT and our BPC Accelerator Alliance partners. Representatives from NCWIT’s staff and collaborative partners can be found during exhibit hours. Organizations represented include:

Presentations

A Town Meeting: SIGCSE Committee on Expanding the Women-in-Computing Community
Thursday, March 21st – 6:30 pm – 7:20 pm | Oregon Ballroom 203 | Birds of a Feather

Join the flock of SIGCSE attendees who are interested in addressing the gender disparity in computing. This forum provides an important annual meeting for a large group of people who work to increase the representation of women in computing in their separate organizations and who do not customarily have an opportunity to share ideas face-to-face. Discussion leaders connect to three of the most important organizations that relate to underrepresentation:

Broadening Participation in Computing Education: Advancing LGBTQIA+ Voices
Friday, March 22nd: 10:45 am – 12 pm |  Oregon Ballroom 203 | Advancing LGBTQIA+ Voices

A panel with Dr. Wendy DuBow, NCWIT Director of Strategies for Education Research & Evaluation and Senior Research Scientist: Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) has been a key focus of the National Science Foundation (NSF) for over two decades. Its aim is to support students and faculty from historically underrepresented groups, including women, people with disabilities, and racial and ethnic groups. Within these communities, the diverse range of gender and sexual identities remains overlooked in computing education research (CER). To address this invisibility, this panel will discuss the benefits of integrating LGBTQIA+ perspectives. The moderator will provide context, define relevant terms, and set ground rules for discussion. The panelists will offer insights from a variety of perspectives, including: a discussion of the policy landscape impacting LGBTQIA+ students and the importance of incorporating their perspectives as researchers and participants; the erasure of queer history in computer science and advocate for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, considering the humanitarian calling for the field and CS educators in our tech-driven world; the current resistance to supporting LGBTQIA+ scholarship in computing, advocating for an inclusive approach; and finally, the experiences of marginalized individuals in CS education and ways to support them, emphasizing inclusivity through storytelling and personal narratives. The panel aims to increase visibility, understanding, and collaboration between the computing education research community and LGBTQIA+ individuals. By acknowledging and integrating diverse perspectives, we can begin to create a more inclusive, equitable computing landscape. Panelists include:

Papers and Posters

Poster: Hiring, Training, and Managing Undergraduate Teaching Assistants for Large CS1 Classes
Thursday, March 21st: 10 am – 12 pm |  Exhibit Hall E | Posters 1

Presented by Dr. Lecia Barker, NCWIT Senior Research Scientist: As undergraduate computer science enrollments continue to grow, individualized instructor attention becomes increasingly scarce. The impact of social distance between students and their teachers is particularly apparent in large introductory classes, and exacerbated by students’ lack of common prior experience in computer science. Some institutions remedy class size and experience gaps by hiring advanced undergraduate students as teaching assistants for their introductory courses. However, without the resources to carefully hire, train, and manage undergraduate teaching assistants (uTAs) during the semester, their potential as trustworthy peer mentors and helpful tutors often goes unrealized. This poster presents details of the uTA hiring process, training course, and management strategies used during the 2022-2023 academic year for introductory computer science courses. This system was designed for introductory CS classes, with the goals of low instructor overhead, long-term scalability, and development of a staff of empathetic teaching assistants who could motivate students toward successful learning. Highlights of the system include a hiring process that considers candidates’ personality and enthusiasm alongside their technical skills, asynchronous training provided through the university’s learning management system, and the use of a head uTA to manage other staff members. Following the implementation of these policies, instructors and uTAs alike reported positive experiences compared to previous semesters with a statistically significant increase in average student grades (p=.01).

Paper: Putting the Service into Service Learning: A Report on a Survey of CS Faculty
Thursday, March 21st: 1:45 – 2:10 pm | Meeting Rooms B117-119 | Active Learning

Presented by Dr. Lecia Barker, NCWIT Senior Research Scientist: Service learning is an experiential pedagogy in which students learn through providing services or products for community partners. Computer and information science students can develop valuable products for community organizations. However, while service learning is shown to serve students and has potential to serve the field’s diversity goals, community partners’ needs are often not served. We explored this asymmetry using an exploratory survey. Faculty from across the U.S. described intended outcomes for students, including how outcomes were assessed. In contrast, fewer than half of respondents described a product that served the partner’s needs and partner outcomes were often not assessed. Two-thirds of respondents judged reaching student goals as more important than partner goals, with only 9% privileging partners. A quarter of respondents considered partner benefits to be only a bonus. Faculty justified their choices by appealing to their mission as educators: to provide learning experiences for students. Yet for a nontrivial partnership commitment under condition of scarce resources, the community partner may be seen as being taken advantage of, which may explain why some respondents have difficulty finding or keeping partners. Further, faculty may not accomplish civic duty goals, since students may tacitly learn that community organizations’ needs are secondary. To aid faculty in making decisions and better integrating community partners’ needs, we offer advice from survey respondents.

Paper: Bite-Sized Experiential Education for Computer and Information Science
Friday, March 22nd: 2:30 pm – 3 pm | Meeting Rooms B117-119 | Active Learning

Presented by Dr. Lecia Barker, NCWIT Senior Research Scientist: Many computer and information science educators wish to incorporate experiential education pedagogies such as study abroad, service learning and internships into their courses because of the profound benefits they can provide for students. However, some experiential approaches come with costs, whether temporal or financial. In this paper, we present the results of a literature review of different experiential pedagogies in computer and information science – including service learning, study abroad, educational work experiences, and hackathons –and provide an overview of the benefits and costs of each pedagogy. We then turn to better understand what strategies have been used to minimize the costs to both students and faculty. Our analysis uncovers a variety of ways that faculty have experimented with “bite-sized” experiential pedagogies to make them more accessible for both students and faculty. Finally, we provide examples of these strategies as inspiration for faculty to sample these high-impact pedagogies, but highlight the gap in empirical evaluation that is needed to fully understand the cost-benefit tradeoffs.

Reception with NCWIT

NCWIT Reception
Friday, March 22nd: 6 – 7 pm | Oregon Ballroom 201 | SIGCSE TS 2024 Affiliated Events

Join NCWIT representatives for a social wrap up as SIGSCE TS 2024 comes to a close. Learn more about our Higher Ed Alliance activities and how to join a 2024 – 25 Higher Ed Learning Circle. Win a $150 Amazon gift card while hanging out with old friends and meeting new friends! 

About the conference

The Technical Symposium organized by the Association for Computing Machinery‘s (ACM) Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) is the organization’s flagship annual conference. Each year, the SIGCSE Technical Symposium addresses problems which are common among educators working to develop, implement and/or evaluate computing programs, curricula, and courses. The hybrid symposium provides a forum for sharing new ideas for syllabi, laboratories, and other elements of teaching and pedagogy, at all levels of instruction. The symposium also provides a diverse selection of technical sessions and opportunities for learning and interaction.

Meeting of the Minds

Date: March 6, 2024
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Online
Blue and green graphic featuring the ncwit.org | Higher Ed Alliance logo and text: Meeting of the Minds; Featuring Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI); Join the Webinar; Wednesday March 6th; 3:00 PM EST

Hosted by the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance

On Wednesday, March 6th at 3 pm ET | 2 pm CT | 1 pm MT | 12 pm PT, join the first Meeting of the Minds webinar of the new year. This collaborative and interactive event will feature an NCWIT partner and Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Alliance Accelerator member: the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI). Register to learn more about CAHSI’s impact on accelerating the progress of Hispanic people in computing! Join peers to discuss how to be Hispanic-serving as it relates to both staff and leadership, capacity building in AI research and education, and BPC partnerships with organizations like CAHSI.

Meet the Moderator

CAHSI Director Dr. Ann Quiroz Gates will moderate this event, which will showcase several facets of CAHSI’s work and highlight how NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance members can benefit from partnering with multiple BPC Alliances. She is currently serving on the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering with the National Science Foundation (NSF), a longtime NCWIT Strategic Partner. Gates is also Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Senior Advisor to the Provost on Strategic STEM initiatives at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), an NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance member institution. In 2015, UTEP was recognized, under Dr. Gates’s leadership, as one of NCWIT’s Extension Services Transformation Awards Honorable Mention recipients as a result of their excellence in recruiting and retaining women in computing education. To learn more, read her UTEP bio.

Meet the Panelists

Dr. Jessica Rivera is an Adjunct Faculty member who specializes in Educational Leadership and Foundations Computer Science and Postdoctoral Fellow with the Pathways-IES program at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), another NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance member institution and a past participant in NCWIT’s Extension Services one-on-one broadening participation in computing consulting program. Rivera also co-founded the Latina Postdoc Collective, an organization dedicated to propelling Latina postdocs into faculty positions and advancing diverse voices in academia. To learn more, read her UTSA bio.

Dr. Enrico Pontelli is the Dean of Arts & Sciences and Regents Professor at New Mexico State University (NMSU), an NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance member institution. Under his leadership, NMSU has been an avid participant in NCWIT’s higher education systemic change programs, including Extension Services’ one-on-one consulting program and the current Higher Ed Learning Circles. He also serves on the leadership team with CAHSI as Director of the Young Women in Computing Program, and has been a peer-referee for various conferences and journals on logic programming and parallel computing. To learn more, read his NMSU bio.

Dr. Nayda G. Santiago is a professor at the University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez (UPRM), where she teaches capstone courses in Computer Engineering and Computer Architecture and is also an NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance member rep. A member of CAHSI since 2006, she works with undergraduate researchers using the Affinity Research Group (ARG) Model. Dr. Santiago is a lifetime member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and is also also a member of the Hispanic Engineers National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM),  and the Latinas in Computing (LiC) organization. Dr. Santiago was also awarded the 2017 CRA-E Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award, 2008 HENAAC Educator Award, and 2008 UPRM Distinguished Alumni award. To learn more, see her UPRM bio.

Dr. Pat Morreale is the Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Kean University, an NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance member institution, and holds a leadership position on the CAHSI Executive Board. In 2023, she was awarded the Joanne McGrath Cohoon Undergraduate Service Award, which is conferred annually by the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance. She is a past co-chair of the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance, and has also led committees on faculty excellence in undergraduate research mentoring with NCWIT, the Computing Research Association (CRA), and the Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR). To learn more, read the NCWIT blog about her award recognition and the details in her listing in the faculty directory.

About the Meeting of the Minds series

This web-based discussion series is free and open to the public – geared toward post-secondary computing faculty, staff, researchers, graduate students, and those in student-facing roles. By bringing together experienced practitioners and evidence based research, these events take on today’s largest challenges in broadening participation in computing. These problems are commonplace but require unique solutions. Join in to learn and share innovative solutions alongside colleagues.

About the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance

The NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance is a nationwide coalition of post-secondary institutions that are dedicated to increasing equity and inclusion in computing by broadening participation of underrepresented and marginalized groups. To join the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance, simply complete this Higher Ed Alliance Membership Form to be sent further details regarding membership. Please direct any questions to [email protected].

“Power On!” Book Chat with Authors

Date: February 5, 2024
Time: 3:30 am - 4:45 am
Location: Online

Join NCWIT Counselors for Computing for a free, online event hosted in partnership with Millersville University on Monday, February 5th, 2024 with the authors of “Power On!” — a graphic novel following a diverse group of teens as they discover that computing can be fun, creative, and empowering. The virtual presentation and discussion will start at 3:30 pm ET and end at 4:45 pm ET, and it is open to all.

Register: bit.ly/PASMART_BookChat
Resources for Educators: Facilitator Guide + Sample Lessons
Video: Watch the trailer on YouTube

Blue and green graphic with ncwit.org | Counselors for Computing and Millersville University logos, color photos of Dr. Jane Margolis and Dr. Jean Ryo, authors of

About the Authors

  • Dr. Jean J. Ryoo is an avid reader of manga and manhwa, as well as an educational researcher/writer committed to ensuring that all students experience meaningful and empowering learning, both in and out of school. She is the Research Director at the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) Center X.
  • Dr. Jane Margolis is an educational researcher at UCLA and an author who has been a longtime advocate for ending inequality and segregation in computer science education, for which she won the 2016 White House Champion of Change award. She is the coauthor of Unlocking the Clubhouse and Stuck in the Shallow End, both published by the MIT Press.

About the Book

A diverse group of teenage friends learn how computing can be personally and politically empowering and why all students need access to computer science education. This lively graphic novel follows Taylor, Christine, Antonio, and Jon, who seem like typical young teens —they communicate via endless texting, they share jokes, they worry about starting high school, and they have each other’s backs. But when a racially-biased artificial intelligence system causes harm in their neighborhood, they suddenly realize that tech isn’t as neutral as they thought it was. But can an algorithm be racist? And what is an algorithm, anyway?

In school, they decide to explore computing classes, with mixed results. One class is only about typing. The class that Christine wants to join is full, and the school counselor suggests that she take a class in “Tourism and Hospitality” instead. (Really??) But Antonio’s class seems legit, Christine finds an after-school program, and they decide to teach the others what they learn. By summer vacation, all four have discovered that computing is both personally and politically empowering.

Interspersed through the narrative are text boxes with computer science explainers and inspirational profiles of people of color and women in the field (including Katherine Johnson of Hidden Figures fame). “Power On!: is an essential read for young adults, general readers, educators, and anyone interested in the power of computing, how computing can do good or cause harm, and why addressing underrepresentation in computing needs to be a top priority.

From the Authors

In today’s world, technology is impacting every aspect of our lives. We wrote Power On! to fill a gap in current computer science classrooms and out-of-school programs by providing an accessible educational tool for discussing pressing issues of equity and ethics in tech, while motivating all youth to learn about computer science, regardless of their career path. Our hope is that this graphic novel can serve as an engaging way to learn about current research in computer science and computing education.
We also hope this book can spark conversation, introducing a wide range of topics for people to pick up, discuss, and learn more about together. The book will be published with a free educator guide that is available online, providing discussion questions such as:

  • What are ways that technology is creating social good as well as harm in today’s world?
  • Can robots be racist?
  • Why does underrepresentation of students of color and girls matter?
  • What can be done to change this underrepresentation?
  • What ideas do you have for a technological innovation that could address a social problem you care about?
  • How can we help support all students in getting the education they deserve and need?

CS+ Social Good

Date: January 23, 2024
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Online
Graphic banner containing the ncwit.org logo and text:

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.

Graphic design featuring the full color ncwit.org logo, CS+ in bright green text next to a circular, grayscale photo of Jessica Yauney and above her name and title,

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.

Graphic design featuring the full color ncwit.org logo, CS+ in bright green text next to a circular, grayscale photo of Pradnya Desai and below her name and title,

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.

Graphic design featuring the full color ncwit.org logo, CS+ in bright green text next to a circular, grayscale photo of Brittney Anderson-Martin, and below, her name and title,

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.

NCWIT at Women in IT Virtual Conference

Date: December 6, 2023
All-day event
Location: Virtual via the University of Arkansas
Full color logo for ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing

Join NCWIT at the Women in IT Virtual Conference, hosted by Walton College Executive Education and the Walton College Department of Information Systems at the University of Arkansas. This year’s theme is: “Hack the Journey – Taking IT to the Edge.” Visit the conference website for more details, and for updates, follow the #NCWITonline hashtag and NCWIT on Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter.

Attend a session with NCWIT

How AiC is Helping Women in IT Find Their Community and Why it Matters
10:55 – 11:40 am on December 6

All conference participants are invited to join NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Regional Affiliate Manager Susie Park-Kelly and previous awardee Yasaman (Yasi) Mostafavi as they present on how the AiC Community positively impacts students and early-career professionals. The AiC Community currently includes more than 26,000 members nationwide, and helps members hack their tech journeys by providing support and encouraging gender marginalized people to pursue computing while promoting persistence through networking, events, and opportunities. The AiC Community is open to college students and TECHNOLOchicas, and also recently opened to women, genderqueer, and non-binary high school students! Learn more and sign up today at aspirations.org.

CS+ Sports

Date: December 5, 2023
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Online
Graphic banner containing the ncwit.org logo and text:

Watch the third webinar in a new online series with NCWIT on demand!

Our live, interactive event began at 3 pm PT | 4 pm MT | 5 pm CT | 6 pm ET on December 5th, 2023, and dove into the remarkable stories of women working at the intersection of sports and technology. Special guest Marilou McFarlane, CEO and founder of Women in Sports Technology (WiST), shared insights of leading industry experts shaping the future of the world of sports. Watch the recoding to gain valuable knowledge and hear the experiences, challenges, and successes of women navigating the evolving landscape of sports technology.

Meet our special guest: Marilou McFarlane

Color photo of Marilou McFarlane, CEO of Women in Sports Tech, smiling toward the viewer with hands resting on her hips in front of a colorful blue and yellow background.

With 15+ years in the sports tech industry, Marilou McFarlane is a visionary startup leader and social entrepreneur, specializing in building expansive growth, building high performance teams and driving impact. She has led the work that is changing the sports tech industry by working with iconic brands and businesses and startups alike. With the experience of leading numerous venture-backed startups to success, she is a passionate advocate, advisor and mentor to sports tech leaders, founders and women eager to enter the industry.

Marilou is the CEO + founder of Women in Sports Tech (WiST), a non-profit organization offering proven strategies and programs for businesses in the $42B sports tech industry to diversify talent pipelines and create more inclusive cultures. WiST provides tangible value for employers and women, from the classroom to the board room. To date, WiST has provided over 100 summer internship experiences to college, grad and PhD students through their flagship WiST Fellowship program, and built an active community of over 100,000 executives and students in the exploding sports tech industry. WiST works with more than 30 corporate partners, including Nike, GameChanger, the NBA, IBM Sports, Stats Perform, Comcast NBCU, Hoka, Catapult and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

A former University of North Carolina Division 1 cross-country athlete and a 3:06 marathon runner, she is the proud mother of two daughters who were UNC soccer team captains and played professionally in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and in Europe. She lives with her husband and dog, Pearl, in Mill Valley, California.

Meet the panelists:

Kalia Hogg is a former collegiate, professional, and Australian youth soccer player who is now pursuing a career in AI engineering. A recipient of the 2022 Fulbright Futures Scholarship, she is currently undertaking her Master of Computer Science in Artificial Intelligence at Duke University. This summer, she was awarded a Women in Sports Tech fellowship and joined the team at IBM Sports & Entertainment to develop the first ever AI Commentary model for tennis, launched for Wimbledon 2023. Kahlia is particularly passionate about the nexus of Sports Tech and AI-driven social impact, and aspires to engineer AI solutions that drive growth and innovation in women’s sports and sustainable sports tech.

Olivia Proctor grew up in St. Louis, Mo., before attending Harvard College (‘23), where she graduated cum laude with honors in Social Studies. Her senior honors thesis was, “Knocking on Death’s Door: Social Impacts of Fatal No-Knock Warrants on Targeted Families in St. Louis,” in which she shared the stories of two families that were impacted by fatal no-knock raids. She also wrote for the Undergraduate Law Review and was a four-year member of the Varsity Women’s Lacrosse team. Being a lifelong athlete, working in the sports industry was an extremely exciting avenue for her first job. After participating in the Women in Sports Tech Fellowship and working with Next League her junior year summer, Olivia accepted a full-time position with the company upon graduation. Olivia is currently working from New York City as a Strategy Analyst with Next League and assists clients on developing business strategies for their digital properties.

Meet our Moderator: Terina-Jasmine (TJ) Alladin

Color photo of Terina-Jasmine (TJ) Alladin smiling toward the viewer in front of a wall with rows of basketballs.

Terina-Jasmine (TJ) Alladin has been a Consultant with NCWIT for over 7 years. In 2022, she wanted to break into the sports industry and obtained an MBA in Sports Management from Universidad Europea in Madrid. There, she had the opportunity to work with Real Madrid FC on digital transformation and fan engagement projects. From there, TJ spent one year working with the Business Development and Marketing Partnerships Team at NBA Africa’s Basketball Africa League in Senegal, where she managed partner accounts and supported new business. TJ leverages her skills in data science and research to support sports businesses.


About Women in Sports Tech (WiST)

Women in Sports Tech logo

WiST is a nonprofit organization that empowers transformative growth opportunities for women and employers, from the classroom to the boardroom at the intersection of sports, technology and innovation. Learn more and get involved online: womeninsportstech.org/get-involved


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

Join us for an inspiring web series that explores the exciting fusion of computer science and other areas of interest (CS+). Hear students, educators, researchers, and professionals talk about their work in areas such as art, music, medicine, and other fields and how computer science is embedded in what they do.

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

CS+ Dance

Date: November 13, 2023
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Online
Graphic banner containing the ncwit.org logo and text:

Watch the second webinar in a new online series with NCWIT!

Our live, interactive event began at 3 pm PT | 4 pm MT | 5 pm CT | 6 pm ET on November 13th, 2023, and explored the integration of computer science and dance performance, with a focus on the realm of digital costuming and wearables. Watch the recording to discover how technology is revolutionizing the way performers express themselves, as experts discuss the creative possibilities that coding and electronics can offer.

Meet the panel:

  • Yamilée Toussaint, STEM From Dance – Watch video
  • Jean François Mahoro, Code.Crew
  • Kiyah Stokes, Code.Crew


Yamilee Toussaint

Yamilée Toussaint is the Founder & CEO of STEM From Dance, which empowers girls with the skills, experiences, and confidence to pursue careers in STEM through the transformative power of dance. Combining her background in engineering, education, and a lifelong passion for dance, she started the program in 2012 to inspire girls of color to pursue STEM careers. Yamilée holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and a M.S. in Teaching from Pace University. She has earned her numerous accolades, including Teach For America’s Social Innovation Award and AnitaB.org’s Educational Innovation Award.


Jean François Mahoro

Jean François Mahoro is the Director of K-12 at CodeCrew, a nonprofit organization committed to bridging the digital divide and fostering diversity in tech industries. The mission at CodeCrew is to mentor underrepresented youth to be tech innovators and leaders through practical, hands-on computer science education programs locally throughout Memphis, Tennessee, and nationally. Jean François leverages his experience as a Software Engineer to encourage students to pursue a path in Technology. He holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Herff College of Engineering at the University of Memphis. It’s the belief that by empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds, can drive innovation and create a more inclusive tech ecosystem.


Kiyah Stokes

Kiyah Stokes is a K-12 Instructor at CodeCrew, where she helps young students appreciate the value in computer science. Technology has always been a passion of Kiyah’s since being introduced to it at an early age. Kiyah grew up in a small city of Jackson, Tennessee, where there weren’t a lot of programs like CodeCrew. She started getting serious about her coding journey during her sophomore year of high school and continued her studies in college. Kiyah graduated from the University of Memphis where she studied Computer Science and Web Design. After graduation, she began a career at CodeCrew where she uses her programming and engineering skills to provide education to future STEM students.


Meet the Moderator: Terina-Jasmine Alladin

Terina-Jasmine (TJ) Alladin has been a consultant with NCWITIT for 7 years. She holds an MSc in Dance Science from Trinity Laban, the leading center for research in dance science globally. In addition to a 7-year career as a contemporary dancer, she has worked in the tech sector for over a decade. Read her full bio to learn more.


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

Join us for an inspiring web series that explores the exciting fusion of computer science and other areas of interest (CS+). Hear students, educators, researchers, and professionals talk about their work in areas such as art, music, medicine, and other fields and how computer science is embedded in what they do.

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

NCWIT at SHPE 2023

Start date: November 1, 2023
End date: November 5, 2023
All-day event
Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Held annually in a different city, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) National Convention brings together over 9,000 Hispanic scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to celebrate the SHPE STAR Awards, compete for top prize money showcasing their skills, and enhance skills and networking through many workshop sessions and engagement events. For corporate sponsors, it is a beacon of top STEM talent. For SHPE members, it is a life-changing opportunity to build a dream career. This year’s SHPE conference will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah.


For updates, highlights, and more, follow #NCWITontheroad and TECHNOLOchicas on social media: Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook.


Where can you find NCWIT + TECHNOLOchicas?

Booth


Get more information about the TECHNOLOchicas program at Booth No. 2541 at the expo inside the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Career Fair


Career Fair & Graduate School Expo
November 3-4; with more than 335 exhibitors expected

Come meet with TECHNOLOchicas, as well as many recruiters from organizations and universities! This is open to all students and professionals.

Career Fair Day One: 9 am – 12 pm on November 3, 2023
Location: Hall ABCD/1-2 Convention Center Lvl 1  |  CFair1

Career Fair Day Two: 10 am – 4 pm on November 4, 2023
Location: Hall ABCD/1-2 Convention Center Lvl 1 | CFair2 (Line-up begins in Hall E)

Networking


Meet TECHNOLOchicas on-site this year
November 2-5; TECHNOLOchicas Program Manager Yvonne De La Peña and Carissa Lintao will attend

While you are attending the SHPE 2023 National Convention, watch to see if you meet up with TECHNOLOchicas Program Manager Yvonne De La Peña or TECHNOLOchica Carissa Lintao. Both can help attendees get connected as a TECHNOLOchicas Ambassador and/or sign up for TECHNOLOchicas newsletters to learn more about the program and upcoming events.

For more information about SHPE 2023, visit the conference webpsite.

CS+ Medical Devices

Date: October 24, 2023
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Online
Graphic design banner for ncwit.org CS+ Medical Devices

Watch the debut webinar in a new online series with NCWIT!

The first CS+ webinar originally aired at 3 pm PT on October 24th, 2023, and dove into the realm of medical devices – like wearable diabetes management tools – to showcase how you can be part of the technological transformation in healthcare. Our moderator, NCWIT Project Manager Brittney Anderson-Martin was joined by three panelists who delved into ways computer science is driving advancements in medical technology to enhance health management, especially for people navigating living with a medical condition.

Meet the panel:

  • Adonna Anderson
  • Anna Urias
  • Christi Fernandes

Adonna Anderson

Adonna Anderson is an Electrical Engineering Manager for Medtronic’s Diabetes Research and Development Sustaining department. Her team is responsible for addressing emergent issues impacting Medtronics diabetes devices currently in the field. She manages a team that must quickly respond to issues, find root cause and implement changes. Adonna has 2 patents prior to her work at Medtronic, Adonna worked as an electrical engineer across multiple industries, including at Northrop Grumman and Eaton Corporation. 

Adonna studied at California Polytechnic University – San Luis Obispo, receiving both a BS in Electrical Engineering and a MS in Engineering Management. In her free time she loves traveling with her wife and daughter.

Anna Urais

Anna Urais is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Nevada-Reno, Vice President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and is currently pursuing a dual major in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics.

Christi Fernandes

Christi Fernandes is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her passion for science and technology ignited her journey in the field of biomedical engineering, and she is now embarking on her first semester in this program. Christi’s academic journey began in India, where she completed her undergraduate studies in Biomedical Engineering and developed a profound interest in the field, particularly in the domain of medical imaging engineering. She aspires to contribute to the development of cost-effective medical imaging systems, which have the potential to enhance healthcare accessibility and affordability.

Meet the Moderator: Brittney Anderson-Martin

Brittney Martin is a project manager, facilitator, and diversity and inclusion enthusiast. As a consultant Project Manager for the NCWIT Academic Alliance and Regional Initiatives teams, Brittney supports their strategic growth and development while managing day to day operations. Brittney has worked at the intersection of nonprofit and higher education since 2012 with organizations such as Public Allies and America Reads. Read her full bio to learn more.


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

Join us for an inspiring web series that explores the exciting fusion of computer science and other areas of interest (CS+). Hear students, educators, researchers, and professionals talk about their work in areas such as art, music, medicine, and other fields and how computer science is embedded in what they do.

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

NCWIT at GMiS 2023

Start date: October 11, 2023
End date: October 14, 2023
All-day event
Location: Pasadena, CA

Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) has a mission to inspire and motivate underserved students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM); to enlighten and engage families, educators, communities and employers to assist underserved students pursuing STEM careers; to inspire our nation through recognition of the achievements of Hispanics and other role models in STEM; to enable and leverage Hispanic STEM talent to play a leadership role; and to collaborate and cooperate nationally within the STEM community. The annual GMiS Conference is an event that does all of the above. In 2023, the 35th conference will return to Pasadena, Calif.


For updates, highlights, and more, visit the conference website, and follow #NCWITontheroad and TECHNOLOchicas on Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook.


Where can you find NCWIT + TECHNOLOchicas?

Events


CAHSI Luncheon with TECHNOLOchicas 5.0 Rep Nery Lara Mancia
This is a private event, and registration is required.

This event is only available to members of Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) who are attending GMiS and have registered. Registration is required to ensure the correct number of meals can be prepared and all dietary needs can be met.

Networking


Meet the TECHNOLOchicas Ambassador on-site this year
October 11-14; TECHNOLOchicas 5.0 representative Nery Lara Mancia will be on-site

While you are attending GMiS, watch to see if you end up in a session with Nery Lara Mancia, who is a TECHNOLOchicas Ambassador and a Software Engineer with Qualcomm Government Technologies. She can share resources to help attendees get connected as a TECHNOLOchicas Ambassador and/or sign up for TECHNOLOchicas newsletters to learn more about the program and upcoming events.

For more information about GMiS 2023, visit the conference webpage.

NCWIT at GHC 2023

Start date: September 26, 2023
End date: September 29, 2023
All-day event
Location: Orlando, FL

Created in 1994 and inspired by the legacy of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, the AnitaB.org flagship event Grace Hopper Celebration brings research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. The Celebration results in collaborative proposals, networking, and mentoring for attendees. GHC presenters are leaders in their respective fields who recognize the importance of diversity in tech. The Celebration also offers professional development through a variety of activities. Today, GHC is the world’s largest virtual and in-person gathering of women technologists, where women from around the world convene to learn, network, and celebrate their achievements. GHC 2023, The Way Forward, will be held virtually and in-person at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.


For updates, highlights, and more, visit AnitaB.org and follow #NCWITontheroad and NCWIT on Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook.


Where can you find NCWIT?

Events


Bloomberg x Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community
Wednesday, September 27 – Exclusive for Bloomberg GHC Travel Grant recipients

This event is only available to the 20 AiC Community members who received a Bloomberg GHC Travel Grant. Bloomberg is an investment partner with NCWIT.

Bank of America x NCWIT Latina Event in Orlando
Wednesday, September 27 // Mia’s Italian Kitchen // 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

This event is open to Latinas in the AiC Community and TECHNOLOchicas, regardless of whether or not they are not attending GHC; however, registration is required to attend. Bank of America is a strategic partner with NCWIT, and longtime sponsor of the Aspirations in Computing Awards.

Networking


Bank of America x NCWITAiC Community Networking Breakfast
Thursday, September 28 – Exclusive to AiC Community Members attending GHC 2023 // 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.

This event is only available to members of the AiC Community, and registration is required to attend.

HPE x NCWITAiC VIP Meet + Greet
Thursday, September 28 – Exclusive to AiC Community Members attending GHC 2023 // 9 – 10 am.

This event is only available to members of the AiC Community, and registration is required to attend. Participants will meet with representatives from the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) team. HPE is an investment partner with NCWIT.

Social


AiC x NCWIT Meet-Up
Friday, September 29 // Tapa Toro // 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Join NCWIT and the Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community for a social event that’s open to:

  • AiC Community Members
  • NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance Members
  • NCWIT Partners and Sponsors
  • NCWIT Workforce Alliance Members

Due to limited space and food, registration is highly encouraged. Check out the event registration page for additional information on what food and drinks will be available, and to get answers to frequently asked questions. To get to Tapa Toro, you can take GHC Shuttle and get off at Castle Hotel. Tapa Toro is 0.2 miles from the Castle Hotel. Shuttles on Friday run until midnight, so you can easily get to the social and then back to the convention center for the GHC closing night party.


For more information about GHC 2023, visit the conference webpage.

NCWIT at TAPIA 2023

Start date: September 13, 2023
End date: September 15, 2023
Time: 7:00 am - 4:30 pm
Location: Dallas, Texas

The CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing (also known as “the TAPIA conference”) is the premier venue to acknowledge, promote, and celebrate diversity in computing. The goal of TAPIA Conferences is to bring together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, and professionals in computing from all backgrounds and ethnicities to celebrate the diversity that exists in computing; connect with others to create communities that extend beyond the conference; make contact with leaders in industry and academia; and be inspired by great presentations and conversations. The 2023 TAPIA Conference will be held in Dallas, Texas, at the Gaylord Texan Resort.


Follow @cmdit, #TAPIAConference, and @NCWIT on Twitter / Linkedin / Instagram / Facebook for updates, highlights, and more.

Where can you find NCWIT?

Workshops

Effective Programs for Increasing Diversity in Computing: Learning and Engaging
Thursday, September 14 at 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CDT // Texas 4

This workshop provides an opportunity for representatives from the NSF-funded Broadening Participation in Computing Alliances and other organizations to share their effective programs about increasing diversity in computing. The workshop will begin with representatives sharing one effective program from each of the following NSF BPC Alliances and other organizations: AccessComputing, CAHSI, CMD-IT, CRA-W, ECEP, iAAMCS, NCWIT, and STARS. The attendees will have an opportunity to break up into eight groups, with each group having an opportunity to learned the details about the effective program such that information can be taken back to the institution for implementation or partnerships can be established. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about two effective programs.


ADVANC(E)ing an Inclusive Academic Computing Workforce with Evidence-Based Tools
Thursday, September 14 at 4:30 – 5:45 p.m. CDT // Texas 4

This workshop is designed for computer science administrators and faculty. NCWIT works with academic computing programs to facilitate their implementation of strategic, systemic diversity-based change efforts based on their own institutional contexts, and is currently partnering with the NSF INCLUDES Aspire Alliance and WEPAN on addressing this need for faculty and staff as part of the NSF ADVANCE program. In this workshop, the facilitators–NCWIT, Aspire, and WEPAN staff–will present the NCWIT Academic Workplace Systemic Change Model, which comprehensively illustrates the systemic components of a computing department where change efforts can be focused. Furthermore, facilitators will utilize evidence-based resources to lead attendees through hands-on activities to determine which areas of the systemic change model should be areas of focus, as well as how to go about strategic, systemic planning of change efforts. Throughout the workshop, facilitators will: share evidence-based models and tools to aid departments in their DEI change efforts; personally assist attendees as they utilize some of the tools during the workshop; and create opportunities for sharing among the attendees. By implementing DEI change efforts in a strategic, systemic manner, administrators and faculty will be able to recruit, hire, and retain intersectionally diverse women in their programs more effectively.

Meetup

NCWITAiC x Reboot Representation Social
Thursday, September 14 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. CDT // Gaylord Texan Convention Center

NCWIT, the Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community, and Reboot Representation will co-host a two-hour meetup event at Tapia this year with special guests from Girls Who Code and Jane Street! This event is also open to NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance members, NCWIT Workforce Alliance Members, and NCWIT sponsors. Bring yourself, a colleague, and even a student! Register online to attend and kick back with friends, both new and old.

For more information about TAPIA 2023, visit the conference webpage.

NCWIT Conversations for Change with Shijuade Kadree and Jeffrey Siminoff

Date: September 6, 2023
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Online

Graphic design featuring grayscale photos of Shijuade Kadree and Jeffrey Siminoff. Text: "The idea you don't have is the voice you haven't heard. ncwit.org Conversations for Change with Shijuade Kadree and Jeffrey Siminoff; The Criminalization of Inclusion; Wednesday, September 6, 2023 11:00 a.m. (MST)"

The Criminalization of Inclusion: Spotlight on Anti-DEI Rhetoric

Wednesday, September 6 // 10 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET

Recently, the national discourse on DEI has given rise to anti-DEI proposals, policies and legislation across the U.S., fueling anti-DEI rhetoric and complicating equity initiatives. Continuing to advocate for equity in STEM is vitally important, but how can organizations effectively advocate for inclusion when it may eventually be illegal to have certain DEI initiatives? This Conversation for Change will address the complicated landscape of DEI advocacy within the current climate. We will discuss how to do equity work amid uncertainty and strategies to promote inclusivity.

Watch the video on-demand on NCWIT’s YouTube channel. You can find it, and previous recordings in the series, in the Conversations for Change playlist.

Shijuade Kadree (she/they) is the Director of Tech Equity and the Director of the Tech Accountability Coalition for the Aspen Digital Institute. She previously served as Snap, Inc’s Director of Diversity Strategy, where she worked to embed equity lenses in the culture of the company, for the product, and for the Snap user community. Prior to this role, she worked as the Chief Advocacy Officer for The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York. An alumna of Emory University, where she graduated with a joint degree from the Schools of Law and Public Health, Shijuade is a former defense attorney with Brooklyn Defender Services, and has significant government relations, policy, strategic planning and stakeholder cultivation and engagement experience. As the Chief Advocacy Officer for The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, she was responsible for creating, implementing, and directing the annual legislative and fiscal lobbying strategy to support its powerful programs and to advocate for equity and inclusion of the larger LGBTQ community in New York State. She centers her approach from an unapologetic Black, queer, feminist perspective, believing that when all of those needs are engaged and addressed, all will benefit from the outcome. They have worked with all levels of government, for-profit, and non-profit actors, to ensure that the work being done is thoughtful, innovative, and inclusive, with an explicitly intersectional lens. Shijuade’s legislative and organizational policy drafting and implementation experience, across multiple interests and sectors, informs the incisive and proactive approach to her change-making work. A recipient of multiple awards for her work, she is also a sought-after speaker, panelist, commentator, and moderator. She can be contacted for professional consulting services through her firm, Compass Strategies Consulting. Shijuade resides in Atlanta with their wife, children, and furbaby.

Jeffrey Siminoff (he/him) is Senior Vice President of Workplace Dignity at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, where he and his team provide employers with the tools that center dignity in the workplace and close the gap between what employers believe they are delivering and what employees say they are actually experiencing. Previously, he led global inclusion and diversity teams at top Silicon Valley and Wall Street companies, including Twitter, Apple (where he was recognized as one of 10 men making waves for women in tech) and Morgan Stanley. At Morgan Stanley, where he came out, Jeffrey also led the Pride (LGBTQ+) employee group and served as a Managing Director in the Legal Department, focusing on employment law. Jeffrey is a graduate of Duke University and he received his law degree from Emory University.

The idea you don't have is the voice you haven't heard: Conversations for Change, an online thought leadership series

About NCWIT Conversations for Change

Get ready for conversations, Q&As, on-demand videos, and more! Fully immerse yourself in research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further your efforts in creating inclusive cultures. Please join us live in order to take part in the Q&A. You can view past Conversations for Change recordings here.

Ask Me Anything (AMA) with Dr. Brad McLain

Date: August 31, 2023
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: NCWIT Linkedin

Join us online for an interactive, live, and moderated Ask Me Anything (AMA) with Dr. Brad McLain, NCWIT’s Director of Corporate Research and Director of the Center for STEM Learning at the University of Colorado – Boulder. In addition to piloting NCWIT’s innovative PowerTilt toolkit, he recently published a book entitled Designing Transformative Experiences, which aims to help leaders recast themselves as intentional experience designers with the potential to transform perspectives and lives.

Visit the NCWIT page on Linkedin on August 31 at 10 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET for the social Q&A! Follow to get reminders before the event, and tag leaders and experience designers to invite them to the discussion.

Learn more: Watch Dr. Brad McLain at the 2023 NCWIT Summit

To discover what transformative experiences are and how leaders can intentionally design opportunities for those experiences to emerge, watch Dr. Brad McLain discuss his journey with writing his new book on this method and how the toolkit it contains works. This video was originally recorded on the plenary stage of the 2023 NCWIT Summit in Denver on May 19, 2023.


Inclusive Leadership Through Transformative Experience Design
Transformative experiences are our most important life events, changing our sense of self in significant ways. How do they work? What elements do they require? How can we learn to design them as an entirely new view of inclusive leadership?


Based on his decades-long investigation of transformative experience design, Dr. McLain discussed how he has brought this work to NCWIT as Director of Corporate Research. His talk explored how an entirely new domain opens for leading change and building more inclusive cultures at work, school, home, and other contexts when leaders recast themselves as experience designers.

Join us for a walkthrough of the Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Collegiate Award with members of the Aspirations in Computing Community and an NCWIT Higher Ed Award winner.

Elevating Excellence: NCWIT’s Collegiate Aspirations in Computing Community

August 29th, 2023: 3 pm PT / 4 pm MT / 5 pm CT / 6 pm ET

About this event:

Are you a woman, genderqueer, or non-binary college student who wants to be recognized for your technical skills and contributions and join a nationwide community of peers? Or, do you work with collegiate students who you want to encourage and connect with a supportive community? Attend a free, online webinar hosted by the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance and Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community, and meet the following speakers:

  1. Dr. Alan Jamieson, recipient of the NCWIT Mentoring Award for Undergraduate Research
  2. Sarah Olson, Aspirations in Computing Campus Rep
  3. Meghan Flynn, 2019 National Award winner, now at Bank of America
  4. Vonesha Shaik, NCWIT AspireIT Leader
  5. Valencia Coleman, Graduate member of Aspirations in Computing Community

In this webinar, the speakers will:

  • Share an overview of the AiC Community
  • Show how to join the Community from the Collegiate Entrypoint
  • Highlight Community opportunities for collegiate students
  • Discuss the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Collegiate Award
  • Share other ways you can engage with AiC


Hosts

The NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance is a coordinated network of faculty, staff, and administration at higher ed institutions across the nation who work to foreground inclusive processes in computer science environments. NCWIT conducts collaborative research, provides resources, and offers strategies for student success in order to understand and combat the effects of unconscious bias and stereotype threat, to examine recruitment and retention trends, to identify problem areas and solutions, measure progress, and much more. Student-facing higher ed faculty and staff are in key positions to help applicable undergraduate and graduate students connect to awards and an online community that could shift their persistence in the computing and technology field.

NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) changes what’s possible for women, genderqueer and non-binary people in technology from K-12, into post-secondary, and through career by offering the kind of encouragement that combats isolation, enables long-term persistence, opens doors, and changes lives. AiC uses program elements that spark interest in computing; recognizes and celebrates students’ technical aspirations and abilities; and, provides an expansive, supportive network called the AiC Community.

Speakers

Dr. Alan Jamieson is a teaching professor and director of computing programs for Khoury College of Computer Sciences at the Roux Institute, Northeastern University. His research interests include broadening participation in computer science, K-12 computational thinking and data science education integration, and combinatorial graph theory. Jamieson has spent his career introducing computer science to students with varying backgrounds and experiences with technology. Dr. Jamieson was a recipient of the National Center for Women and Information Technology’s Mentoring Award for Undergraduate Research, and he has been recognized for his service as a volunteer reviewer for the Aspirations in Computing Awards.

Sarah Olson is a student pursuing both a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science in Computer Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She joined NCWIT after winning an Aspirations in Computing Massachusetts Affiliate Award Honorable Mention in 2021 and has continued her involvement in the community as a Campus Rep since Fall 2022. She is passionate about fixing inequities for children with learning differences in public school settings, and hopes to create tools to improve the accessibility of education in the future.

Meghan Flynn is a Software Engineer in the Technology Analyst Program at Bank of America (BoA) in Charlotte, NC. She was born and raised in New Jersey, where she recently graduated Cum Laude from the Albert Dorman Honors College at the New Jersey Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Computer Science. Meghan connected with the NCWIT community after being honored as an Aspirations in Computing (AiC) National Awardee in 2019.

Vonesha Shaik is a Computer Science major at The Georgia Institute of Technology. She has been actively involved with HexLabs, Girls Who Code, and Women in Computing at Georgia Tech to connect with fellow women in STEM regarding common aspirations and challenges. Esha has also been engaged in the NCWIT community for several years as an AspireIT Leader, Advisory Council Member, and panelist, taking a stand on narrowing the gender gap in technology through many initiatives. For the past four years, Esha has been interning at Bloomberg as a software engineer.

Valencia Coleman is an Associate Gameplay Engineer at Owlchemy Labs. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and is currently pursuing an MFA in Interactive Media and Game Design. She is an active advocate for diversity in the games industry and the alumni coordinator of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Foundation.

NCWIT at SIGCSE 2023

Start date: March 15, 2023
End date: March 18, 2023
All-day event
Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Graphic design featuring a blue to green gradient and the text NCWIT at SIGCSE

The 54th Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education was organized by the Association for Computing Machinery‘s (ACM) Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) and is the organization’s flagship annual conference. The SIGCSE Technical Symposium addresses problems which are common among educators working to develop, implement and/or evaluate computing programs, curricula, and courses. The hybrid symposium provided a forum for sharing new ideas for syllabi, laboratories, and other elements of teaching and pedagogy, at all levels of instruction. The symposium provided a diverse selection of technical sessions and opportunities for learning and interaction.

This year’s hybrid conference will be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, between March 15-18. All times listed below will reflect the local time zone, Eastern Time. More venue and event information can be found here, and SIGCSE registration information can be found online here.

Follow @NCWIT and #NCWITontheroad for updates, highlights, and more.


Where is NCWIT?

Booth #503

Want to learn more about the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and get resources to take home? Representatives from NCWIT and our collaborative partners can be found during exhibit hours at the times and dates listed below:

  • Thursday, March 16: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Friday, March 17: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 18: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Groups represented: AccessComputing, AccessCSforAll, Break Through Tech, Computing Research Association – Committee on Widening Participation, CSforALL, Centering Women of Color in STEM, The Early Research Scholars Program, Institute for African American Mentoring in Computing Sciences, NCWIT, STARS Computing Corps.

Hybrid Presentations


Advice for Building Recruiting Pipelines from High School to College: BridgeUp STEM Program

Thursday, March 16th – 10:45 a.m. – 12 p.m / Metro Toronto Convention Centre | 716

Join a panel discussion with NCWIT and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) about the challenges, necessary logistics, and practical advice around creating high school-to-college computing recruitment pipelines for women and gender non-conforming students. The conversation will be framed by the joint experience of NCWIT and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech in developing BridgeUP STEM – an on-going, two-year program consisting of coursework, tiered mentorship, research internships, and community events. Panelists will share insights and important take-aways, including what did and did not work well for project planning, recruiting participants, structuring activities, and negotiating flexible formats to accommodate students’ needs as well as unexpected challenges. Attendees will also get guidance on how to replicate similar programs at their own institutions and attract a greater diversity of students to computing.

NCWIT panelists include:

  • Dr. Sherri Sanders, Director of Higher Education Initiatives and BridgeUP STEM;
  • Dr. Chris Hovey, BridgeUP STEM Evaluator and Higher Education Research Associate; and
  • Matt Muchna, BridgeUP STEM Project Manager

Georgia Tech will be represented by:

  • Ashmitha Julius Aravind, BridgeUP STEM undergraduate Helen Fellow
  • Dr. Betsy DiSalvo, BridgeUP STEM Faculty Mentor, Associate Professor, and Interim Chair School of Interactive Computing
  • Cedric Stallworth, Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence
  • Michael Johnson, BridgeUP STEM coding instructor and PhD candidate, College of Computing

To register for this presentation, click here.


Engaging with Identity, Inclusion, and Intersectionality: Videos that Spark Conversations

Thursday, March 16: 1:45 p.m. – 3 p.m. | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | 718B

This SIGCSE TS 2023 Special Session is designed to help attendees gain understanding and confidence in using inclusive language to refer to and support a broader diversity of people in computer science. Inclusive terminology is fluid because it reflects evolving understandings of people and identities. This session provides tools to not only learn current best practices, but also to navigate the changing landscape of respectful, human-centered language that aligns with the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Framed by an NCWIT resource — Videos that Spark Conversations — and led by a panel of expert practitioners in the CS Ed community, attendees will watch and discuss three short videos on topics including norms for discussing identities, disability, and ethnicity. In this session, participants will:

  1. Learn inclusive terminology and the reasons why specific terms are used for three types of identities through expert-guided small group discussions; and
  2. Learn how to use the Videos that Spark Conversations resource to enable participants to share what they have learned.

Panelists include:

  • Christopher Lynnly Hovey, National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and University of Colorado – Boulder
  • Brianna Blaser, University of Washington
  • Vidushi Ojha, University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
  • Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones, University of North Carolina – Charlotte

To get more event information and register for this session, click here.


Challenges and Successes in Writing BPC Plans for NSF Proposals: Peers Discuss Approaches
Thursday, March 16: 3:45 – 5 p.m. | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | 718A

In 2021, National Science Foundation (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate implemented a Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) plan requirement for all medium and larger research proposals in Core, CPS, and SaTC. This panel is comprised of faculty and administrators from US computing departments who participated in writing Departmental or Project BPC plans and represents a range of institutions — as well as a range of departmental awareness of BPC prior to writing their plans. Regardless of where they or their departments are in the spectrum of knowing about and implementing BPC activities, and regardless of the current demographic makeup of the students in their major, they all encountered challenges as they wrote their plans. They all also experienced successes, not the least of which is that they succeeded in getting a plan written in accordance with the current guidelines. With the support of a moderator, three panelists will share their experiences developing BPC plans with the audience, offering lessons learned and tips for overcoming common challenges. Audience members will also receive helpful links and handouts to facilitate the writing of their own departmental or project plans.


Presenters include:

  • Wendy Dubow, National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)
  • Dorian Arnold, Emory University
  • Brittany Fasy, Montana State University
  • Mariantonieta Gutierrez Soto, Penn State University


To get more event information and register for this session, click here.


In-Person Presentations


Birds of a Feather – A Town Meeting: SIGCSE Committee on Expanding the Women-in-Computing Community

Thursday, March 16: 6:30 p.m. – 7:20 p.m. | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | 718A

This gathering is part of the proceedings for SIGCSE 2023. The forum provides an important annual meeting for a large group of people who work to increase the representation of women in computing in their separate organizations and who do not customarily have an opportunity to share ideas face-to-face. Abstract: In January 2004, the second SIGCSE Committee — “Expanding the Women-in-Computing Community” — was created. The SIGCSE Board approved the charter because the underrepresentation of women in computing is an international problem and an embarrassment for our profession. A BOF provides SIGCSE program advertising that will create a large audience for a discussion of both underrepresentation issues that attendees’ institutions have and also solutions that successful gender issues projects provide. The discussion leaders connect to three of the most important organizations that relate to underrepresentation:

  • Tracy Camp, the Computing Research Association’s Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research (CRA-WP)
  • Ruth Lennon, the Association for Computing Machinery’s Council on Women in Computing (ACM-W)
  • Lecia Barker, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)


Paper: How do Teaching Practices and Use of Software Features Relate to Computer Science Student Belonging in Synchronous Remote Learning Environments?

Friday, March 17: 1:45 – 2:10 p.m. | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | 714

This paper is presented as one of the SIGCSE TS 2023 Papers focused on Online and Remote Learning. Abstract: When faculty behaviors foster students’ sense of belonging in class, students report better learning experiences and are more likely to remain in the major. Sense of belonging is the feeling of being a valued and legitimate member of a community. Student belonging is relevant to the classroom, the program of study, and the institution at large. Understanding teacher immediacy behaviors that cultivate belonging in postsecondary synchronous remote classrooms is important for retaining students in computing, where remote coursework is increasingly used to address increases in enrollment. This paper reports on an exploratory, survey-based study on the relationship between instructor immediacy behaviors and use of conferencing software features (e.g., chat, breakout rooms) with student sense of belonging in synchronous remote learning environments. Responses from 125 computing students from approximately 53 courses across the US show that students feel a moderate sense of belonging in their courses, with no differences found across demographic groups. Belonging was found to have a strong relationship with students’ overall opinions of their courses and their likelihood of completing the major. Students’ camera preferences and instructor camera requirements had no effect on belonging. A regression analysis showed that no tool use variables predicted student sense of belonging. However, two teacher immediacy behaviors, increase in frequency of setting aside class time to talk about upcoming course content and use of humor, were significantly associated with an increase in sense of belonging. Learn more here.


Presenters include:

  • Lecia Barker, National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and University of Colorado – Boulder (CU – Boulder)
  • Noah Q. Cowit, NCWIT and CU – Boulder


Paper: How Do I Get People to Use My Ideas? Lessons from Successful Innovators in CS Education

Friday, March 17: 1:45 p.m. – 2:35 p.m. | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | 801B

This paper is presented as one of the SIGCSE TS 2023 Papers focused on Sharing Ideas and Resources in CS Education. Abstract: Improving Computer Science (CS) education requires increasing the meaningful usage of research-supported pedagogy and curriculum. Studies on propagation have largely looked at dissemination and adoption from the perspective of adopters: what motivates them to discover, experiment with, and continue using innovative teaching. This study adds to a growing body of research on approaches to encourage adoption by examining the perspectives and advice of successful propagators—education researchers who have had their innovations widely adopted. Drawing on interviews with fourteen CS education researchers, this paper identifies both points of convergence and unique insights across several broad areas: barriers to adoption, the structure of academia, relevant principles of design and techniques for deployment, and strategies for propagation. Notable findings include: the structure of academia has aspects that both impede and facilitate successful propagation; traditional academic funding sources do not adequately support ongoing propagation; and some successful strategies for getting the word out involve oblique approaches for reaching potential users. This exploration of common successful approaches can serve as a guide for developers and educational advocates when working to attract new users and broaden impact. Learn more here.


Presenters include:

  • Christopher Lynnly Hovey, National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and University of Colorado – Boulder
  • David Bunde, Knox College
  • Zack Butler, Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Cynthia Taylor, Oberlin College


Poster: How do Computing Students Perceive Social Presence in Synchronous Remote v. In-Person Courses

Saturday, March 18: 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | Exhibit Hall G

As computing departments increasingly use synchronous remote learning (SRL) to offer courses, this poster reports on initial survey results to better understand undergraduate computing students’ experiences with SRL as compared to in-person educational environments, particularly the extent to which SRL fulfilled their needs for developing social bonds with faculty and other students. Regardless of demographic categories, students feel that social presence factors in classes are important and find in-person environments better at accommodating them. Learn more here.


Presenters include:

  • Lecia Barker, National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and University of Colorado – Boulder (CU – Boulder)
  • Christopher Lynnly Hovey, NCWIT and CU – Boulder
  • Noah Q. Cowit, NCWIT and CU – Boulder


Reception with NCWIT


Bingo, Networking, and Wine

Friday, March 17: 6 – 7 p.m. | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | 700 Level Foyer

Join NCWIT representatives for a social wrap up as SIGSCE 2023 comes to a close.

NCWIT Conversations for Change with Dr. Allison Scott and Dr. Ivory Toldson

Date: March 2, 2023
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Online
Graphic design with grayscale photographs of Dr. Allison Scott and Dr. Ivory Toldson, the ncwit.org logo, and text: "The idea you don't have is the voice you haven't heard. Conversations for Change with Dr. Allison Scott and Dr. Ivory Toldson; Advancing Racial Equity in Tech; Thursday, March 2, 2023 | 11:00 a.m. (MST)"

Advancing Racial Equity in Tech

Thursday, March 2 // 10 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET

On March 2nd, we heard from two leaders at the forefront of advancing racial equity in computing: Dr. Allison Scott, CEO of the Kapor Center, and Dr. Ivory A. Toldson, the National Director of Education Innovation and Research for the NAACP. The Kapor Center’s work focuses at the intersection of racial justice and technology, and they are committed to fighting for racial justice and creating a more inclusive technology sector. The NAACP is the home of grassroots activism for civil rights and social justice, and has been working to disrupt systemic inequities since 1909.


Together, the Kapor Center and the NAACP published “The State of Tech Diversity: The Black Tech Ecosystem,” as a means to offer concrete solutions for improving access and inclusion for Black Americans in tech. In this conversation, we discussed the current landscape and learned more about the each speaker’s individual and collective efforts to positively impact the future of computing.


Dr. Allison Scott is the CEO of the Kapor Foundation, which focuses at the intersection of racial justice and technology and works to remove barriers in access and opportunity, such that the promise and potential of technology can be harnessed to create a more equitable future. At the Foundation, Dr. Scott leads a team which works to: (a) expand equity in K-12 computer science education, (b) expand diversity within tech companies and VC firms, and (c) advance key policies to transform the technology ecosystem. Dr. Scott is currently a Principal Investigator on multiple national grants to expand equity in computer science education and in her previous role as the Chief Research Officer, authored foundational research on disparities in tech, inequity in CS education, and interventions to improve STEM education outcomes for students of color. Previous positions included: Chief Research Officer at the Kapor Center; Program Leader for the National Institutes of Health’s Enhancing the Diversity of the Biomedical Workforce Initiative; Director of Research and Evaluation for the Level Playing Field Institute, and Data Analyst for the Education Trust-West. Dr. Scott holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hampton University.

Dr. Ivory A. Toldson is the National Director of Education Innovation and Research for the NAACP, Professor of Counseling Psychology at Howard University, and Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Negro Education. Previously, Dr. Toldson was appointed by President Barack Obama to devise national strategies to sustain and expand federal support to HBCUs as the executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHIHBCUs). He also served as president and CEO of the QEM Network and contributing education editor for The Root, where he debunked some of the most pervasive myths about African-Americans in his Show Me the Numbers column. Dr. Toldson is the executive editor of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Research, published by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. He is also the author of Brill Bestseller, No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear about Black People. Dr. Toldson is ranked among the nation’s top education professors as a member of Education Week’s Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, an annual list recognizes university-based scholars across the nation who are champions in shaping educational practice and policy.

The idea you don't have is the voice you haven't heard: Conversations for Change, an online thought leadership series

About NCWIT Conversations for Change

Get ready for conversations, Q&As, on-demand videos, and more! Fully immerse yourself in research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further your efforts in creating inclusive cultures. Please join us live in order to take part in the Q&A. If you cannot attend live, a recording will be made available on our YouTube.

NCWIT at the CoNECD 2023 Conference

Start date: February 26, 2023
End date: February 28, 2023
All-day event
Location: Downtown Marriott Convention Center

CoNECD is the only annual conference dedicated to all the diverse groups that comprise our engineering and computing workforce. The vision of the CoNECD (pronounced, “connected”) Conference is to provide a forum for exploring current research and practices to enhance diversity and inclusion of all underrepresented populations in the engineering and computing professions including gender identity and expression, race and ethnicity, disability, veterans, LGBTQ+, 1st generation and socio-economic status.

This year’s conference was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, between February 26-28.

Follow @NCWIT and #NCWITontheroad for updates, highlights, and more.


Where is NCWIT?

Presentation

Community Colleges & Gender Equity in Computing | Challenges, Needs, and Tools

Monday, February 27th, 3:30 PM CT // Julia Room of the New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District Hotel

Attendees of the Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity (CoNECD — pronounced “connected”) 2023 Conference in New Orleans joined NCWIT at a session focused on the issues community college programs encounter, as well as their needs, while working to improve gender equity in computing. Student background, administrative processes, funding resource levels, as well as faculty and administrator buy-in all have implications for how community colleges accomplish gender equity work. Presenter Jamie Huber Ward, Associate Director of Extension Services and a social scientist with NCWIT at the University of Colorado Boulder, shared how the NCWIT Extension Services Learning Circles are supporting community colleges through self-assessment tools and student surveys. She was joined by co-presenters Nancy Binowski, Professor and Chair of the Department of Information Technologies at the County College of Morris, and Erin Carll, Associate Director of the Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity at the University of Washington, for an in-depth look at a paper authored by a collaborative team of researchers from NCWIT, University of Washington Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity (UW CERSE), University of Virginia, County College of Morris, Research Triangle Educational Consultants, and Laurel Ridge Community College.

In the paper, NCWIT resource materials — including the self-assessment tool and student entry survey — were described as helpful to the campus change leader teams because they provided information that informed their actions. The Learning Circles community was also helpful because it provided participants with the opportunity to learn directly from their peers.

Presenters:

  • Nancy Binowski
  • Erin Carll
  • Jamie Huber Ward

Authors:

  • Gretchen Achenbach, National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and University of Virginia
  • Nancy Binowski, County College of Morris
  • Catherine E. Brawner, Research Triangle Educational Consultants
  • Erin Carll, University of Washington Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity (UW CERSE)
  • Jamie Huber Ward, NCWIT and University of Colorado Boulder (UC Boulder)
  • Elizabeth Litzler, NCWIT and UW CERSE
  • Sherri Sanders, NCWIT and UC Boulder
  • Melissa Stange, Laurel Ridge Community College
  • Zhen Wu, NCWIT and UC Boulder

NCWIT Conversations for Change with Modern Figures Podcast

Date: February 8, 2023
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location: Online
The idea you don't have is the voice you haven't heard: Conversations for Change, an online thought leadership series

Elevating Modern Figures in Computing

Wednesday, February 8 // 11 am PT / 12 pm MT / 1 pm CT / 2 pm ET

The first Color of Our Future webinar of NCWIT’s Conversation for Change series in 2023 took place virtually on February 8 at 12 pm MT. Watch the video below to hear Dr. Jeremy Waisome and Dr. Kyla McMullen present “Elevating Modern Figures in Computing.”  The event also featured a panel discussion. Both speakers are current faculty members at the University of Florida. The Modern Figures podcast is presented by the Institute for African-American Mentoring in Computing Sciences (iAAMCS) and the Computing Research Association—Committee on Widening Participation (CRA-WP), in collaboration with NCWIT. It is currently in its fourth season, and features guests who share their experiences as Black women in computing spaces.


Dr. Jeremy A. M. Waisome is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education. Her research focuses on effective mentoring strategies for underrepresented populations in Engineering. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida (UF), and now serves on the UF Ronald E. McNair Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Associate Provost’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee at UF. In 2018, she was awarded the Mike Shinn Distinguished Member of the Year (Female) by the National Society of Black Engineers. In 2017, she was inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. In addition, Dr. Waisome was inducted into UF Hall of Fame (2010) and is a recipient of the UF Outstanding Leadership Award (2010).

Dr. Kyla McMullen is a tenured faculty member at the University of Florida’s Computer & Information Sciences & Engineering Department. Dr. McMullen has a personal commitment to encouraging women and minorities to pursue careers in computing and other STEM fields, and is the leader of the SoundPAD Laboratory at the University of Florida, which focuses on the Perception, Application, and Development of 3D audio. Her current projects include: (1) psychoacoustic analysis of the quality of customized head-related transfer functions, (2) using 3D audio to sonify positional data for situational awareness, (3) discovering critical interface design techniques for developing virtual auditory environments, and (4) using 3D audio to increase immersion and realness in virtual and augmented reality.

About NCWIT Conversations for Change

Get ready for conversations, Q&As, on-demand videos, and more! Fully immerse yourself in research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further your efforts in creating inclusive cultures. Please join us live in order to take part in the Q&A. If you cannot attend live, a recording will be made available on our YouTube.

NCWIT at ACTE’s CareerTech Vision 2022 Conference

Start date: November 30, 2022
End date: December 3, 2022
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE’s CareerTech Vision 2022 is their premier annual conference that attracts thousands of secondary and postsecondary career and technical educators, business leaders and industry professionals from around the world. This year’s conference was held in Las Vegas, Nevada from November 30th – December 3rd.

Follow @NCWIT, @NCWITC4C  @actecareertech, #NCWITontheroad and #NCWITatACTE on Twitter for updates, highlights, and more.

Where was NCWIT?

Presentations

Beyond the Binary: Why gender equity in your classroom requires queer inclusion

Thursday, December 1st, 2:00-2:45 PM PT // Westgate Hotel – Pavilion 11

Join NCWIT in discussion with CTE educators, counselors, and administrators on the importance of queer inclusion in conversations about gender equity in technology. NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community is open to women, genderqueer, and non-binary students interested in technology and through a network of support, we aim to significantly increase the meaningful representation of all historically marginalized genders. Learn from NCWIT staff and discuss with each other methods, terminology, and best practices for queer inclusion and meeting the needs of women, genderqueer, and non-binary students in your school or classroom. 

Relevant NCWIT Resources

Preparing for Careers of the Future: School Counselors Lead the Way!

Saturday, December 3rd, 9:30am – 10:15am PST

Las Vegas Convention Center – N261

You know the importance of educating students about the future of careers.  But are you prepared to show them how every career field is being impacted by computer science?  As a school counselor it is important to know that computer science is not a “fad,” but instead it’s the key to unlocking a world of career opportunities!

In this session participants will be empowered in their unique role to build awareness of the changing career field.  Learn how the arts, media and creative services–and even many middle-skills jobs–now run on computer science! This session will convince school counselors that computer science is a non-negotiable when it comes to teaching career lessons.

Participants will leave this session equipped with specific ways to use individual counseling for career exploration. They will also be able to add certain advising practices to their collection to support socially equitable career exploration.

We will give participants ideas for reaching stakeholders to generate excitement and involvement in computer science education and careers. Participants will learn how to identify emerging career trends, the requisite skills needed along with strategies to empower students.

Relevant NCWIT Resources

The idea you don't have is the voice you haven't heard: Conversations for Change, an online thought leadership series

Leading social entrepreneur and racial equity expert Jonah Edelman will join NCWIT at 11 a.m. MT on November 3, 2022, for a presentation and dialogue about leading national nonprofit Management Leadership for Tomorrow’s groundbreaking, research-aligned, and impactful Black and Hispanic Equity at Work Certification Programs, which provide comprehensive measurement, a rigorous roadmap, multi-faceted support, and valuable recognition and have been embraced by 65 major employers and leading institutional investors. Come and learn how this innovative program came about, how it is being utilized by and impacting a wide range of companies, and key lessons learned to date.

Jonah Edelman is co-founder and Executive Officer of Stand for Children, and co-founder of Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) Black and Hispanic Equity at Work Certification. Stand for Children is a non-profit education advocacy organization focused on ensuring all students receive a high quality, relevant education, especially those whose boundless potential is overlooked and under-tapped because of their skin color, zip code, first language, or disability. Stand for Children’s nine state affiliates (AZ, CO, IL, IN, LA, OR, TN, TX, and WA) work to achieve education equity with an emphasis on helping children at the bottom of the economic ladder to rise up. Launched in 2002, MLT is a national nonprofit that is transforming the leadership pipelines of more than 120 leading organizations by driving breakthrough results for individuals and institutions which equips and emboldens high-achieving individuals from underrepresented communities — Black, Latinx, and Native American — to realize their full potential, to make a mark, and make a difference. MLT has convened a uniquely powerful and vibrant community of Rising Leaders — 8,000 and growing — who are propelling change throughout our institutions, communities, and nation.


About NCWIT Conversations for Change

Get ready for conversations, Q&As, on-demand videos, and more! Fully immerse yourself in research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further your efforts in creating inclusive cultures.

TECHNOLOchicas 5.0 Virtual Launch

Date: October 27, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm
Location: Virtual in Eastern Time and Pacific Time

NCWIT TECHNOLOchicas presents: TECHNOLOchicas 5.0!

TECHNOLOchicas 5.0
Meet the TECHNOLOchicas 5.0 Ambassadors, from left to right: Melissa Delgado-Martinez, Ali Guarneros Luna, Nery Lara Mancia, Melinda Vargas, Zaida Hernandez, Ruth Vela, Laura Robles, and Josephine Vazquez-Rivera.

Meet the TECHNOLOchicas Ambassadors featured in our latest campaign:

  • Melissa Delgado-Martinez; Engineering Program Manager, Microsoft
  • Melinda Vargas Ramos; Business and Systems Analyst, Triple-S Salud
  • Josephine Vazquez-Rivera; Associate Director of Technology, AT&T
  • Laura Robles; IT Analyst, Caterpillar Inc.
  • Nery Lara Mancia; Software Engineer, Qualcomm
  • Ruth Vela; Director of Global Technology Experience, Nextiva
  • Zaida Hernandez; Spacecraft Engineer, NASA Johnson Space Center
  • Ali Guarneros Luna; Senior Aerospace Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center

The official TECHNOLOchicas 5.0 Launch took place on October 27, 2022, and invited members of the public to join two events for a panel discussion with these accomplished Latina tech ambassadors from across the country and hear about their journeys, including:

  • what got them interested in STEM
  • the role family and educators’ support played in their journeys
  • their strategies for facing and overcoming challenges
  • what does life-work balance looks like for them
  • why they’re on a mission to inspire Latina girls and women to pursue careers in tech and computing

Recordings:

East Coast Virtual Launch: Watch video on YouTube

West Coast Virtual Launch: Watch video on YouTube

About TECHNOLOchicas 5.0

TECHNOLOchicas, co-produced by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and the Televisa Foundation, is a national initiative designed to raise awareness among young Latinas and their families about opportunities and careers in technology.

Launched in 2014, TECHNOLOchicas uses the powerful stories of Latina’s from diverse backgrounds working in computing and technology industries, to inspire the next generation to be part of the future of technology.

TECHNOLOchicas stories highlight the lives of TECHNOLOchicas Ambassadors and present them as “relatable” role models through several communication channels, including broadcast television, social media, and online videos. TECHNOLOchicas Ambassadors around the country hold events, virtually and in person, to expose girls and young women to coding and other aspects of computing careers.

For upcoming events, follow us on social media (@technolochicas), including this month’s celebration of our most recent campaign, TECHNOLOchicas 5.0, which includes new profiles of real-life Latina role models.

WHY TECHNOLOchicas?

Latinas occupied only 2% of jobs in the computing workforce in 2021 (Resource: By the Numbers). Yet, both the number of technology positions and the Hispanic population are growing. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts 3.5 million computing-related job openings by 2026. The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics reports that by 2060, nearly one in three women will be Hispanic. Latinas represent a vastly untapped computing talent pool that is vital to increasing the bottom line of the U.S. economy and creating diversity in the computing workforce, leading to advanced technical innovation. Their participation in computing disciplines also improves the economic outlook of the Hispanic community.

NCWIT’s intersectional approach to diversifying the computing ecosystem serves as an exemplar of the role that nonprofits, educational systems, and corporations play in addressing the underrepresentation of Latinas in computing. The success of NCWIT’s TECHNOLOchicas initiative has sparked an expansion of NCWIT’s work to influence the participation of women and girls of color from other under-represented backgrounds (including Black and Native American) in computing. NCWIT’s Color of our Future initiative anchors NCWIT programs, initiatives, and research-based resources focused on broadening the meaningful participation of underrepresented women and girls of color to drive game-changing and sustainable inclusion of Latina women in computing.


TECHNOLOchicas is funded by Televisa Foundation, Qualcomm, Microsoft, AT&T, and Apple, with additional support from the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI.)

Center for STEM Learning 2022 Symposium

Date: October 12, 2022
Time: 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Location: University of Colorado Boulder

NCWIT was glad to attend this free event, which was open to all and included:

  • Featured talks
  • Live Music
  • Food
  • STEM Partner-Finding
  • Poster session*

*K-20 students & faculty were encouraged to attend and present posters.

Featured Talks:

Dr. Elfriede Gamow: My Story in STEAM & Beyond

CU Boulder’s first person to earn a Ph.D. in molecular biology, immigrant from East Germany during WWII, Founder of Elfriede’s Fine Fabrics, daughter-in-law of physicist George Gamow, and wife of the late Igor Gamow.

Dr. Margaret Eisenhart: STEM Education Reform in Urban High Schools Opportunities, Constraints, Culture, and Outcomes

Distinguished Professor Emerita in the School of Education at CU Boulder. Trained as a cultural anthropologist of education. Her recent research has focused on young women and people of color who are interested in pursuing STEM fields. Dr. Eisenhart will be discussing her new book  from Harvard Education Press.

Teresa (Terry) Hogan: Intersectional Inclusion in Computing — An Ecosystem Approach to Persistence 

President & CTO at the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). Terry has a background in computing and prior to joining NCWIT, she spent more than 20 years in technical organizations doing network and infrastructure engineering as well as information security and technology intelligence consulting. Terry will share findings from research done with NCWIT’s Aspirations in Computing program, which includes a community of more than 23,800 women, girls, and queer and non-binary individuals. 

NCWIT at GHC 2022

Start date: September 20, 2022
End date: September 23, 2022
All-day event
Location: Orlando, FL

Created in 1994 and inspired by the legacy of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, the AnitaB.org flagship event Grace Hopper Celebration brings the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. The Celebration results in collaborative proposals, networking, and mentoring for attendees. GHC presenters are leaders in their respective fields who recognize the importance of diversity in tech. The Celebration also offers professional development through a variety of activities. Today, GHC is the world’s largest virtual and in-person gathering of women technologists, where women from around the world convene to learn, network, and celebrate their achievements. GHC 2022, Next is Now, will be held virtually and in-person at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.


Follow @NCWIT, @AnitaB_org, #NCWITontheroad and #NCWITatGHC on Twitter for updates, highlights, and more.


Where can you find NCWIT?


PNC x NCWIT Social Event with Aspirations in Computing
Wednesday, September 21 at 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. EDT // Dave & Busters

Skip the line in the Exhibit Hall and meet us at Dave & Buster’s for some informal networking over games and food! PNC Financial Services and NCWIT invite you to a night of networking and engagement opportunities during the Grace Hopper Celebration! Attendees will have the ability to ask questions, share a resume, and discuss experiences — all while enjoying delicious food and cocktails (included with your registration).Your registration will also provide you with exclusive access to connect with top PNC representatives in technology and learn more about roles and opportunities available at the bank — including current opportunities accepting applications:

Attendees are encouraged to consider applying to help set them apart. At PNC, our people are our greatest differentiator and competitive advantage in the markets we serve. We are looking for talented, hard-working, and passionate individuals who want to advance their career in the IT industry. By joining one of PNC’s Internships or Development Programs, you can explore your potential through hands-on experience in a professional environment. This is an excellent opportunity to begin exploring your career goals, in addition to growing your skills in key areas.



Breathe, Stretch, and Connect with Bank of America
Thursday, September 22 at 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. EDT // Room W232C

You’re invited to join Bank of America to “Breathe, Stretch and Connect” onsite at the Grace Hopper Celebration. As we prepare for a busy day at the expo, meet us in room W232C to participate in a guided session focused on breathing, stretching and connecting. Immediately following the session, join your fellow participants and Bank of America employees for tea, snacks and networking.

Come as you are, no prior experience or special attire necessary.



Wells Fargo x NCWIT Luncheon with Aspirations in Computing
Thursday, September 22 at 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EDT // Bahama Breeze

Wells Fargo is excited to continue our partnership with NCWIT by hosting a luncheon during this year’s Grace Hopper Celebration Next Is Now. As a leader of both NEXT and NOW, we are inviting you to spend an afternoon with senior Wells Fargo leaders to hear about the personal challenges they’ve faced in their technical careers, how they’ve overcome those challenges, and how they are using their leadership and influence to help elevate others. Participants will have small group access, fellowship and conversation with some of Wells Fargo’s best. You have the background, technical skills and aptitude. Now, continue to build your arsenal of tools and tactics to navigate life at the next level.

This luncheon is for AiC Community members who are 1-3 years out of college with no visa sponsorship requirements.



Star Wars Launch Bay with HPE University Recruiting x NCWIT
Thursday, September 22 at 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. // Hollywood Studios (at Disney)

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is delighted to extend an invitation for NCWIT members to join HPE’s University Recruiting team for a recruiting event at Star Wars Launch Bay in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The reception provides a valuable opportunity for NCWIT members to meet with the HPE team and learn about our University Recruiting program. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and soft drinks will be provided during the reception. Please RSVP and see event agenda for additional details.

Students who attend this VIP experience will have the opportunity to:

  • Engage with HPE women technologists during panel discussions and networking reception
  • Meet with HPE recruiters to learn about University Program areas
  • Live out your own Star Wars story by flying the Millennium Falcon


HPE is proud to be an official technology provider for the Disney Parks and Resorts organization.



Meetup

NCWIT Academic Alliance + Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community Social
Friday, September 23 at 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. // Tapa Toro

Join us for an AiC Community Social with the NCWIT Academic Alliance to celebrate the close of GHC 22! Once you’ve worked hard, networked, pitched your resume, and picked up all the swag, it’s time to kick back and relax with friends — new and old — in the AiC community. Bring yourself, a colleague, or a student!

GHC Shuttle Information: To get to Tapa Toro, you can take the GHC Shuttle and get off at Castle Hotel. Tapa Toro is 0.2 miles from the Castle Hotel. Shuttles on Friday run until midnight, so it’s easy to get to the social and back to the convention center for the GHC closing night party.


For more information about GHC 2022, visit the conference webpage.

NCWIT at TAPIA 2022

Start date: September 7, 2022
End date: September 10, 2022
Time: 7:00 am - 4:30 pm
Location: Washington, DC

The CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing (also known as “the TAPIA conference”) is the premier venue to acknowledge, promote, and celebrate diversity in computing. The goal of TAPIA Conferences is to bring together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, and professionals in computing from all backgrounds and ethnicities to celebrate the diversity that exists in computing; connect with others to create communities that extend beyond the conference; make contact with leaders in industry and academia; and be inspired by great presentations and conversations. The 2022 TAPIA Conference will be held in Washington, D.C., at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.


Follow @NCWIT, @cmdit, and #Tapia2022 on Twitter for updates, highlights, and more.


Where can you find NCWIT?

Booth No. #1021

Visit the NCWIT booth, located in the farthest left-hand corner from the exhibit hall A entrance, and meet members of the NCWIT team to learn about resources and opportunities for students, educators, and those in the workforce. Booth hours coincide with the exhibit hall hours of 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. (all times listed in Eastern Daylight Time).

Presentations
Effective Programs for Increasing Diversity in Computing
Thursday, September 8 at 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT // ConvCtr 143 ABC

This workshop provides an opportunity for representatives from the NSF-funded Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Alliances and other organizations to share their effective programs about increasing diversity in computing. The workshop will begin with representatives sharing one effective program from each of the following NSF BPC Alliances and other organizations: AccessComputing; CAHSI; CMD-IT; CRA-W; ECEP; iAAMCS; NCWIT; and STARS. Attendees will have an opportunity to break up into eight groups, with each group having an opportunity to learned the details about the effective program such that information can be taken back to the institution for implementation or partnerships can be found. During the workshop, the participants will have an opportunity to learn about two effective programs.

NCWIT Senior Research Scientist Dr. Wendy DuBow will present.

Panels

Who’s In and Who’s Out: The Complexities of the Latinx Community
Thursday, September 8 at 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. EDT // ConvCtr 146 A

The Latinx community tends to be included in interventions and research under the label “people of color.” Even when they are extracted from the “people of color” category, they are treated as a monolithic category of “Hispanic” or “Latinx.” In the concept of “spectrum-based racial logics,” Latinx are considered not quite Black and not quite White, but “Brown,” suggesting a middle-of-the-spectrum position. Whatever the ever-evolving, and often confusing, terms are, they fail to capture the complexity of language, ethnicity and race that exists in the Latinx community. There are advantages to being rolled up into a single category: Too few from a single group can mean that certain groups won’t get counted in research unless they are included as part of a larger category. This rolling up can lead to collaborations and partnerships between different communities when their priorities align. However, for Latinx communities, like other communities historically marginalized in computing, there are many important differences that get overlooked. Latinx peoples differ by language, nation of origin, culture, religion, race, and skin color, to name just a few major differences. Broadening participation in computing (BPC) efforts will be strengthened ultimately by understanding the differences within the Latinx community and how these differences can impact what structures need to be changed and what interventions should be provided. Even interpersonal relations between Latinx and other faculty or students can be enhanced by heightened appreciation of the very real differences between individuals who are designated as Latinx or Hispanic.

NCWIT Senior Research Scientist Dr. Wendy DuBow will moderate this panel.

Meetup

Aspirations in Computing (AiC), Last Mile Education Fund, and NCWIT
Thursday, September 8 at 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. // Baby Wale

Join our Tapia social event in partnership with the Last Mile Education Fund! Meet us at Baby Wale for food and socializing. Bring a friend, make new friends, and connect with members and representatives of these three amazing organizations!

For more information about TAPIA 2022, visit the conference webpage.

The idea you don't have is the voice you haven't heard: Conversations for Change, an online thought leadership series

If we do not explicitly work towards inclusion of students with dis/Abilities in K-12 CS education, we are excluding them. In this session, Dr. Maya Israel (University of Florida) shares research findings on both barriers and pathways to inclusion. Maya will highlight systemic approaches that school districts have taken to create more equitable CS opportunities for learners with dis/Abilities as well as inclusive classroom strategies. Lastly, she will share professional development resources created through the UDL4CS grant aimed at providing K-12 CS educators with practical strategies around Universal Design for Learning, High Leverage Practices, and Accessibility in K-12 CS education.

Maya Israel, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Educational Technology and Computer Science Education at the University of Florida. She is also the Director of CSEveryone: The Kenneth C. Griffin CS Education for All Initiative as well as the Creative Technology Research Lab at the UF. Prior to entering higher education, Dr. Israel was a special education teacher. Her research focuses on strategies for supporting students with disabilities and other academically diverse learners’ meaningful engagement in computer science education through Universal Design for Learning (UDL). She is currently PI or co-PI on several grants, including a National Research Foundation project that brings together researchers and educational leaders to address ways to make computer science education more inclusive to students with disabilities. Dr. Israel was a writer on the K-12 Computer Science Education Framework as well as the revisions of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Standards for Computer Science Teachers. Lastly, Dr. Israel works with multiple school districts on systemic and classroom strategies to more equitably include students with disabilities in K-12 computer science education initiatives.

About NCWIT Conversations for Change
Get ready for conversations, Q&As, on-demand videos, and more! Fully immerse yourself in research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further your efforts in creating inclusive cultures.

NCWIT at CSTA 2022

Start date: July 14, 2022
End date: July 17, 2022
All-day event
Location: Chicago, Illinois
White text saying "NCWIT at CSTA" on blue and green background

CSTA is a dynamic and vibrant organization of professionals interested in supporting computer science education in grades K-12.The annual CSTA conference brings together a world class professional development and educator community to build skills, meet other teachers, and get inspired. NCWIT presenters will share research and resources from the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing program to help increase girls’ participation in computing classes.

Follow @NCWIT and #CSTA2022 on Twitter for updates, live tweets from panels, and more!

Where can you find NCWIT? 
All times are listed in Central Time.

Session

Engaging Counselors, Teachers, and Administrators to Broaden Participation in Computing // Friday, July 15, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. // Location: W183a

In this presentation, attendees will learn how to develop effective partnerships with counselors, administrators, and fellow teachers to assist in recruitment for CS classes. While it’s easy to think that the students for whom a CS class is designed will naturally find the class and enroll in it, this isn’t always the case. There are many reasons why potentially interested students, particularly girls and students of color, might not enroll in a CS class. CS instructors can actively recruit students on their own, of course. But developing an effective partnership with a school counselor and administrator can help increase interest and participation well beyond an individual teacher’s reach. Counselors are integral parts of the registration process, while administrators understand certification and scheduling. Both can be a CS teacher’s greatest champions! Simply offering a course will not create equity or promote the goal of CS for All. A plan and focused effort is required, and partnerships between teachers and counselors are an essential part of that plan.

presented by representatives from NCWIT Counselors for Computing (C4C)

Mini-Session

Three Essential Values for Building Inclusive Computer Science Experiences for All Students // Saturday, July 16, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. // Location: W181b

NCWIT will share three core values for designing engaging and inclusive computer science experiences for broadening the participation of girls, women, and other underrepresented populations. Infusing program design with these values (peer mentorship, inclusivity, and hands-on engagement) leads to the greatest impact for participants and their communities. This presentation will walk participants through these three core values, drawing examples from the new AspireIT Toolkit. We will discuss how to utilize the samples, guides, and NCWIT research provided via the Toolkit, as well as drawing on participants’ sharing, to create engaging computing experiences.  

presented by NCWIT AspireIT Program Manager Tanner Bergamo

Birds of a Feather (BOF)

Beyond the Binary: Why Gender Equity in the Classroom Requires Queer Inclusion // Sunday, July 17, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. // Location: W181c

This birds of a feather session will bring together CS educators, counselors, and administrators to discuss the importance of queer inclusion in conversations about gender equity in technology. The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT)’s Aspirations in Computing (AiC) community is open to women, genderqueer, and nonbinary students interested in technology. Through our network of support, we aim to significantly increase meaningful representation of all historically marginalized genders in computer science. Learn from NCWIT staff and fellow participants about the methods, terminology, and best practices for queer inclusion and how you can meet the needs of women, genderqueer, and nonbinary students in your school or classroom.

presented by NCWIT AiC Regional Affiliate Manager John Kelly and NCWIT AiC Recognitions Program Specialist Lauren Tomkinson

Meet-Up

NCWIT Educator Meet-Up // Friday, July 15, 5:30 p.m. // Location: Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta

To show our gratitude for all of the work you do to support women, genderqueer, and nonbinary students in tech and computing, NCWIT is hosting a meet-up for all educators and teachers who are involved with NCWIT or who want to get involved for the first time. Whether you have endorsed a high school application, won an educator award, been a partner for an AspireIT program, or simply educate students in computing and technology, we want to buy you dinner and celebrate another great year. Please RSVP here, and join us.

hosted by the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing program

Booth

Booth Number 528

Stop by our booth to meet our team, learn more about current NCWIT programs and initiatives, and pick up the latest resources to support your change-leading efforts.

For more information about the CSTA 2022 Conference, visit the conference webpage.

Want to learn about creating cultures that are affirming of gender and sexual diversity? These workshops bring attention to policy, climate, and social and cultural norms and practices. While our focus is on gender and sexual diversity, our commitments extend to issues of equity more broadly. Working toward liberation requires always looking through an intersectional lens and questioning how our practices reinforce harmful norms along lines of race, class, language, and other identifiers and their intersections. This session will focus on the K-12 space and will also touch on ways curriculum can be made more inclusive.

This session is part of the 2022 Virtual Summit. To learn more and explore all of the Summit sessions, go here.

Want to learn about creating cultures that are affirming of gender and sexual diversity? These workshops bring attention to policy, climate, and social and cultural norms and practices. While our focus is on gender and sexual diversity, our commitments extend to issues of equity more broadly. Working toward liberation requires always looking through an intersectional lens and questioning how our practices reinforce harmful norms along lines of race, class, language, and other identifiers and their intersections. This session will focus on queering leadership in higher ed and workforce environments.

This session is part of the 2022 Virtual Summit. To learn more and explore all of the Summit sessions, go here.

Led by nationally recognized DEI scholar and expert Dr. Damon A. Williams, this session will feature a discussion on Inclusive Excellence, strategic diversity leadership, and allyship. It will also explore other relevant DEI concepts such as microaggressions and unconscious bias and their impacts and roles in learning environments and in the workplace. Dr. Williams will also share simple, yet effective strategies for how leaders can work to confront and address their biases to become stronger allies to diverse and marginalized communities—helping leaders to level-up from bystander to up-stander. By leveraging national data, introspective stories, and the pragmatic voice that can only come from having led DEI-related organizational change efforts at all levels of leadership, this session aims to empower, educate, and inspire hope in all of those that attend.

This session is part of the 2022 Virtual Summit. To learn more and explore all of the Summit sessions, go here.

Photos of Brad McLain and Catherine Ashcraft

Evidence demonstrates that even when tech companies diversify their workforces, members of historically marginalized groups still face difficulty accessing core innovative technical roles. This lack of influence in key innovation processes results in what we term a powertilt phenomenon — that is, a differential distribution of power and influence along lines of gender, race, and other intersecting social identities. We present findings from our study examining what counts as power and how it operates on technical teams and provide an overview of a practical assessment tool that leaders can use to assess how power and influence are distributed within their teams. This instrument also helps teams implement strategies for creating more inclusive team cultures that improve team decision making and technical innovation.

This session is part of the 2022 Virtual Summit. To learn more and explore all of the Summit sessions, go here.

In this live talk, Julie Battilana, the Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the Alan L. Gleitsman Professor of Social Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School, will discuss the fundamentals of power, debunk the common myths surrounding it, and discuss how to harness power for positive impact in our lives and in the world. As the Founder and Faculty Chair of the Social Innovation and Change Initiative at HKS, Professor Battilana has taught and worked closely with hundreds of leaders in social innovation over the years. Building on this work and nearly two decades of researching the politics of change in organizations and society, she will share her insights into what power really is and what it is not, as well as how to identify one’s own sources of power. This discussion will help the audience understand and navigate power in their relationships, organizations, and society and see power not as dirty business, but instead energy that can be used for good.

This session is part of the 2022 Virtual Summit. To learn more and explore all of the Summit sessions, go here.

Broadening Participation Through Partnerships Between Two-Year and Four-Year Programs

Date: April 21, 2022
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am
Location: Online

Establishing partnerships between two-year and four-year institutions is an art form. Join us as we listen in to our expert panel to learn best practices to implement as well as key pitfalls to avoid when aligning curriculum to support student success. We plan to discuss how these partnerships form and how they can help remove existing barriers through the shared lens of empowering women-identifying and underrepresented students in computing. We invite you to bring your experiences and questions to share during our discussion time following the panel.

Panelists:

  • Matthew Henry, Assistant Professor and Program Director of IT-Service and Support, Wake Technical Community College, NC
  • Melanie Williamson, Professor and Academic Dean, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, KY
  • Thu D. Nguyen, Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Professor of  Computer Science, Rutgers, NJ

The Meeting of the Minds is a web-based discussion series hosted by the NCWIT Academic Alliance. By bringing together experienced practitioners and evidence based research, the series takes on today’s largest broadening participation challenges in computer science. These problems are commonplace but require unique solutions. Join in to learn and discuss innovative solutions alongside colleagues.

This web-based series is free and open to the public – geared toward postsecondary computer science faculty, staff, researchers, graduate students, and those in student-facing roles.

Become the Student: Examining the Value of Asynchronous Instruction

Date: March 23, 2022
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am
Location: Online
[Image description: White text on green background reads, Become the Student: Examining the Value of Asynchronous Instruction, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 3 pm PT, 4 pm MT, 5 pm CT, 6 pm ET. Website for more details: ncwit.org/BPCSEduWebinars.]

NCWIT and Infosys Foundation USA invite you to join us for a conversation with Sanjitha Prabakaran, an NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community member and AspireIT Impact Award recipient, discussing how to utilize asynchronous demonstration for computing programs and other CS learning experiences. 

In this webinar, we will be discussing the various elements that go into this type of instruction, including how to organize materials, how to prepare for each lesson, and other tips to ensure hands-on engagement in an asynchronous format. 

We recommend reviewing the sample asynchronous demonstration prior to this webinar. In this recording, Sanjitha walks through some of the asynchronous materials that they offer to participants and demonstrates a lesson plan utilizing basic JavaScript to create a fun meme, and we will be referencing this recording throughout the session. 

By the end of this webinar, you will have the guidance you need to utilize asynchronous instruction for computing programs and other CS experiences in your community.

Broadening Participation in Computer Science (CS) Education is a six-part webinar series that addresses the importance of increasing girls’ and women’s meaningful and influential participation in tech innovation and development each month. The series is free and open to the public — geared towards K-12 formal and informal educators, and high school and college students.

The webinar series is being funded by the Infosys Foundation USA and is being offered through its Pathfinders Online Institute, a free digital learning platform that offers high-quality computer science and maker education resources for educators and students across the U.S.

C4C Advising Page Banner

Advising for Future-Ready Careers is a monthly webinar series, hosted by NCWIT Counselors for Computing (C4C), providing information and resources to help counselors join the front line of the computing conversation. This webinar series is free and open to the public, ages 16 and up – geared toward School Counselors, Educators, graduate students, and those in school advising roles.

Advising for Future-Ready Careers is funded by the Department of Defense STEM (DoD STEM) seeking to attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the educational continuum.

Episode 9: CS + Machine Learning with Meta

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science which focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. Join NCWIT C4C and Olivier Delalleau from Meta as he discusses his educational journey and what it is like to work for Meta.

This event takes place on Tuesday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. MT / 3:00 p.m. PT.

Register here.

NCWIT at SIGCSE 2022

Start date: March 2, 2022
End date: March 5, 2022
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am
Location: In person in Providence, RI, and online

The Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education is organized by the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) and is the organization’s flagship conference. It has been held annually in February or March in North America since 1970. The SIGCSE organization provides a forum for educators to discuss issues related to the development, implementation, and/or evaluation of computing programs, curricula, and courses, as well as syllabi, laboratories, and other elements of teaching and pedagogy. 

Follow @NCWIT and @SIGSCE_TS on Twitter for updates, live tweets from panels, and more!

Where can you find NCWIT?

(Session descriptions will be added as they are released.)

Panel

Belonging in Computing: The Contribution of Gender-based Community Building // Thursday, March 3, 1:45 to 3:00 p.m. EST // Location: Room 552 A/B (RICC, Hybrid Room)

presented by NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Director Edie Cheng, NCWIT Director of Evaluation for Aspirations in Computing Lyn Swackhamer, and colleagues

Poster Session

Poster Session #4 (Virtual) // Friday, March 4, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. // Location: Poster Virtual Room (Online)

Representatives of the NCWIT Counselors for Computing (C4C) program will present a poster on Increasing Computing Participation through School Counselors.

presented by NCWIT C4C Community Manager Maureen Stewart and NCWIT C4C Internal Evaluator Wendy Chi

Paper Session – IDEA: Culture and Structures

Departmental Culture and Pedagogical Choices: Student-Centered Teaching in Introductory Computing Classes // Friday, March 4, 3:45 to 5:00 p.m. EST // Location: Narragansett Ballroom A (Omni)

presented by NCWIT Research Scientist Christopher Hovey and colleagues

Paper Session – Service Learning

Why Should Computer and Information Science Programs Require Service Learning? // Saturday, March 5, 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST // Location: Narragansett Ballroom C (Omni)

presented by NCWIT Research Scientists Christopher Hovey and Lecia Barker and colleagues

Reception

NCWIT Virtual Reception // Friday, March 4, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. EST // Location: Online

On behalf of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Academic Alliance, we invite all those interested in broadening participation in computing to join our virtual reception. Typically held in-person at SIGCSE, this year we are hosting a virtual reception for those attending SIGCSE virtually and in-person, as well as anyone else interested in networking and sharing dialogue around important topics. Please RSVP here.

For more information about the SIGCSE 2022 Technical Symposium, visit the conference webpage.

Learn How to Implement Hands-On Computing Experiences in Your Community

Date: February 23, 2022
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am
Location: Online

NCWIT and Infosys Foundation USA invite you to join a panel discussion with experienced computing program facilitators as they discuss the work they’ve accomplished in their community and offer guidance for implementing successful computing programs. In this session, you will also learn about the new AspireIT Toolkit and the importance of peer mentorship, inclusivity, and hands-on engagement when creating computing experiences. The Toolkit will help you find everything you need to engage students in your programming, raise awareness about the importance of computing education, and connect with others who share similar passions. By the end of this session, you will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to implement computing experiences in your community.

Broadening Participation in Computer Science (CS) Education is a six-part webinar series that addresses the importance of increasing girls’ and women’s meaningful and influential participation in tech innovation and development each month. The series is free and open to the public — geared towards K-12 formal and informal educators, and high school and college students.

The webinar series is being funded by the Infosys Foundation USA and is being offered through its Pathfinders Online Institute, a free digital learning platform that offers high-quality computer science and maker education resources for educators and students across the U.S.

Hiring faculty in computing and IT is challenging, especially when trying to reach beyond the majority groups. Our panel of experts will share strategies and best practices, and we invite you to bring your experiences and questions for the group discussion that follows.

Hear from Grayson Hunt, Ph.D. Director of Equity Outreach and Resources, University of Texas Austin, Robyn Sandekian, Ph.D. Director of Faculty Advancement, University of Colorado Boulder, Cheryl Swanier, Ph.D. Senior Teaching Faculty, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Brianna Blaser, Ph.D. Associate Director of AccessComputing, University of Washington.

The Meeting of the Minds is a web-based discussion series, hosted by the NCWIT Academic Alliance. By bringing together experienced practitioners and evidence based research, the series takes on today’s largest broadening participation challenges in computer science. These problems are commonplace but require unique solutions. Join in to learn and discuss innovative solutions alongside colleagues.

This web-based series is free and open to the public – geared toward postsecondary computer science faculty, staff, researchers, graduate students, and those in student-facing roles.

NCWIT and Infosys Foundation USA invite you to join us for a presentation with representatives of the NCWIT Research and Evaluation teams on the importance of a positive classroom climate. Listen in as these research scientists discuss what factors influence classroom climate, offer strategies that can create more inclusive environments, and take a deep dive into NCWIT resources that will assist with this endeavor and help encourage students to persist in computer science coursework and careers. With all of these free resources available to the public, you can equip others to have vital conversations surrounding culture change in your district. By the end of this session you will be equipped with the tools to create a positive and inclusive classroom climate (both in person and virtually) and better prepare students for a future in computing. Learn more and register here.

Broadening Participation in Computer Science (CS) Education is a six-part webinar series that addresses the importance of increasing girls’ and women’s meaningful and influential participation in tech innovation and development each month. The series is free and open to the public — geared towards K-12 formal and informal educators, and high school and college students.

The webinar series is being funded by the Infosys Foundation USA and is being offered through its Pathfinders Online Institute, a free digital learning platform that offers high-quality computer science and maker education resources for educators and students across the U.S.

Join Lien Diaz as she presents “Promoting Equity in Computer Science Education.” Come learn about Lien’s journey and the lessons that have led to her work on challenging the status quo and broadening participation in computer science education, including her work with the Constellation Center which she founded in order to advance equitable computer science education through a comprehensive approach. Go here to register for this free event.

Lien Diaz is a founding director of the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing at Georgia Tech. Bringing an essential core foundation of equity in access and opportunity to computer science (CS) education, her role as Director of Educational Innovation and Leadership establishes the Constellations Center as a leader in expanding CS education through an equitable and comprehensive approach. Her professional experiences span more than twenty-five years, focusing on STEM and CS education. She was a Principal Investigator on the Broadening Participation in CS Collaborative Research grant funded by the National Science Foundation to develop the new Advanced Placement CS Principles course. Lien’s work is motivated by challenging the status quo to change perspectives of CS education and make transparent the educational issues that must be addressed to obtain equity in school systems across the country.

About NCWIT Conversations for Change
Get ready for conversations, Q&As, on-demand videos, and more! Fully immerse yourself in research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further your efforts in creating inclusive cultures.

NCWIT and Infosys Foundation USA invite you to join us for a panel discussion with National Aspirations in Computing Educator award recipients, who support the computing-related passions of 9th-12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students. Gain inspiration for the coming semester as you listen and engage with these exceptional educators. Panelists will discuss the value of promoting gender equity in computing and the tactics they have used to broaden the participation of students who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) in computing and technology. By the end of this session, you will be able to implement strategies to get other faculty and students interested in broadening the participation of girls, women, and other underrepresented populations in computing. Learn more and register here.

Broadening Participation in Computer Science (CS) Education is a six-part webinar series that addresses the importance of increasing girls’ and women’s meaningful and influential participation in tech innovation and development each month. The series is free and open to the public — geared towards K-12 formal and informal educators, and high school and college students.

The webinar series is being funded by the Infosys Foundation USA and is being offered through its Pathfinders Online Institute, a free digital learning platform that offers high-quality computer science and maker education resources for educators and students across the U.S.

Advising for Future-Ready Careers Episode 7: CS + Art

Date: December 7, 2021
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am
Location: Online
C4C Advising Page Banner

Advising for Future-Ready Careers is a monthly webinar series, hosted by NCWIT Counselors for Computing (C4C), providing information and resources to help counselors join the front line of the computing conversation. This webinar series is free and open to the public, ages 16 and up – geared toward School Counselors, Educators, graduate students, and those in school advising roles.

Advising for Future-Ready Careers is funded by the Department of Defense STEM (DoD STEM) seeking to attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the educational continuum.

Episode 7: CS + Art

Computer science overlaps with the disciplines of art and design in countless ways, from developing new technologies in photography, to translating the visual sensation of color into a tactile experience, to building a robot with humanistic features. Join us on December 7, 2021 as we hear from Chris Carruth, an educator, artist, and technologist who will discuss his educational and career journey and the intersection of computer science and art.

This event takes place on Tuesday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT/5:00 p.m. MT/4:00 p.m. PT.

Register here.

(The first 100 counselors, grad students and others in an educational advisory role to register are eligible to receive a $25 gift card and C4C Resource Kit after attending. YOU MUST USE A SCHOOL EMAIL ADDRESS TO RECEIVE THE GIFT CARD.)

NCWIT Celebrates CSEdWeek 2021

Start date: December 6, 2021
End date: December 12, 2021
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am

Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field. Originally conceived by the Computing in the Core coalition, CSEdWeek is now organized by the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) as a grassroots campaign supported by 350 partners and 100,000 educators worldwide. In classrooms and communities across the nation, people of all ages can participate in events and activities ranging from Hour of Code sessions to workshops, hackathons, and virtual gatherings in support of making computing programs available and accessible for all students. 

CSEdWeek is held annually in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906). This annual event was first recognized in 2010 when the 111th Congress passed House Resolution 1560. This year, it takes place December 6-12, with the theme #CSEverywhere. NCWIT is proud to be a founding partner in this movement for equity in computing.

Follow @NCWIT, @CSEdWeek, and #CSEverywhere on Twitter for updates, highlights, and more.

Where can you find NCWIT?

Twitter Chat

Design Engaging and Inclusive CS Experiences for K-12 Students // Monday, December 6, 2021, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. MT

NCWIT celebrates the release of the new AspireIT Toolkit with a Twitter chat focused on tips and ideas for creating engaging, inclusive computing programs for K-12 students. Hear from representatives from NCWIT AspireIT and CSforALL as well as past AspireIT program leaders and organizational partners. Use the hashtag #AspireIT to join the conversation.

The NCWIT AspireIT Toolkit helps anyone interested in designing engaging and inclusive computer science experiences for K-12 students, with a focus on broadening the participation of girls, women, and other underrepresented populations. The Toolkit equips facilitators with the resources and support they need to create sustainable and lasting change in their communities.

Conversation for Change

Promoting Equity in Computer Science Education // Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 12:00 p.m. MT // Online

Lien Diaz is a founding director of the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing at Georgia Tech. Come learn about Lien’s journey and the lessons that have led to her work on challenging the status quo and broadening participation in computer science education, including her work with the Constellation Center which she founded in order to advance equitable computer science education through a comprehensive approach. 

Register here.

Webinars

Advising for Future-Ready Careers: CS + Art // Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 5:00 p.m. MT // Online

Computer science overlaps with the disciplines of art and design in countless ways, from developing new technologies in photography, to translating the visual sensation of color into a tactile experience, to building a robot with humanistic features. Join us on December 7, 2021 as we hear from Chris Carruth, an educator, artist, and technologist who will discuss his educational and career journey and the intersection of computer science and art. 

Register here

Broadening Participation in the Classroom: A Discussion with NCWIT National Educator Award Recipients // Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. MT // Online

NCWIT and Infosys Foundation USA invite you to join us for a panel discussion with National Aspirations in Computing Educator award recipients, who support the computing-related passions of 9th-12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students. Gain inspiration for the coming semester as you listen and engage with these exceptional educators. Panelists will discuss the value of promoting gender equity in computing and the tactics they have used to broaden the participation of students who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) in computing and technology. By the end of this session, you will be able to implement strategies to get other faculty and students interested in broadening the participation of girls, women, and other underrepresented populations in computing. 

Register here.

To see what NCWIT member organizations are doing for CSEdWeek, follow @NCWIT and @NCWITAiC on Twitter. For each day of CSEdWeek, NCWIT will also share a resource with ideas that educators, parents, and others can use to make computing education more accessible for all!

Building Partnerships with School Counselors and Librarians

Date: November 9, 2021
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am
Location: Online

NCWIT and Infosys Foundation USA invite you to join us for a panel discussion with members of the NCWIT Counselors for Computing (C4C) program, where they will provide information and resources that help counselors, librarians, and other educators join the front line of the computing conversation. Listen in as counselors and librarians discuss what they are doing to bring programs together with professional development, knowledge, and resources to give all students access to transformative computing careers. By the end of this session, you will have learned how to better work with counselors and librarians to become a change leader for implementing computer science and gain the knowledge to educate parents, spark creativity in students, and illuminate a future they may have never considered. Learn more and register here.

Broadening Participation in Computer Science (CS) Education is a six-part webinar series that addresses the importance of increasing girls’ and women’s meaningful and influential participation in tech innovation and development each month. The series is free and open to the public — geared towards K-12 formal and informal educators, and high school and college students.

The webinar series is being funded by the Infosys Foundation USA and is being offered through its Pathfinders Online Institute, a free digital learning platform that offers high-quality computer science and maker education resources for educators and students across the U.S.

NCWIT is at vGHC 2021

Start date: September 27, 2021
End date: October 1, 2021
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am

The Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration (vGHC) is the world’s largest gathering of women technologists. Co-presented by AnitaB.org with the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), this annual conference brings people together from around the world to highlight the contributions of women in computing. GHC presenters are leaders in their respective fields, representing industry, academia, and government. The celebration also offers professional development through a variety of activities. The theme for 2021 is #DareToTransform. Learn, network, and be inspired as we work together to achieve intersectional gender and pay parity in tech.

Follow @NCWIT, #NCWITatGHC, and @AnitaB_org on Twitter for updates, live tweets from panels, and more!

Where can you find NCWIT?

Booth

Explore the NCWIT booth in the virtual Sponsor Hall to learn more about resources and programs to support you in achieving your tech goals. You’ll also learn how NCWIT is working to make the tech field more inclusive and equitable for people of all backgrounds and genders. In addition, you can participate in live conversations where you can reflect and comment on the sessions you’ve attended. Live conversations are scheduled to take place immediately following selected speaker sessions.

  • Tuesday, Sept. 28 from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. PT, following the Keynote Session with Kara Swisher and Vanessa Pappas 
  • Tuesday, Sept. 28 from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. PT, following the Keynote Session with Margaret Gould Stewart 
  • Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. PT, following the Keynote Session with Layshia Clarendon 
  • Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. PT, following the Keynote Session with Timnit Gebru
  • Thursday, Sept. 30 from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. PT, following the Keynote Session with Diane Jurgens 

Opportunities for College and Graduate Students

Collegiate Award

The NCWIT Collegiate Award honors the outstanding computing accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate students who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary. Conferred annually, the award recognizes technical contributions to projects that demonstrate a high level of innovation and potential impact. The Collegiate Award is open to all AiC Community members who are currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution (community college, college, or university) with a major or minor in a computing or engineering discipline, who have contributed substantially to a technical project involving computing or IT. Learn about eligibility, prizes, the application process, and more here.

Aspirations in Computing Community

The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community is a national peer network supporting women, genderqueer, and nonbinary technologists from high school through college and career. In addition to a thriving online forum, members gain exclusive access to hackathons, internships, scholarships, jobs, awards, and more. Currently-enrolled undergraduate and graduate students who are majoring or minoring in a computing or engineering discipline are welcome to apply. Find more details here.

For more information about vGHC 2021, visit the conference webpage.

NCWIT and Members Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

Start date: September 15, 2021
End date: October 15, 2021
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15) honors the contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans and celebrates cultural heritage rooted in all Latin American countries. NCWIT and its member organizations offer a variety of ways to get involved. 

Follow @NCWIT, @TECHNOLOchicas, and #HispanicHeritageMonth on Twitter for updates, highlights, and more.

NCWIT Events

Essential Skills for a Successful Tech Career with Walmart and TECHNOLOchicas // Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 4:00 to 5:30 MT // Online

Join Walmart and TECHNOLOchicas for an interactive workshop focused on the essential skills that will help you get started with a career in tech. You’ll learn how to craft a stand-out resume, why you need an “elevator pitch” (and how to create one), and how to prepare for conferences, interviews, and internships. Walmart Talent Acquisition Manager Elizabeth Burgos and TECHNOLOchicas Ambassador Bianca Alvarez will share practical strategies for success!

TECHNOLOchicas: Transforming the T in STEM // Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. PT // Online

Join NGCP as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with TECHNOLOchicas. Participants will learn about opportunities and resources to support and enhance STEM education for Hispanic and Latina women and girls.

Journey into Tech: The Latinx Experience with Walmart and TECHNOLOchicas // Wednesday, October 6, 2021, 4:00 to 5:30 MT // Online

Join Walmart and TECHNOLOchicas for an interactive panel where you’ll have the opportunity to hear a variety of Latinx voices on what it’s like to journey into tech. Senior Software Engineer Adriana Fuentes, Senior Director of Information Security Fernando Martinez, and TECHNOLOchicas Ambassador and CAHSI Scholar Bianca Alvarez will share the ups and downs of their journeys as well as advice on how to make the most of your own journey.

Events Hosted by NCWIT Member Organizations

The National Science Foundation’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program) September Speaker Series // All Wednesdays in September 2021, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. ET // Online

The HSI Program, which is co-managed by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Undergraduate Education and the Division of Human Resource Development, is hosting a month-long speaker series which will highlight current research from the HSI community. Topics include:

  • The Current and Future State of HSIs
  • Realizing the Potential of HSIs to Broaden Science Opportunities
  • Enhancing Servingness & Improving Undergraduate Education in STEM
  • Voces (Voices) from the Community

NCWIT is at Tapia 2021

Start date: September 14, 2021
End date: September 18, 2021
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am

The CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing (also known as “the Tapia conference”) is the premier venue to acknowledge, promote, and celebrate diversity in computing. The goal of the Tapia Conferences is to bring together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, and professionals in computing from all backgrounds and ethnicities to celebrate the diversity that exists in computing; connect with others to create communities that extend beyond the conference; make contact with leaders in industry and academia; and be inspired by great presentations and conversations. The 2021 Tapia conference will be held online. 

Follow @NCWIT, @cmdit, and #Tapia2021 on Twitter for updates, highlights, and more.

Where can you find NCWIT?

Panels

Leveraging Relationships for Success in Graduate School: Identifying Barriers and Strategies to Navigate Faculty, Staff, and Peer Relationships in Computing Graduate Programs // Wednesday, September 15, 2021, from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. CT // Online

This panel brings together doctoral student, faculty, staff, and researcher perspectives from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Washington Seattle, and the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Extension Services for Graduate Programs (ES-Grad) to address a critical element of success in graduate school: managing relationships. Panelists will discuss common barriers and pitfalls in relationships with faculty, staff, and students in computing departments, as well as actionable strategies for initiating and maintaining a strong network that supports student success and degree completion. The focus will be on doctoral student relationships, though faculty advisors, prospective students, and staff will also benefit from learning about how they can approach relationships with students.

NCWIT Research Scientist Christopher Hovey will speak on this panel.

Increasing Diversity in Computing: Sharing of Good Practices // Friday, September 17, 2021, from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. CT // Online

This panel provides an opportunity for representatives from the NSF-funded Broadening Participation in Computing Alliances and other organizations to share their good practices about increasing diversity in computing. The panel will begin with an introduction to the following NSF BPC Alliances and other organizations: AccessComputing, CAHSI, CMD-IT, CRA-W, ECEP, iAAMCS, NCWIT, and STARS. The panelists will share information about their organization and how their programs have broadened participation in computing. Significant time for discussion will be provided. 

NCWIT Director of Evaluation and Senior Research Scientist Wendy DuBow will speak on this panel.

Birds of a Feather

Hispanics in Computing Community // Wednesday, September 15, 2021 from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. CT // Online

The Hispanics in Computing community was founded a few months before the Tapia 2009 Conference. Since then, the group has been meeting at this annual conference. The impact of this gathering in our community has been tremendous. Several members of the community that attended our BoF as young graduate students are now in tenure track positions or employed in research organizations. As the undergraduate population attending Tapia grows, it is important that we serve as mentors for the new students starting their careers in computing. The goal for this year’s gathering is to explore how to do virtual mentoring to help increase ties within the community. 

TECHNOLOchicas Director Yvonne De La Pena will present at this session.

Booth

Visit the NCWIT booth at the Tapia Career Fair to meet members of the NCWIT team and learn about resources and opportunities for students, educators, and those in the workforce. Booth hours are as follows (all times listed in Central Daylight Time):

  • Wednesday, September 15 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., 3:30 to 6:00 p.m., and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, September 16 from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Friday, September 17 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

For more information about Tapia 2021, visit the conference webpage.

Advising for Future-Ready Careers

Date: June 16, 2021
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am

C4C Advising Page Banner

Advising for Future-Ready Careers is a monthly webinar series, hosted by NCWIT Counselors for Computing (C4C), providing information and resources to help counselors join the front line of the computing conversation. This webinar series is free and open to the public, ages 16 and up – geared toward School Counselors, Educators, graduate students, and those in school advising roles.

Advising for Future-Ready Careers is funded by the Department of Defense STEM (DoD STEM) seeking to attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the educational continuum.

Episode 5: Ethics & Computing
Ethics in computing is a practical philosophy concerned with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct. How does a self-driving car decide which direction to veer with the conundrum of hitting a mailbox versus hitting a pedestrian? Does facial recognition identify all types of facial features and skin colors? Can a crime algorithm predict whether a first-time offender will break the law again? Ethics in computing forces us to consider important questions like how an algorithm, artificial intelligence, or piece of technology may impact all of us. Join NCWIT Counselors for Computing as we discuss the ever-growing field of Ethics in Computing with Jess Smith, a machine learning and AI ethics PhD Student at the University of Colorado.

Register* for a one-hour session, each occurring on Wednesday, June 16, 2021:

  • Register for 6:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. CT/4:00 p.m. MT/3:00 p.m. PT
  • Register for 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT/5:00 p.m. MT/4:00 p.m. PT
  • Register for 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT/6:00 p.m. MT/5:00 p.m. PT 

*The first 150 counselors, grad students, and others in an educational advisory role to register are eligible to receive a $50 gift card and C4C Resource Kit after attending and completing a short survey. YOU MUST USE A SCHOOL-BASED EMAIL ADDRESS TO RECEIVE THE GIFT CARD. ALL participants receive a FREE resource kit.

Lisa D. Cook, Lucy Sanders, Gladys West, Terina-Jasmine Alladin

12:00PM – 1:00PM | Conversations for Change with Lisa D. Cook

Lisa D. Cook is a Professor of Economics and International Relations at Michigan State University. She was the first Marshall Scholar from Spelman College and received a second B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University. She earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley with fields in macroeconomics and international economics. Prior to this appointment, she was on the faculty of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Deputy Director for Africa Research at the Center for International Development at Harvard University, and a National Fellow at Stanford University. Read Lisa’s full bio online.

1:00PM – 2:00PM | vNCWIT Summit Pioneer in Computing Award Celebration

Immediately following Lisa’s Conversation, join the vNCWIT Pioneer in Tech Award Celebration, honoring Dr. Glayds West, the 2021 award recipient who is a pioneer in GPS technology. Be a part of a candid conversation on inspiring the next generation of technologists, hosted by NCWIT CEO and Co-founder Lucy Sanders alongside NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Community Engagement Manager Terina-Jasmine Alladin. Read Glady’s full bio online.

Van Jones

CNN Host and Dream Corps Founder Van Jones created #YesWeCode to find real solutions. Housed at Dream Corps Unlimited, #YesWeCode is working to help 100,000 young adults of color – both women and men – find employment in the technology sector. Learn from the many insights that Van has gleaned by working directly with dozens of major tech firms, the Obama White House, and the nation’s top accelerated training programs. Hear how cultural barriers – on both sides of the divide – may be the biggest obstacles to an inclusive tech sector.

2021 vNCWIT Summit on Women and IT

Start date: May 24, 2021
End date: May 28, 2021
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am

Join the experience virtually from wherever you are May 24–28, 2021.

The 2021 vNCWIT Summit is free and open to the public.

Get ready for conversations, Q&As, on-demand videos, and more! Connect with educators, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and social scientists from across industries and disciplines. Fully immerse yourself in research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further your efforts in creating inclusive cultures.

With NCWIT being the trusted source for research-based strategies that facilitate reform in computing classes and technical organizations, the NCWIT Summit continues to be the world’s largest annual convening of change leaders focused on significantly improving diversity and equity in computing.

2021 NCWIT Summit Sponsors

We are incredibly grateful for 2021 vNCWIT Summit Silver Sponsors PNC and Bloomberg.

PNC, Bloomberg.

We are also appreciative of Anchor Point Foundation, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Facebook, and Walmart for their additional support.

Anchor Point, Association for Comluting Machinery, Facebook, Walmart.

Conversations for Change | Bad Algorithms & The Ethical Matrix

Date: May 24, 2021
Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am

Cathy O’Neil

Algorithms can embed bias, they can propagate or even exacerbate inequality, or they can just be plain inaccurate. How do we keep track of all the potential problems? How do we make sure the algorithms we build “work well”? What do we even mean by that? In this talk, Cathy O’Neil will introduce the ethical matrix, a construction borrowed from moral philosophy, as a way of organizing our thoughts around important and urgent questions like these.

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