What is the Award?
The NCWIT Harrold and Notkin Research and Graduate Mentoring Award recognizes faculty members who combine outstanding research accomplishments with excellence in graduate mentoring, as well as those who advocate for gender equity in computing fields at both a local and national level. We seek nominees who have:
- made a substantial impact in computing research by establishing a rigorous and innovative research program;
- demonstrated an exceptional commitment to mentoring and encouraging diverse graduate students–particularly women and gender non-conforming students of all intersecting identities–to persist and succeed in computing fields; and
- meaningfully participated in impactful local and national service to broaden participation in computing, especially advancing the recruitment and retention of women and gender non-conforming students in graduate computing programs.
The nominee may be currently in the field or retired, as we are looking at lifelong work..
The award is given in memory of Mary Jean Harrold’s and David Notkin’s outstanding research, graduate mentoring, and diversity contributions. For more information about Dr. Harrold and Notkin, see below. The award includes a trophy and a $10,000 gift to the recipient’s institution thanks to the generous support of the NCWIT Board of Directors.
Who Is Eligible to Be Nominated?
- Faculty members who have combined outstanding research accomplishments with excellence in graduate mentoring and who have served as advocates for recruiting, encouraging, and promoting women and gender non-conforming students of all intersecting identities in computing fields, having an impact at both a local and national level.
- Nominees must be employed at or retired from U.S. institutions that are current members of the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance. Verify organizational membership here. If the nominee’s institution is not yet a member, then a membership application must be completed here. Note that all institutions of higher education are eligible for Higher Education Alliance membership if they have or are developing a computing-related program(s); membership is free to non-profit public and private institutions.
- Nominees may be currently active in the field or retired.
- Previous award recipients are not eligible to receive the award again..
- Self-nominations are welcome.
When and Where Can I Submit a Nomination?
Nominations open September 15, 2024, and are due November 15, 2024, at 11:59 pm MT via this online form.
Who Is the Applicant in the Award Application Management System?
In the NCWIT SMApply award application management system, “applicant” is synonymous with “nominator.”
What Information Do the Nominator, Nominee, and Recommenders Need to Complete the Online Nomination Form?
The nominator will be asked to provide the following information:
- Nominee’s name, email, institution, and homepage or bio URL
- Nominator’s name and email
The nominee (or the nominator in the case of a self-nomination) will be asked to provide the following:
- A nominee research statement of no more than 500 words stating the nominee’s approach to research as well as the impact their research has had upon the field of computing and a list of recent publications/conference presentations
- A nominee mentoring statement of no more than 500 words that addresses the nominee’s approach to mentoring as well as the contribution they have made with their mentoring relationships, and a list of graduate advisees/mentees. The list should include mentees’ gender, degree, year of graduation, and professional outcomes. Post-doctoral students may also be included, but the focus is on graduate students.
- A nominee broadening participation in computing (BPC) statement of no more than 500 words that addresses the nominee’s commitment to BPC efforts and the impact they have had on increasing diversity and inclusivity in computing – particularly for women and gender non-conforming individuals of all intersecting identities – at local and national levels.
- All three (3) statements should be combined into a single pdf to upload.
- Contact information for:
- Two (2) colleagues, peers, or institutional leaders who will submit letters of recommendation for the application; and
- Two (2) current or former graduate students that nominee has mentored.
An email request for the letters will be generated through the application system. Note: any nominator who will submit a letter of support will need to do so through an email account that is different from the account through which they submitted the nomination. The system does not allow for dual nominator/recommender roles.
I Submitted My Nomination, Now What Do I Need to Do?
- Notify the nominee and ensure they received an invitation to collaborate on the application.
- Monitor your email or the application to ensure the nominee’s combined statement is uploaded by the November 15, 2024 11:59 pm MT deadline and that letters of recommendation are uploaded by the December 1, 2024 11:59 pm MT deadline.
- Mark the application sections as complete and submit the application once all materials are uploaded (completed applications will auto-submit at the deadline if not manually submitted).
- You and your nominee will be notified by March 2025 regarding the status of your nomination.
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I’ve Been Asked to Write a Letter of Recommendation, What Should I Include? (Due December 1, 2024)
The award application system will generate an invitation to recommenders to provide answers to the following prompts:
Colleagues/Peers/Institutional Leaders: Describe the nominee’s research and mentoring work with graduate students, as well as their diversity and broadening participation in computing efforts, particularly for women and gender non-conforming students. Include information on the nominee’s work with graduate student researchers.
- Current/Former Students: Indicate how your work with the nominee impacted your future. Specify whether you are a past or present student.
- Note the criteria for this award include broadening participation in computing efforts by advancing diversity and inclusion of undergraduate researchers, particularly for women and gender non-conforming students, mentoring impact on student(s), research outcomes, and activities of student researchers, after graduation.
Recommenders should follow the link in their recommendation request email and upload their letter as a pdf. Signed letters of recommendation must be submitted by the December 1, 2024 11:59 pm MT deadline.
Where Can I Find Online Information About This NCWIT Award?
Find online information at ncwit.org/harroldnotkin.
Who Are the NCWIT Harrold and Notkin Award Committee Members?
- Maria Gini, University of Minnesota (Co-leader)
- Nancy Amato, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Tiffany Barnes, North Carolina State University
- William Griswold, University of California at San Diego
- Barbara Ryder, Virginia Tech
- Mary Lou Maher, University of North Carolina Charlotte
- Klara Nahrsted, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
What if I Still Have Questions?
Email [email protected].
About the Award Namesakes
Mary Jean Harrold was a Professor of Computer Science at Georgia Tech. There she founded the Aristotle Research Group, which focused on the analysis and testing of large, evolving software, fault localization and failure identification using statistical analysis and visualization, and monitoring deployed software to improve quality. Through her outstanding research contributions and leadership in these areas, and especially her pioneering work in regression testing and fault localization, she had a great impact on industry, research, and women in computing.
She was one of the most highly published and cited researchers in the software engineering area. For her scholarly achievements, she received many awards, including being ranked the top software engineering researcher in the world in a 2007 Communications of the ACM article. She was both an IEEE and ACM Fellow and served as a member of the Computing Research Association (CRA).
Mary Jean was a long-time, passionate advocate for women and minorities in computing. Formally, she was part of three national projects that had a great impact on women in technology: NSF Advance Grant at Georgia Tech, CRA-W, and NCWIT. Informally, she was a role model and mentor to many men and women in computing, both students and faculty. Mary Jean was a dedicated and inspirational mentor to her graduate students. Her real love in being a faculty member was her students. She often said that each of them was different, and she tailored her mentoring to ensure that each student reached their maximum potential. She had a genuine interest in the personal and professional development of her students. She was a teacher, friend, and “professional mom” to them.
David Notkin was a Professor and Bradley Chair in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering of the School of Engineering at the University of Washington. He was an internationally recognized leader in software engineering, with a particular focus on software evolution; that is, understanding why software is so hard and expensive to change, and in turn reducing those difficulties and costs.
He served as chair of the computer science and engineering department, helping to open the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering. He also served as the College of Engineering’s Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies. Besides his technical achievements, his educational and social contributions to computer science and software engineering research made him a major figure in computing. He was an ACM and IEEE Fellow and received the ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Service Award, the Influential Educator Award, and the Outstanding Research Awards. He served as a member of the Computing Research Association (CRA) and received the CRA’s A. Nico Habermann Award in recognition of his deep commitment to increasing the participation of women and underrepresented groups in computing.
Notkin was a founding member of NCWIT and provided pivotal leadership in that organization’s early years as one of the first chairs of its Academic Alliance (now the Higher Ed Alliance). David was widely recognized and admired for his exceptional skills as a research mentor for graduate students and as a powerful and unwavering advocate for improving gender diversity in computer science. In recognition of his extraordinary mentorship, David received the University of Washington Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award in 2000. His philosophy about working with students was: “Focus on the students, since graduating great students means you’ll produce great research, while focusing on the research may or may not produce great students.”
