Featured Announcements Archives - Page 18 of 19

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Posts categorized under: Featured Announcements

Items to feature on the CRA homepage.

Profiles in Computing: Drew Williams

August 9, 2016/In: Profiles in Computing, CRA-WP, For Students, Featured Announcements /

An early love of science fiction is what initially lured Drew to a career in STEM. Her fascination with outer space and the future, recurrent themes in science fiction, inspired her to study astronomy and become a physics major. Although she didn’t take any high school computer science courses, she always enjoyed tinkering with computer programs on her own. She decided in college to take a coding class and “really loved it.” Drew soon changed her major to computer science because she wanted to be part of the movement that brings to life the technologies we dream about in science fiction.

Rice to Host Conference on Humans, Machines, and the Future of Work

August 5, 2016/In: For Researchers, Misc., People, Featured Announcements /

Those who attended this year’s CRA Snowbird conference may have heard Moshe Vardi’s provocative panel session on Humans, Machines, and the Future of Work, discussing the potential impact of computing technologies on employment and the nature of work over the coming years. Vardi makes a compelling case that the computing research community ought to be concerned with the impact its innovations will have on society, both positive and negative. To that end, Vardi has led an effort to pull together some of the leading thinkers from the computing, economics, and social science communities to consider the issue in Houston in December. The De Lange Conference on Humans, Machines, and the Future of Work will be held December 5-6, 2016, at Rice University. Here’s an announcement from the organizers (CRA is a co-sponsor).

Profiles in Computing: Bushra Anjum

August 2, 2016/In: Featured Announcements, Profiles in Computing, For Researchers, Diversity /

Bushra Anjum is a self-described “adventure seeker” in addition to her day job in computing.

“I’m into extreme sports–I like jumping out of planes or off of cliffs. I am an adventure seeker, at the bottom of my heart. So anything that sounds like an adventure to me –I will jump at that.”

When Anjum is not jumping out of a plane or off a cliff, she works as a software and research engineer at Amazon, Inc. in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Specifically, Anjum has expertise in agile software development for large-scale distributed systems, with a special emphasis on system design and development for highly scalable, fault-tolerant systems. At CRA-W’s 2016 Graduate Cohort Workshop (Grad Cohort), I had the wonderful opportunity to talk with Anjum, who described why she has a passion for CRA-W and increasing diversity in computing.

Public Workshop on the Growth of Computer Science Undergraduate Enrollments

August 1, 2016/In: For Researchers, Featured Announcements /

On Monday, August 15, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will hold a public Workshop on the Growth of Computer Science Undergraduate Enrollments.

This workshop is being convened as an information-gathering session of the Academies’ Study on the Growth of Computer Science Undergraduate Enrollments sponsored by the National Science Foundation and co-chaired by Susanne Hambrusch, professor of computer science at Purdue University, and Jared Cohon, president emeritus of Carnegie Mellon University.

2016 CRA Conference at Snowbird Recap

July 29, 2016/In: Conference at Snowbird, For Researchers, Featured Announcements /

From July 17-19, the Computing Research Association (CRA) held its biennial conference at Snowbird, with more than 300 people in attendance. Every two years, the chairs of computing and information departments from across the country, as well as the leaders of government and industrial laboratories, gather in Snowbird, Utah, to network and discuss common issues concerning the future of the field.

CRA Welcomes New FY 2016-17 Board Members

July 1, 2016/In: CRA Board of Directors, Featured Announcements /

July 1 marks a new fiscal year for CRA. Today, we welcome six new members to our board of directors: Elizabeth Mynatt, Mario Nascimento, Penny Rheingans, Shashi Shekhar, Josep Torrellas, and Min Wang. Retiring from the board as of June 30, 2016 are Tracy Camp, Ann Condon, Laura Haas, Fred Schneider, and Cary Williamson. CRA would like to thank each of them for contributions during their service on the board.

CRA Releases Letter Endorsing American Competitiveness and Innovation Act

June 29, 2016/In: Policy, Featured Announcements /

Yesterday, CRA released a letter to Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Gary Peters (D-MI), and Senate Commerce, Science Screenshot 2016-06-28 14.45.54and Transportation Committee Chair John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL), expressing support for their efforts to pass S. 3084, the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, which will be marked up in committee on June 29, 2016.

Through the Screen of a Female Coder: A First Person Perspective on Diversity in STEM

June 28, 2016/In: For Students, Diversity, People, Featured Announcements, CRA-WP, Profiles in Computing /

Again and again we hear that earning computing degrees leads to one of the highest starting salaries for college graduates and almost a guaranteed job after graduation. This information is supported by data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers who report computer science graduates have the second highest starting salary ($61,321 this year) and the highest full-time employment rate (76% within six months of graduation). A blog post from the Computing Community Consortium in March highlights 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics job projection results, which found that computing occupations are projected to account for 73% of all newly-created STEM jobs during the decade (488,500 jobs), and 55% of all available STEM jobs, whether newly-created or available due to retirements (1,083,800 jobs over the decade). All of this isn’t new information. Many people are aware that the booming tech industry can be a ticket to job security and comfortable living. Data from the National Science Foundation in 2014, shows that there are approximately 17.8% of women studying computer science at the undergraduate level. So why is it every CS classroom I am in is filled with bright-eyed, eager young men, but a dismal number

CRA’s CRA-W Urges Continued Support for Diversity Efforts in Capitol Briefing

June 24, 2016/In: CRA-WP, Diversity, Featured Announcements /

At a briefing of the congressional Diversity in Tech Caucus, hosted by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in the Capitol yesterday, CRA-W board member Rebecca Wright explained why efforts to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields — particularly computing — were worthy of continued Federal support. Wright, a professor of computer science at Rutgers University, was a member of a panel of experts assembled by the Diversity in Tech Caucus to explore the issue of diversity within the research and STEM Education communities.

Robotics Researchers Wow Congress with All Day Exhibition

June 20, 2016/In: Policy, Research, Featured Announcements /

On June 9th, the Congressional Robotics Caucus, with support from the National Science Foundation, held an all day event on Capitol Hill marking five years of the National Robotics Initiative (NRI). The event was broken up into a lunch briefing, where members of Congress and their staff would be able to hear from a panel of experts on the past accomplishment of the NRI and future challenges and benefits of continued funding of robotics research; and an afternoon exhibition of roboticists and their work, where guests were able to interact one-on-one with the researchers. CRA is a member of the steering committee for the Congressional Robotics Caucus.

2016 BECA Winners – Martha Kim and Hanna Wallach

May 19, 2016/In: For Researchers, CRA-WP, Awards, Featured Announcements /

Today, CRA-Women (CRA-W) announced that Martha Kim and Hanna Wallach are the recipients of this year’s 2016 Borg Early Career Award (BECA). The award honors the late Anita Borg, who was an early member of CRA-W and an inspiration for her commitment in increasing the participation of women in computing research. The annual award is given to a woman in computer […]

NSF Funded Vision Assistance Technology Amazes at the 2016 CNSF Exhibition

May 5, 2016/In: Funding, Policy, Research, Featured Announcements /

Originally posted by Brian Mosley on the CRA Policy Blog On April 26th, the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), an alliance of over 140 professional organizations, universities, and businesses, held their 22nd Annual Capitol Hill Exhibition. CNSF supports the goal of increasing the federal investment in the National Science Foundation’s research and education programs, […]

CRA FY 2015 Annual Report Now Available

April 28, 2016/In: Featured Announcements, CRA /

The Computing Research Association (CRA) had a very productive year in FY 2014-15, making great strides in our mission areas of policy, leadership and talent development. We are pleased to announce CRA’s annual report is now available for downloading as a PDF file. This report is a vignette of the diverse activities of CRA and its members. Please take a few moments view some of the highlights from the past year. CRA would also like to thank our generous volunteers who donate their valuable time and energy to ensure our programs are successful.

Reading Group Breakouts at the Conference at Snowbird

April 27, 2016/In: Conference at Snowbird, Featured Announcements, CRA /

We are excited to introduce a new discussion session at the 2016 CRA Conference at Snowbird that will facilitate dialogues about a number of thought-provoking topics in computing research. The group discussions will be based on the articles and books in this post. The session is scheduled for the morning of Tuesday, July 19, so begin the final day of the conference with some stimulating conversation.

CRA-W Kicks off Grad Cohort 2016

April 15, 2016/In: CRA-WP, Featured Announcements /

Imagine going to class or work everyday, and you rarely see anyone who looks like you or shares your cultural experiences or background. This is a situation many women in computing face; sometimes, they can feel isolated, because they often experience being the only woman in a room full of men. Now imagine walking into a conference filled with people who share many of these same experiences. The CRA-W’s Graduate Cohort Workshop (Grad Cohort) brings together female graduate students in their first three years of graduate school and senior computing researchers to share information on succeeding in graduate school and fostering mentoring relationships.

CRA Best Practice Memo: Response to Surge in Postdocs

April 14, 2016/In: CERP, Best Practices, Resources, Featured Announcements, CRA /

By Shar Steed, CRA Communications Specialist Similar to how we are currently facing a boom in undergraduate computer science enrollments, several years ago, the field encountered an exponential increase in postdoctoral appointments. In a Communications of the ACM Viewpoint article from February 2013, The Explosive Growth of Postdocs in Computer Science, Anita Jones wrote, “The […]

CRA-E Selects Graduate Student Fellows

March 21, 2016/In: Education, Featured Announcements /

The CRA Education Committee (CRA-E) has recently selected two Ph.D. students, Keith Feldman and Max Grossman, to serve as CRA-E Graduate Fellows. The Graduate Fellows Program was established last year to give graduate students the opportunity to contribute to CRA-E projects, engage in advocacy for mentoring undergraduate students and promote computer science research and undergraduate education at the national level.

2016 CRA Career Mentoring Workshop

March 10, 2016/In: Career Mentoring Workshop, Featured Announcements /

The 2016 CRA Career Mentoring Workshop was held February 22-23 in Arlington, Virginia. More than 80 attendees had an opportunity to learn from about 20 speakers who are distinguished researchers, including several CRA board members, and representatives from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The workshop provided career advice and mentoring activities for assistant professors computer science.

CERP Presents Data Buddies Data at SIGCSE 2016

March 9, 2016/In: Education, CERP, Featured Announcements /

The CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) made several contributions to the 2016 SIGCSE conference. Using data collected through the Data Buddies Project, the CERP team presented three talks during the event.

New Coalition, to Push for Computer Science in K-12, Launches Today!

March 8, 2016/In: Policy, Featured Announcements /

A new coalition, the Computer Science Education Coalition, whose mission is to focuses on securing federal funds to provide computer science education to all K-12 students, launches today.

Fred Schneider Receives Service to CRA Award

March 4, 2016/In: Awards, People, Featured Announcements /

The Computing Research Association (CRA) is pleased to honor Fred Schneider, the Samuel B. Eckert Professor and Chair of Computer Science at Cornell University, with a Service to CRA Award for his work with the organization. Fred was a member of the CRA Board from 2007 to 2016, during which time he thought deeply about how to have positive impact on the computing research community and spearheaded several key initiatives.

2016 CRA Board Election Results

March 2, 2016/In: CRA Board of Directors, Featured Announcements /

CRA members have elected four new members to its board of directors: Penny Rheingans, Shashi Shekhar, Josep Torrellas, and Min Wang. Current board members Chris Johnson and Ron Brachman were re-elected to the CRA board. Their terms run from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2019. Retiring from the board as of June 30, 2016 are Tracy Camp, Ann Condon, Laura Haas, and Fred Schneider. CRA thanks them all for contributions during their service on the board.

Rolling Stone Special Report on Artificial Intelligence

March 1, 2016/In: Featured Announcements, R&D in the Press, People /

Yesterday, Rolling Stone released part one of a special report on the artificial intelligence revolution. The article opens with a quote from Pieter Abbeel, a researcher at UC Berkeley and one of CRA’s 2016 CRA-E Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Awardees. Pieter is one of three winners of the inaugural award which recognizes individuals for providing exceptional mentorship, undergraduate research experiences, and, in parallel, guidance on admission and matriculation of these students to research-focused graduate programs in computing.

2016 CRA Distinguished Service and A. Nico Habermann Awardees Announced

February 25, 2016/In: CRA-WP, Distinguished Service, A. Nico Habermann, Featured Announcements, CRA /

The CRA Board of Directors is pleased to announce its selections for the 2016 CRA Awards. Maria Klawe was selected as the 2016 recipient of the CRA Distinguished Service Award for her tireless commitment to and profound impact on the computing research community. Ayanna Howard was selected as the recipient of the 2016 A. Nico Habermann Award Winner for her sustained commitment to increasing diversity, combined with her distinction in research.

Want to explore the Data Buddies data?

February 22, 2016/In: For Researchers, CERP, For Students, Diversity, Featured Announcements /

CERP is thrilled to launch its new data visualization website displaying Data Buddies data. Dr. Ron Metoyer, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame designed the website, alongside a team of student developers and CERP Research Scientist, Dr. Burçin Tamer.

CRA-E Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award Winners Announced

February 18, 2016/In: Awards, CRA-E Faculty Mentoring Award, Featured Announcements /

The Education Committee of the Computing Research Association (CRA-E) is proud to announce three winners of the inaugural CRA-E Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award. Congratulations to the 2016 award recipients: Pieter Abbeel, from the University of California, Berkeley, Marie desJardins, from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Judy Goldsmith from the University of Kentucky. These outstanding individuals are recognized for providing exceptional mentorship, undergraduate research experiences, and, in parallel, guidance on admission and matriculation of these students to research-focused graduate programs in computing. The 2016 selection committee included: Nancy Amato (Texas A&M University, committee chair); Eric Aaron (Vassar College); Pat Morreale (Kean University); and Barbara Ryder (Virginia Tech). This year’s awards will be presented at the 2016 CRA Conference at Snowbird.

CRA Resources Highlight

February 4, 2016/In: Resources, Featured Announcements /

Are you looking for information for your students, academic and industrial researchers, or CRA’s diversity efforts? Look no further. CRA has dedicated webpages with targeted information on each of these topic areas.

President Announces Huge New “Computer Science for All” Initiative!

January 30, 2016/In: Education, NSF, Featured Announcements /

President Obama used his weekly radio address today to announce a new Computer Science Education initiative that would allow states to take the lead in increasing access to CS in K-12 classrooms. The initiative, which will be included in the President’s FY 2017 Budget Request to Congress on February 9th, will designate $4 billion for states available over 3 years, and $100 million directly for districts, to increase access to K-12 computer science education “by training teachers, expanding access to high-quality instructional materials, and building effective regional partnerships.” He will also direct NSF to spend more than $120 million over the next five years to support and train CS teachers.

CRA at the AAAS Annual Meeting

January 29, 2016/In: Education, For Students, Featured Announcements /

This year the AAAS annual meeting will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., close to CRA headquarters. To help engage the public with fun hands on science activities, CRA was invited to participate in AAAS’s Family Science Days on Saturday and Sunday, February 13–14, 2016 from 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) will also have a panel at the conference on the Friday, February 12, at 3 p.m. titled, “The Confluence of Computing and Society: Emerging Themes in Socio-Technical Systems.” CCC Chair Greg Hager, CCC Vice Chair Elizabeth Mynatt, and an additional speaker will offer perspectives on future ideas and challenges for technology innovations at global societal scales.

CRA Best Practice Memos

January 28, 2016/In: Best Practices, Resources, Featured Announcements /

The Computing Research Association (CRA) produces resources that standardize and establish best practices in the field. Most recently, last spring the CRA Board of Directors released its latest Best Practices Memo, “Incentivizing Quality and Impact: Evaluating Scholarship in Hiring, Tenure, and Promotion.” Distinguishing between quality and quantity is key to promoting the future growth of the computing and information field. The memo advocates adjustments to hiring, promotion, and tenure practices as well as to the publication culture. Below is a summary of the reports main points.