News and Announcements

2023 CRA-WP Early Career Award Winners Announced! | Robin Brewer & Michael Carbin


The 2023 winners for the Borg Early Career Award and Skip Ellis Early Career award have been selected!  2023 BECA Recipient  | Robin Brewer, University of Michigan 2023 SEECA Recipient | Michael Carbin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology The CRA-WP Early Career Awards are in honor of two notable computer scientist pioneers, Anita Borg and Clarence […]

Meet the 2023 Scholarships for Women Studying Information Security (SWSIS) Recipients


This year, 15 women were selected to receive Scholarships for Women Studying Information Security (SWSIS). The SWSIS program provides scholarships for women studying for their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in fields relating to information security. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide assistance to women at the formative stages of their careers in these fields. As of fall 2022, SWSIS scholarships have been awarded to over 150 women studying information security.

Read more about the selected recipients in this article.

CSGrad4US @ Grad Cohort for IDEALS 23′


CRA-WP and CRA-E recently celebrated the first inaugural CSGrad4US fellows at the 2023 Grad Cohort for IDEALS Workshop in Honolulu, HI. The event brought together the fellows, coaches, and program leaders, who networked and congratulated each other on their progress in their PhD programs. The 16 fellows, who had completed their first semester of graduate […]

CRA-WP BECA 2022 Recipient Maya Çakmak Receives Award at IROS 2022 Conference


On October 26, 2022, Maya Çakmak received her CRA-WP Anita Borg Early Career Award (BECA) from board member Nancy Amato in Kyoto, Japan at the 2022 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). CRA-WP is proud to celebrate her work in research and development of in-home assistant robots that can provide independence to those with motor impairments, allow elderly to age in the comfort of their homes, and improve quality of life for users.

CRA-WP Early Career Award recipients are given the opportunity to receive the award at a conference of their choosing. CRA-WP provides travel expenses support (up to $1,500) and works with the conference organizing committee to have the award presented to each of the awardees.


If you know an early career researcher who is making significant contributions to the fields of computer science/engineering with outreach to women and those underrepresented in computer science research, please nominate them for the CRA-WP Early Career Award today!

Link to CRA-WP Early Career Awards Information and Eligibility: https://cra.org/cra-wp/scholarships-and-awards/awards/cra-wp-early-career-awards/#tab-id-2

Link to CRA-WP Early Career Awards Nomination Portal: https://www.abstractscorecard.com/cfp/submit/login.asp?EventKey=HLJGNZFH

Nominations close January 30, 2023 at 11:59 PM EST.

CRA-WP 2023 Grad Cohort Workshops – Deadline Approaching!


CRA-WP will host two Graduate Cohort Workshops in 2023! The Grad Cohort Workshop for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership Skills (GC-IDEALS) is designed specifically for graduate school populations underrepresented in computing research. The Grad Cohort Workshop for Women is designed for women students in their first, second, or third year of graduate school in […]

2023 Early Career Awards Nominations Now Open: Due January 30


CRA-WP welcomes your nominations for the Early Career Awards honoring Anita Borg and Clarence “Skip” Ellis:


Anita Borg Early Career Award (BECA)
This annual award is given to a woman in computer science and/or engineering who has made significant research contributions in computer science and/or engineering and has also contributed to the profession, especially in outreach to women.

Skip Ellis Early Career Award (SEECA)
SEECA aims to recognize early-career individuals underrepresented in computing research that best exemplify the pioneering spirit of Skip Ellis. The leadership and trailblazing of Prof. Ellis and his cohort established the foundation for future generations of pioneers in computing.  Prof. Ellis and his generation valued both excellence in scholarship and cultivation of equal opportunity in service to the profession, the nation, and the lived experience of those underrepresented.  Skip Ellis awardees are expected to be rising stars in their field of research and broadening participation in computing.

This annual award is given to a person who identifies as a member of a group underrepresented in computing (African-American, Latinx, Native American/First Peoples, and/or People with Disabilities), who has made significant research contributions in computer science and/or engineering and has also contributed to the profession, especially in outreach to underrepresented demographics.

Applications Open for Scholarships for Women Studying Information Security (SWSIS): Deadline February 1


The SWSIS program provides scholarships of $2,000 or more for women studying for their Bachelors and Masters degrees in fields relating to information security. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide assistance to women at the formative stages of their careers in these fields.

SWSIS is a partnership of Applied Computer Security Associates (ACSA) and CRA-WP.  Its long-term goal is to contribute to increasing the representation of women in the information security workforce.

Application Period: December 15 – February 1

Apply to SWSIS Now!

CRA-WP Welcomes Susan Rodger as Co-chair


CRA-WP welcomes Susan Rodger as its newest co-chair, replacing Sandhya Dwarkadas. Rodger joins Amanda Stent as co-chair of the committee. Stent will replace Dwarkadas as the CRA-WP representative on the CRA Board. We would like to thank Dwarkadas for her service as co-chair.


Susan Rodger
Susan Rodger is a Professor of the Practice in the Department of Computer Science at Duke University. She was previously an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Rodger received her MS and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University and her BS in Computer Science and Mathematics from North Carolina State University. Her research is in visualization, algorithm animation, and computer science education. Rodger has developed JFLAP, software for experimenting with formal languages and automata that is used in courses worldwide. She leads the Adventures in Alice Programming project to teach K-12 teachers about computing. She has organized three Alice Symposiums and over thirty workshops on Alice, JFLAP, Peer-led Team learning, career mentoring, and other computer science education topics. Rodger is currently chair of ACM SIGCSE, a board member of CRA-W, and a member of the ACM Education Policy Committee. Rodger received the ACM 2013 Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award, the ACM Distinguished Educator award, and she was one of two finalist candidates for the NEEDS Premier Award for Excellence in Engineering Education Courseware for the software JFLAP.

CRA-WP Board Welcomes New Board Member: Sujata Banerjee


CRA-WP recently welcomed Sujata Banerjee as a new member to its board of directors.

Banerjee is the Vice President of VMware Research Group. Her expertise is in topics related to software defined networking and network functions virtualization, and she is broadly interested in network automation and performance. Prior to joining VMware, she was a distinguished technologist and research director at Hewlett Packard Enterprise Labs, leading a network systems research group which conducted research on enterprise, service provider and datacenter networks. Prior to her industrial research career, Banerjee also held a tenured Associate Professor position at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) Council of the Computing Research Association (CRA). Banerjee was honored to be named in the list of 2018 N2Women: Stars in Computer Networking and Communications.

2023 DREU – Applications Open through February 15


The objective of the DREU program is to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups including women, minorities, or persons with disabilities who are enrolled in graduate studies in the fields of computer science and computer engineering.

DREU participants have the opportunity to be directly involved in a research project and interact with graduate students and professors on a daily basis. This experience is invaluable for those who are considering graduate school; DREU will provide a close-up view of what graduate school is really like and increase interns’ competitiveness as an applicant for graduate admissions and fellowships. Faculty mentors will have the opportunity to work on their research project with new students from other institutions and to mentor future graduate students.

CRA-WP 2023 Grad Cohort Workshops – Applications Due November 30


CRA-WP will host two Graduate Cohort Workshops in 2023! The Grad Cohort Workshop for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership Skills (GC-IDEALS) is designed specifically for graduate school populations underrepresented in computing research. The Grad Cohort Workshop for Women is designed for women students in their first, second, or third year of graduate school in computing fields. Grad Cohort participants will have an opportunity to build mentoring relationships and develop peer networks intended to form the basis for ongoing activities during their graduate career and beyond.

Grad Cohort participants will have an opportunity to build mentoring relationships and develop peer networks intended to form the basis for ongoing activities during their graduate career and beyond.

Expanding the Pipeline: Distributed REsearch Apprenticeships for Master’s (DREAM)


By Tracy Camp, Computing Research Association and Catherine Gill, Northeastern University

The Distributed REsearch Apprenticeships for Master’s (DREAM) is a pilot NSF program being offered by a nationwide consortium of colleges and universities that have created “bridge to MS in CS” programs for students with non-CS bachelor’s degrees.  Schools in the MSCS Pathways to Computing Consortium provide a new pathway for people who studied something other than CS as undergraduates to enter the tech field.  The strong emphasis of this effort is to provide a new pathway into computing for individuals from populations historically minoritized in tech (women, LGBQTIA, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Hawaiian/Alaskan/Asian Pacific Islander students, and students with disabilities). Consortium members sign a membership agreement that, among other things, confirms their commitment to increasing the diversity of their graduate programs.  Students in these Consortium pathways come from a wide array of undergraduate backgrounds that span the STEM disciplines, humanities, social sciences, business, and the arts.

National Science Foundation Selects Recipients of the 2022 CSGrad4US Fellowship Program


 By Erik Russell, CRA Director of Programs

The National Science Foundation recently selected sixty-nine recipients of the 2022 CSGrad4US Fellowship Program. The objective of the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Graduate Fellowships (CSGrad4US) is to increase the number of diverse, domestic graduate students pursuing research and innovation careers in the CISE fields: computer science, computer engineering, or information science. CSGrad4US recipients will participate in the CSGrad4US Mentoring Program organized by the Computing Research Association with funding provided by the National Science Foundation through award #2231962. 

CRA-WP at the 2022 ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing: September 7-10


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.

Will you be attending the 2022 TAPIA Conference? Come visit the CRA-WP booth (#908) at the exhibit hall! Learn about programs and resources we offer to support you in your Computing Research career journey.

CRA-WP Presents the 2022 CRA-WP Early Career Awards Honoring Skip Ellis and Anita Borg


The Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research (CRA-WP) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2022 Skip Ellis Early Career Award and  Anita Borg Early Career Award. Maya Cakmak of the University of Washington has been selected as the 2022 Anita Borg Early Career Award recipient. The Anita Borg Early Career Award honors […]

CRA-WP Featured in the 2022 STEM for All Video Showcase: Access, Inclusion, and Equity


A short video from CRA’s Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research (CRA-WP) is featured in the 2022 STEM for All Video Showcase May 10-17. CRA-WP’s video is entitled “Broadening Participation in Computing Research with CRA-WP” and highlights programs funded through National Science Foundation award #1840724. CRA-WP is a Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance that focuses on community building, career mentoring, information sharing, and effecting systemic change for undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, faculty, and industry and government researchers. 

In Memoriam: Former CRA Board Member and CRA-WP Co-Chair Andrea Danyluk


CRA is sad to announce that on March 3, 2022, Andrea Pohoreckyj Danyluk passed away at age 59 after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. The CRA community is deeply saddened by the loss of an amazing mentor, friend, and champion for diversity. She was family to many of her former students, colleagues, and friends. Through trying times, Danyluk calmly navigated the group forward, making time and space for people to voice their opinions and concerns. In recognition of her successful and impactful efforts to build inclusive and diverse communities in computing, the Computing Research Association selected Andrea Danyluk as the recipient of the 2022 CRA A. Nico Habermann Award. Andrea profoundly impacted the lives of her family, friends, students, and colleagues. She will forever be remembered for her warm spirit, boundless energy, and infectious laughter.

Expanding the Pipeline: The Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE)


By Jennifer Mankoff, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Co-Directors, University of Washington CREATE

In an era of rapidly evolving technology and increasing interconnectedness, full participation in society depends on the successful use of technology. Thus, to ensure equity and participation for people with disabilities, technology must be accessible—we must create and adapt interactive systems to improve access to technology and to the world at large. The University of Washington Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) is dedicated to propelling accessible technology research and education from incremental improvements to paradigm-shifting breakthroughs that enable greater inclusion and participation for people of all abilities. This article briefly introduces CREATE’s mission and then highlights some of its recent research into the impact of the pandemic on students and best practices for hybrid meetings.

Sandhya Dwarkadas Named Chair of University of Virginia Computer Science Department


CRA-WP Co-Chair and CRA Board Member Sandhya Dwarkadas has been named Chair of the University of Virginia (UVA) Department of Computer Science. She comes to UVA from the University of Rochester where she is Interim Associate Vice President for Research and the Albert Arendt Hopeman Professor of Engineering. She will assume the role on July 1, 2022.

From the UVA announcement:

“Sandhya is a world-class researcher with excellent leadership skills and experiences,” said UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer L. West. “She has a demonstrated record of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and supporting diversity, equity and inclusion, with an emphasis on increasing the participation of women and students from other backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in computer science. We are thrilled she will join our team.”

CRA-WP Co-chair Amanda Stent Named a Fellow of the Association for Computational Linguistics


CRA-WP Co-chair Amanda Stent has been named a fellow of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) for “significant contributions to computational models of multimodal and spoken dialogue, natural language generation and summarization.” Stent is the inaugural director of the Colby College Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

From ACL:

The Fellows program recognizes ACL members whose contributions to the field have been most extraordinary in terms of scientific and technical excellence, service to the association and the community and/or educational or outreach activities with broader impact.

 

Former CRA-W Co-chair Tracy Camp Named Computing Research Association Executive Director


Nationally Known Computer Scientist and Diversity Advocate to Lead CRA’s Next Chapter
The Computing Research Association recently announced Dr. Tracy Camp will become the organization’s fourth Executive Director in its 50 year history. Camp is the former Department Head of Computer Science at Colorado School of Mines. She brings to the role strong experience as a leader in the computing research community at the national level, a history spearheading diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in computing, and a detailed vision for leading the organization into the future.

Camp has previous experience with CRA having served for many years in various volunteer capacities. She is a current board member of the CRA Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research, where she served as co-chair from 2011 to 2014. Camp was also an influential member of the CRA Board of Directors from 2012 to 2016. She led the committee that produced the 2017 report Generation CS: CS Undergraduate Enrollments Surge Since 2006.

Camp will be the first woman to serve as Executive Director at CRA. She will assume the role on July 1, 2022.

Nominations Open for the 2022 CRA-WP Early Career Awards: Due February 15


CRA-WP welcomes your nominations for the Early Career Awards honoring Anita Borg and Clarence “Skip” Ellis:

Anita Borg Early Career Award  (BECA)
The Anita Borg Early Career Award (BECA) is named in honor of Anita Borg, who was an early member of CRA-WP and is inspired by her commitment to increasing the participation of women in computing research. The annual award is given to a woman in computer science and/or engineering who has made significant research contributions in computer science and/or engineering and has also contributed to the profession, especially in outreach to women.

Skip Ellis Early Career Award (SEECA)
The Skip Ellis Early Career Award is in honor of Clarence “Skip” Ellis; he was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in computer science and the first African-American to be elected a Fellow of the ACM. SEECA aims to recognize early-career individuals underrepresented in computing research that best exemplify the pioneering spirit of Skip Ellis.  The leadership and trailblazing of Prof. Ellis and his cohort established the foundation for future generations of pioneers in computing.  Prof. Ellis and his generation valued both excellence in scholarship and cultivation of equal opportunity in service to the profession, the nation, and the lived experience of those underrepresented.  Skip Ellis awardees are expected to be rising stars in their field of research and broadening participation in computing. This annual award is given to a person who identifies as a member of a group underrepresented in computing (African-American, Latinx, Native American/First Peoples, and/or People with Disabilities), who has made significant research contributions in computer science and/or engineering and has also contributed to the profession, especially in outreach to underrepresented demographics.


Learn more about the awards and the nomination process: https://cra.org/cra-wp/early-career-awards
Nominations are due February 15, 2022, at 11:59 PM ET.

CRA-E Webinar Available: The Ph.D. in CS – Getting There and Being Successful


Members of the CRA-Education Committee hosted a webinar titled “The Ph.D. in CS: Getting There and Being Successful.” The webinar is designed to help undergraduates evaluate whether a Ph.D. program is right for them, and how to determine which program is a great fit.
The webinar recording and slides are at the links below:

CRA-WP 2022 Graduate Cohort Workshops – Applications Due November 15


We will host two Grad Cohort workshops in 2022. Grad Cohort participants will have an opportunity to build mentoring relationships and develop peer networks intended to form the basis for ongoing activities during their graduate career and beyond.

Grad Cohort Workshop for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership Skills (GC-IDEALS) is designed specifically for graduate school populations underrepresented in computing research.

Grad Cohort for Women

Applications accepted October 1 – November 15.

CRA-WP 2022 Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates (DREU) – Applications Due February 15


The CRA-WP Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU) program matches students with a faculty mentor for a summer research experience at the faculty mentor’s home institution. We invite applications from both undergraduate students interested in exploring research in computer science and faculty members interested in being a research mentor.

DREU interns will have the opportunity to be directly involved in a research project and interact with graduate students and professors on a daily basis. This experience is invaluable for those who are considering graduate school; DREU will provide a close-up view of what graduate school is really like and increase interns’ competitiveness as an applicant for graduate admissions and fellowships. Faculty mentors will have the opportunity to work on their research project with new students from other institutions and to mentor future graduate students.

Application Link: https://www.abstractscorecard.com/cfp/submit/login.asp?EventKey=HHZUSJCT

Application Period: October 15 – February 15

Learn More: Hear from previous attendees: https://youtu.be/363fwY4ZwTk

Taulbee, Talent, and Trends: CRA Session at Upcoming DOE ASCAC Meeting


By CERP Staff

The Computing Research Association (CRA) will be represented by CRA staff (Betsy Bizot, Erik Russell, and Burçin Tamer) and CRA-WP Co-Chairs (Sandhya Dwarkadas and Amanda Stent) during the upcoming U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee (ASCAC) meeting. In their session entitled “Taulbee, Talent, and Trends”, the CRA team will be discussing trends in the computing research pipeline over time, the ways in which CRA supports that pipeline, and how CRA collects data to track that progression. You can catch “Taulbee, Talent, and Trends” from 1:00-1:45 PM ET this Thursday, September 30, 2021.

Click here to view the full agenda for the meeting held from September 29-30. The full meeting information, including the Zoom link, can be found here.

CRA-WP Welcomes Amanda Stent as its Newest Co-Chair


CRA-WP welcomes Amanda Stent as its newest co-chair, serving a 2-year term. She joins Sandhya Dwarkadas and replaces Andrea Danyluk, who has retired from the CRA-WP Board.

Stent was recently named the inaugural director of the Colby College Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence. She previously held positions as the NLP Architect in the Chief Technology Office at Bloomberg, Director of Research and Principal Research Scientist at Yahoo, as Principal Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Labs — Research, and as Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY. She holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Rochester, has authored or co-authored over 100 papers on natural language processing, and is co-inventor on over 30 patents. Stent is one of the inaugural editors-in-chief of ACL Rolling Review, a board member of CRA-WP and an ABET program evaluator. She also currently serves on the National Academies Committee studying Responsible Computing Research.

CRA-WP would like to thank Andrea Danyluk for contributions during her service on the board since 2008, serving as co-chair from 2019-2021.

Save the Date: 2022 Grad Cohort Workshops Dates & Locations


We are excited to announce the official dates and locations for our 2022 CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshops! Save the dates, and look out for applications beginning October 1st.

Are you a graduate student in computing-related studies, interested in interacting with successful individuals in your field who can give you advice on topics such as how to find and develop your research topic, how to prepare for your career after graduate school, and how to balance work and life?

If so, please join us at one of the CRA-WP Grad Cohorts!

Learn More:

CRA-WP Presents the 2021 CRA-WP Early Career Awards Honoring Skip Ellis and Anita Borg


CRA-WP is honored to announce the recipients of the 2021 Skip Ellis Early Career Award and Anita Borg Early Career Award. Sanmi Koyejo of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been selected as the 2021 Skip Ellis Early Career Award recipient. Shiri Azenkot of Cornell University was selected to receive the Distinction of Honorable Mention for this award. Finale Doshi-Velez of Harvard University has been selected as the 2021 Anita Borg Early Career Award recipient.

Expanding the Pipeline: CRA-WP Holds Virtual Grad Cohort Workshop for Women


By Susan Rodger, Maria Gini and Julia Hirschberg, CRA-WP Grad Cohort for Women Program Chairs, and Heather Wright, CERP

On April 23-24, CRA-WP was thrilled to hold the 2021Grad Cohort Workshop for Women after canceling the previous year’s event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grad Cohort for Women 2021 was quite different than previous Grad Cohorts as it was held virtually using the Socio event platform. The workshop still consisted of advice panels by professors and research scientists, research discussion sessions, a keynote talk, one-on-one mentoring sessions, an exhibit hall, and even food breaks complete with a customized snack box delivered in advance.  Attendance was strong with 375 students, 35 speakers and mentors, 36 sponsors and 14 staff present.

Congratulations to the 2021 SWSIS Recipients!


17 women were selected this year to receive a Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security (SWSIS). The SWSIS program provides scholarships for women studying for their Bachelors and Masters degrees in fields relating to information security. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide assistance to women at the formative stages of their careers in these fields.

Read more about the selected recipients here.

CRA-WP Thanks Retiring Board Members


Four members have retired from the CRA-WP Board of Directors. CRA-WP would like to thank all retiring board members for their contributions during their service on the board.

Sheila Castañeda
Was instrumental in the establishment of the Collaborative Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, supported website initiatives, and helped establish the first Career Mentoring Workshop Education track at SIGCSE

Melanie Wu
Co-led the Collaborative Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, and the Grace Hopper Celebration Research Scholars program

Rita Wouhaybi
Co-led the Career Mentoring Workshops and Grad Cohort Workshop for Women

Anna Karlin
Developed materials to help promote activities, and cultivated resources to help prevent sexual harassment

Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day


Today, May 20, 2021, marks the tenth Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access/inclusion and people with different disabilities. In honor of GAAD, we’re sharing resources to learn more about accessibility in higher education.

CRA-WP Board Member Ayanna Howard Named ACM Athena Lecturer for Contributions to Robotics, AI and Broadening Participation in Computing


The recipient of the 2021- 2022 ACM Athena Lecturer Award is Ayanna Howard, Dean of The Ohio State University College of Engineering.

Her citation reads as follows:
For fundamental contributions to the development of accessible human-robotic systems and artificial intelligence along with forging new paths to broaden participation in computing through entrepreneurial and mentoring efforts.
To view the press release, please visit: https://awards.acm.org/about/2021-athena

Call to Action: Apply Now to the CSGrad4US Mentoring Program!


Are you interested in serving as a mentor or coach?
The mentor and coach application is now available on the CS Grad4US Mentoring Program webpage.

The goals of the CSGrad4US Mentoring Program are:

  1. To guide returning students through the application process towards a successful CS PhD admission and school selection
  2. To mentor them through the transition to PhD graduate study in the first year towards high retention.

Specific topics include the admissions process, preparation of all components of a strong graduate application, differences between graduate programs at different institutions, how to compare programs with respect to the Fellow’s goals and background, and general guidelines on making a selection among admission acceptances.

The CSGrad4US Mentoring Program will provide not only general graduate application advice and guidance, but also provide missing larger context and network to students returning from the workforce. Our intention is to recruit a representative set of mentors and coaches that reflects the diversity of institutions, demographics, and scholarship among the computing research community.

Applications received by June 1st will be given preference.

NSF Extends Application Deadline for CSGrad4US: New NSF Fellowship Opportunity for CISE Bachelor’s Degree Holders to Return for PhD – Due May 19


The Application deadline for the CSGrad4US Graduate Fellowship has been extended and is now due May 19, 2021, by 5:00 pm submitter local time. Please visit https://www.nsf.gov/cise/CSGrad4US/ for additional details and deadlines.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate has announced the new CSGrad4US Graduate Fellowship program that aims to increase the number of diverse, domestic graduate students pursuing research and innovation careers in the CISE fields. The new fellowship, which will provide 3-year fellowship opportunities for new Ph.D. students in the computing disciplines, was released in response to the increased demand for people with a Ph.D. in computer science (CS), the continued decrease of domestic students pursuing research and completing a Ph.D., and the overall small number of bachelor’s degree recipients in CS pursuing graduate school.

Margaret Martonosi Receives the 2021 ACM/IEEE-CS Eckert-Mauchly Award


The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and IEEE Computer Society recently announced that former CRA-WP Co-chair Margaret Martonosi is the recipient of the 2021 Eckert-Mauchly Award. She was cited for contributions to the design, modeling, and verification of power-efficient computer architecture. The Eckert-Mauchly Award is known as the computer architecture community’s most prestigious award.

CRA Receives NSF Award to Develop a Mentoring Program for NSF’s CSGrad4US Graduate Fellowship


In response to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate’s recently announced CSGrad4US Fellowship program, the Computing Research Association’s Education (CRA-E) and Widening Participation (CRA-WP) committees are working to develop a CSGrad4US Mentoring Program for recipients of the CSGrad4US Fellowship.

Are you interested in serving as a mentor or coach?
The mentor and coach application is now available on the CS Grad4US Mentoring Program webpage.

CRA-WP Board Welcomes New Members Monica Anderson and Hakim Weatherspoon


CRA-WP has welcomed two new members to its board of directors – Monica Anderson, University of Alabama, and Hakim Weatherspoon, Cornell University.

Monica Anderson
Monica Anderson is an Associate Professor of Computer Science, The University of Alabama. She earned her BS in Computer Science from Chicago State University (1990) and her Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Minnesota (2007). In 2008, she received the 2008 UPE Excellence in Instruction Award. She is an executive member of the iAAMCS alliance, a national consortium of researchers that focus on increasing the number of African Americans in Computer Science with advanced degrees. Research projects studied autonomous robot teams, Computer Science education, and broadening participation. The results of these projects included identification of mitigating factors an operator’s trust of autonomous systems, mechanisms for increasing self-efficacy in computer science introductory courses using robotics, and approaches on improving the design of autonomous device frameworks.  Current education-related research concerns the efficient teaching of memory-reliant programming concepts.

 

Hakim Weatherspoon
Hakim Weatherspoon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University. His research interests cover various aspects of fault-tolerance, reliability, security, and performance of internet-scale data systems such as cloud and distributed systems.  Weatherspoon received his Bachelors from the University of Washington and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Weatherspoon has received awards for his many contributions, including the University of Washington, Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, Alumni Achievement Award;  Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship; National Science Foundation CAREER Award; and a Kavli Fellowship from the National Academy of Sciences. He serves as Vice President of the USENIX Board of Directors and is the Founder, Steering Committee, and General Chair for the ACM Symposium on Cloud Computing. Hakim has also been recognized for his work to promote diversity, earning Cornell’s Zellman Warhaft Commitment to Diversity Award.  Since 2011, he has organized the annual SoNIC Summer Research Workshop to help prepare students from underrepresented groups to pursue their Ph.D. in computer science.

Tijana Milenkovic and Saad Biaz Receive the 2021 CRA-E Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award


The Education Committee of the Computing Research Association (CRA-E) is proud to announce two recipients of the 2021 CRA-E Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award: Tijana Milenkovic from University of Notre Dame and Saad Biaz from Auburn University. These outstanding individuals are being recognized for providing exceptional mentorship, undergraduate research experiences, and, in parallel, guidance on admission and matriculation of their students to research-focused graduate programs in computing.

Former CRA-W Co-Chair Mary Jane Irwin Receives 2021 CRA A. Nico Habermann Award


Mary Jane Irwin was selected to receive the 2021 CRA A. Nico Habermann Award in recognition of her more than 30 years of diversity efforts, both in academia at Penn State University and in professional organizations, including the CRA Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Her work in these organizations across three decades has increased the number of women and other under-represented groups in computing at universities (as faculty and students) and as fellows and award recipients.

She was a founding member of CRA-W, served as a steering committee member for more than 20 years, and spearheaded many of the activities and initiatives that we now think of as regular events. Irwin served on the ACM Council, as ACM Vice President, and her work on the ACM Fellow Selection Committee helped to double the number of women elected. She was also instrumental in pushing the NAE to diversify its ranks. Irwin’s commitment to diversity was actually inspired by meetings with A. Nico Habermann himself when she was on the Advisory Board for NSF CISE of which he was Assistant Director.

2021 CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshops Go Virtual


By Erik Russell
The Computing Research Association’s Committee on Widening Participation organizes two Grad Cohort Workshops on an annual basis. Both workshops will be virtual events this year due to the ongoing pandemic. The 2021 CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshop for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership Skills (IDEALS) will be held on March 11-12, 2021 and the 2021 CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshop for Women will be held on April 23-24, 2021.

“Valuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Our Computing Community” Panel on March 3rd


CRA Board Member Timothy M. Pinkston has organized and will moderate the panel, “Valuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Our Computing Community” from 1:30 to 3 PM (EST) on March 3rd at this year’s co-located HPCA’21, PPoPP’21, CGO’21 and CC’21 conferences (virtual due to COVID-19).

Panel Abstract: There is a movement occurring broadly across many scientific and engineering fields, including widely within our computing community, toward making tangible progress through intentional actions and interventions for advancing and valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion.  There is also a movement toward dismantling structural and/or systemic factors—especially but not limited to racial and gender biases—that may be standing in the way of making much needed progress in advancing and valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion fully.  Similar to those in other technical fields, we as a computing community are faced with the persistent key question: What more can and should be done?  At this panel (see full description here), which is broadly accessible to the larger computing community, this and other important questions will be discussed by a stellar set of world-renowned computing researchers who value diversity, equity, and inclusion.  From this open and lively discussion, our hope is attendees will be better positioned to make measurable progress in bringing about continual, significant, and sustained change that shall enable gainful strides in further valuing diversity, equity and inclusion within our computing community.

The panel session is free and open to the public. Register here.

CRA Looking to Develop a Mentoring Program for NSF’s CSGrad4US Graduate Fellowship


In response to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate’s recently announced CSGrad4US Fellowship program, the Computing Research Association’s Education (CRA-E) and Widening Participation (CRA-WP) committees, with CRA support, are exploring the development of a CSGrad4US Mentoring Program to support recipients of the CSGrad4US Fellowship. The goals of the […]

Nominations Due March 31: CRA-WP Skip Ellis Early Career Award


CRA-WP is excited to launch the second cycle of its newest award, the Skip Ellis Early Career Award. The award recognizes outstanding scientists and engineers in computing who identify as a member of a group underrepresented in computing (African-American, Latinx, Native American/First Peoples, and/or people with disabilities).
Detailed information about the award and nomination submission can be found on the Skip Ellis Early Career Award webpage.

Get Ready For Your Job Search & Join The Graduating Class Directory!


Are you graduating this year? Looking for a job?
Sign up for the Graduating Class Directoryto be on the list shared with hiring managers in academic departments and industry/government lab representatives around the nation!

Open to CRA program alumni and interested participants who have recently graduated (or expect to graduate in the next 12-18 months)

Benefits:
Get a head start on your job hunt
Jumpstart your resume
Stand out in a smaller applicant pool
Connect with CRA sponsors such as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft

New NSF Fellowship Opportunity for CISE Bachelor’s Degree Holders to Return for PhD: Applications Due April 13


NSF CISE has announced the new CSGrad4US Graduate Fellowship program that aims to increase the number of diverse, domestic graduate students pursuing research and innovation careers in the CISE fields. The program is for those who have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in a CISE field between July 1, 2016, and June 31, 2019 and are interested in earning a PhD. The new fellowship program will provide 3-year fellowship opportunities for new Ph.D. students in the computing disciplines.

CSGrad4US Fellowship applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident;
  • Intend to apply for full-time enrollment in a research-based doctoral degree program in a CISE field (computer science, computer engineering, or information science) no later than Fall 2023;
  • Have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in a CISE field between July 1, 2016, and June 31, 2019;
  • Never enrolled in a master’s or doctoral degree-granting program for a CISE discipline at the time of the application (other than a professional master’s degree program – For the purposes of this funding opportunity, a professional master’s program has no research component and is usually designed for full-time professionals); and
  • Have never previously accepted a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

NSF seeks candidates from a broad array of backgrounds and strongly encourages women, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Native Pacific Islanders, and persons with disabilities to apply.

Timeline
Applications for the CSGrad4US Graduate Fellowship are due April 13, 2021 by 5:00pm submitter local time. Please visit https://www.nsf.gov/cise/CSGrad4US/ for additional details and deadlines.

Tune In: The Radical AI Podcast – Ability and Accessibility in AI with Meredith Ringel Morris


What should you know about Ability and Accessibility in AI and responsible technology development?

Dive in and learn more through an interview with Meredith Ringel Morris. Meredith is a computer scientist conducting research in the areas of human-computer interaction (HCI), computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), social computing, and accessibility. Her current research focus is on accessibility, particularly on the intersection of accessibility and social technologies.

Find the podcast episode here.

Applications Open for 2021 CRA-WP Graduate Cohort Workshops: Deadline Extended to December 18


Applications are now open for the 2021 CRA-WP Graduate Cohort Workshops.

The 2021 Grad Cohort for Women will likely be a virtual workshop on April 23-24, 2021. Apply here.

The 2021 Grad Cohort for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership Skills – The IDEALS Workshop (formerly the Grad Cohort Workshop for URMD) will be a virtual workshop on March 11-12, 2021. Apply here.

Both applications will close on November 30.

CRA-E Graduate Fellows Program Accepting Nominations: Deadline January 27


The Computing Research Association Education Committee (CRA-E) is now accepting nominations for the CRA-E Graduate Fellows Program. The program opportunities for Ph.D. candidates in a computing field to contribute to CRA-E projects, to network with computer science education advocates on the committee, and to engage in advocacy for mentoring undergraduate students and promote computer science […]

CRA-WP Renames the Grad Cohort for URMD Workshop


We would like to sincerely thank everyone involved in this renaming process. The community’s willingness to discuss, listen, and provide insightful feedback was essential to improving the process and outcome.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone involved in this renaming process. The community’s willingness to discuss, listen, and provide insightful feedback was essential to improving the process and outcome.

We’re pleased to announce the new name:

The Grad Cohort for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership Skills – The IDEALS Workshop
(formerly Grad Cohort for URMD)

This process was truly a community effort that engaged and sought feedback from CRA-WP Board Members, Grad Cohort for URMD program leaders and executive steering committee members, past workshop participants and speakers, as well as CRA staff. In all, the survey was distributed to ~550 individuals.

The top choice of the community was the IDEALS Workshop, with many specifically stating the importance of having “Accessibility” in the name.

At the heart of this discussion and proposed change, the intention has been to listen to and capture the perspectives and preferences of our community, and then take swift action in enacting these changes in a timely manner. Given that this involves an evolving societal conversation it was our preference to not spell out the intended audiences in the workshop’s new name.

We acknowledge that concern over the use of the acronym and term “URM” is not necessarily felt by all. However, we also firmly believe a name change was necessary given the issues raised with the term.

Again, we are truly thankful for everyone’s involvement and are pleased to announce that applications for the 2021 Grad Cohort for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership Skills – The IDEALS Workshop are now being accepted through Nov. 30, 2020.

Apply today by clicking this link!

Call for Submissions: Departmental BPC Plans


The Computing Research Association (CRA) and the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) are calling upon the academic community to create and submit Departmental BPC Plans to BPCnet.org.

Departmental BPC Plans are important because they help departments:

  • reaffirm their commitment to equity and inclusion,
  • identify and organize their BPC related goals and activities,
  • and support PIs in their department who are submitting CISE proposals requiring a Project BPC Plan at the time of award.

2020 Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security Recipients Announced


Thirteen women across the country were awarded SWSIS scholarships for their work in cybersecurity. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide assistance to women at the formative stages of their careers in these fields.

Sara Stehlik was the first recipient of the PrinSWSIS scholarship, awarded to a woman aspiring to work in computer security, and by her mere existence, challenging the stereotype of a cyber security professional and helping redefine what it means to be a princess.

Peggy Sue Mathis was the recipient of this year’s Rebecca Gurley Bace SWSIS Scholarship, meant to honor the memory of Becky Bace by selecting a scholarship recipient who shows her ability to mentor,  create community, and bring groups together.

Congratulations to all the 2020 recipients:

Elizabeth Anne Cerrone, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

Jennie Elizabeth Christensen, University of California-Santa Barbara

Julianne Cox, Volunteer State Community College

Meron Kebede, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Swathi Krithivasan, University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Morgan Livingston, University of California-Berkeley

Angela Ma, University of Maryland, College Park

Peggy Sue Mathis, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Sara Elizabeth Robinson-Camarena, Cochise College

Sarah Lynn Sha, Indiana University-Bloomington

Annette Stawsky, Cornell University

Sara Stehlik, Dakota State University

Samra Vithlani, University of Southern California

 
Read more about them here.
 

CRA’s Position


Dear CRA Community,

The amount of pain and suffering we are witnessing and feeling is only a snapshot of a broader social reality. We, and everyone before us, have had a role in arriving at where we are today. As such, it is of paramount importance to step up and take a stance. It is our responsibility and a moral imperative to not stand by and simply witness the events around us. We must collectively find our voice and reject racism and inequality. Silence perpetuates, doubt reinforces, and rationalization of incident after incident only compounds the pain so many in our society continue to endure.

While CRA has a long history of celebrating, promoting, and advocating for inclusivity, we cannot be satisfied with continuing the status quo. We will continue to actively stand against discrimination and hatred. We will find new ways to use our voice in Washington to advocate for policies that address the inequities that exist in our field. We will amplify the efforts of our membership organizations wherever we can to help them improve the spaces they occupy and create an environment that is more welcoming, just, and equitable to all. Only together can we begin to right the long history of wrongs that have led us to this place and time.

We start with acknowledging the issues by talking to those around us and explicitly stating that we stand with them when they stand against discrimination and hatred.

We know that racism:

  • Is systemic and institutionalized, was intentionally designed, and established well before the foundation of our nation.
  • Continues to oppress people of color around the world – denying basic human rights, denying opportunity, and even more tragically denying many of their very lives.
  • Is learned behavior that may be unlearned through education, compassion, empathy, and action.
  • Drives a wedge between communities, and in doing so limits the enviable quest for a society steeped in respect.
  • The privileged benefit from its existence and must be willing to sacrifice to overcome it.
  • Lives in our homes, schools, workplaces, parks, churches, stores, amusement parks, government, law enforcement – it lives in us all to varying degrees.

To stand against it, we:

  • Acknowledge the existence of racism within our communities and commit to defeating it.
  • Call out and reject rationalization of incidents and distortion of information.
  • Educate ourselves and those around us to be better equipped to address racism in its many forms.
  • Stand up against the status quo by using our voice and agency.
  • Commit to systemic change in laws, policies, procedures, etc.
  • Dedicate all necessary resources to create lasting change.

Ellen Zegura, Chair of the CRA Board
Andrew Bernat, CRA Executive Director

Subscribe to the Modern Figures Podcast: Elevating the Voices of Black Women in Computing


The Modern Figures podcast features diversity advocates who share their stories, perspectives and pivotal moments along their journey in computing. The series, co-hosted by Drs. Kyla McMullen and Jeremy Waisome, is sponsored by NCWIT and led by the Institute for African-American Mentoring in Computer Science (iAAMCS).

In the second season, hear from a broad group of voices and advocates for the advancement of black women in tech, including:

New episodes will debut every Monday through the end of May. To listen to the podcast, visit Apple iTunes, Google Podcast, Spotify, or Stitcher. Subscribe at http://modernfigurespodcast.com/subscribe-to-podcast/. Additionally, you can follow @modernfigurespodcast on Facebook and Instagram, and @ModFigsPodcast on Twitter.

 

Former CRA-W Co-Chair Leah H. Jamieson receives the IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal


The Computing Research Association extends a heartfelt congratulations to former CRA-W Co-Chair Leah H. Jamieson for receiving the IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal to honor her “contributions to the promotion, innovation, and inclusivity of engineering education.” CRA-WP is humbled to receive a generous contribution from Jamieson’s award as she looks to highlight “organizations that played [a] significant role in enabling and shaping the contribution” she is recognized for today. This contribution to CRA-WP programs will be used to support the success and participation of women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities in computing research and education at all levels.

CRA-WP Welcomes Sandhya Dwarkadas as Newest Co-Chair


CRA-WP welcomes Sandhya Dwarkadas as its newest co-chair. She joins Andrea Danyluk as co-chair, serving a 2-year term.

Sandhya Dwarkadas is the Albert Arendt Hopeman Professor of Engineering and Professor and Chair of Computer Science at the University of Rochester, with a secondary appointment in Electrical and Computer Engineering. She received her Bachelor’s from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, and her M.S. and Ph.D. from Rice University. Her research lies at the interface of hardware and software with a   particular focus on concurrency, resulting in over a 100 refereed publications that cross areas within systems. She has made contributions to hardware- and software-based shared memory implementations and system reconfigurability.   She is co-inventor on 11 granted U.S. patents. She is a CRA-W board member, and is currently on the editorial board of CACM Research Highlights and IEEE Micro. Her recent research focuses on addressing the challenge of leveraging the   computational power of the increasingly large core counts available on today’s processors. Her research addresses the challenge at three levels —   via scalable hardware cache coherence protocols, via improved language and runtime support for expressing and extracting application parallelism, and via operating system-level energy and resource management. She also continues to stay involved in parallel applications development, particularly in the biomedical domain.

CRA-WP would like to thank Margaret Martonosi and Julia Hirschberg for their past service and contribution to all CRA-WP programs.

Deadline February 15: Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates


DREU interns have the opportunity to be directly involved in a research project and interact with graduate students and professors on a daily basis. This experience is invaluable for those who are considering graduate school; DREU will provide a close-up view of what graduate school is really like and increase interns’ competitiveness as an applicant for graduate admissions and fellowships. Faculty mentors will have the opportunity to work on their research project with new students from other institutions and to mentor future graduate students. Note: There is a new application site for fall 2019.

Deadline February 1: Scholarships for Women Studying Information Security (SWSIS)


The SWSIS program provides scholarships of up to $10,000 for women in the formative stages of their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in fields relating to information security. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide assistance to women at the formative stages of their careers in these fields.

SWSIS is a partnership of Applied Computer Security Associates (ACSA) and CRA-WP.  Its long-term goal is to contribute to increasing the representation of women in the information security workforce.  ACSA founded the SWSIS scholarship program in 2011 and joined forces with CRA-WP in 2014 to lead the selection process.  As of fall 2019, SWSIS scholarships have been awarded to over 90 women studying information security.

Apply now at www.swsis.org.

CRA-WP Board Welcomes New Members Raja Kushalnagar and Jaime Moreno


CRA-WP has welcomed new members to its board of directors – Raja Kushalnagar, Gallaudet University, and Jaime Moreno, IBM.

Raja Kushalnagar
Raja Kushalnagar is the Director of the Information Technology program in the Department of Science, Technology and Mathematics at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.

His research interests encompass the fields of accessible computing and accessibility/intellectual property law, with the goal of improving information access for people with sensory disabilities. In the accessible computing field, he investigates information and communication access disparities for people with sensory disabilities. For example, he investigates technology can aid communication or learning through speech-to-text (captions/subtitles) or sign language interpreters, for deaf, hard of hearing, low vision or blind people. In the legal field, he advocates for laws and policies for access and inclusion for people with sensory disabilities, such as automatic captions or audio description.

He has mentored 70 plus undergraduates and received over $4 million in grants and has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications.

Jaime Moreno
Dr. Jaime H. Moreno is Distinguished Researcher, Senior Manager, at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York. He joined IBM Research in 1992, where he has led various teams on microprocessor and high-performance system architecture, design and performance analysis projects, efforts addressing the full range of IBM processors and systems. His most recent completed project was participation in the development of Summit and Sierra, the two most powerful computers in the world deployed in 2018. He has published multiple papers and two books, including a textbook on digital systems translated to Portuguese and Chinese, holds many patents in processor architecture, has been recognized as Master Inventor at IBM Research. His current research interests address future hybrid cloud systems and supercomputers. Before joining IBM, Jaime was a faculty member at the University of Concepcion, Chile. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science from the University of California Los Angeles, and a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Concepcion, Chile.

Nominations Due February 15: CRA-WP Inaugural Skip Ellis Early Career Award


The Computing Research Association is pleased to announce its newest award, the Skip Ellis Early Career Award, which will recognize outstanding scientists and engineers with exceptional potential for leadership in computing. The award joins the Anita Borg Early Career Award for Women in advancing excellence and equal opportunity in computing research. Nominations for the inaugural Skip Ellis Early Career Award are now open and will close on February 15.

This award is in honor of the late Clarence “Skip” Ellis. He was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in computer science and the first African-American to be elected a Fellow of the ACM. Among his many contributions to computing, Ellis is most well-known for his pioneering work in groupware and CSCW systems.  His accomplishments include leading the development of OfficeTalk, the first office system to use icons, and Ethernet to allow people to collaborate from a distance.

The Skip Ellis Early Career Award will be given to a person who identifies as a member of a group underrepresented in computing (African-American, Latinx, Native American/First Peoples, and/or people with disabilities), who has made significant research contributions in computer science and/or engineering and has also contributed to the profession, especially in outreach to underrepresented demographics. The award will recognize individuals in academia and industrial/government labs who combine excellence in their research accomplishments with a positive and significant impact advancing equal opportunity in the computing research community.  This award is focused on underrepresented researchers that are relatively early in their careers (at most 8 years post-Ph.D.).   

Detailed information about the award and nomination submission can be found on the Skip Ellis Early Career Award webpage.

 

Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates: Catching up with DREU Alumna Olivia Figueira


When did you participate in DREU and what was your project about?
I participated in a DREU program in the summer of 2019 at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. I worked with Dr. Jennifer Mankoff in her Make4All lab on a project aimed at finding the contribution of correlated stressors on mental health in college students.

How did DREU shape your research career?
DREU has shaped my research career in that it was my first official research experience and I really enjoyed it! I have had the goal of going to graduate school for a while, but I did not have any research experience off which I could base that goal. But after DREU, I feel even more excited and passionate to go to graduate school than ever before. It gave me a very unique view of the graduate school experience since I worked closely with a doctoral student in the lab, and I learned so much about conducting research at the graduate level. DREU allowed me to picture what graduate school could look like for me, and I am really excited about that prospect.

What advice would you have for DREU mentors and DREU student participants?
The best piece of advice I received during my DREU program was during a meet-and-greet lunch for undergraduate interns, graduate students, and visiting research interns in the computer science and engineering school that was held in my first week at UW. The graduate students were participating in a panel, and one of them, in response to the question “What do you wish you had known before you started your Ph.D.?”, said that they wished they knew that it was okay to not have all the answers and to ask questions, especially questions that they think are “dumb.” This really resonated with me as I felt somewhat unprepared having had no prior research experience, but I embraced that piece of advice and asked questions immediately when I had doubts, even if I felt like they were “dumb” questions, because clearly no one there is “dumb”! It really enhanced my experience since I was able to understand the project better and learn more from my mentor and the other students on my team. On the mentor side of things, I would advise them to tell their DREU students this advice! It helps the DREU student feel like they are in a safe environment and that learning (and making mistakes) is okay. This enhanced my DREU experience, and I hope other DREU students and mentors do the same!

Click here to learn more!

Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates: Catching up with DREU Alumna Sarah Ita Levitan


When did you participate in DREU and what was your project about?
I participated in DREU in the summer of 2012, before my senior year of college.  I worked at the Columbia Speech Lab under the guidance of Dr. Julia Hirschberg. My project involved studying entrainment patterns in US Supreme Court oral arguments.  Entrainment is the phenomenon where people tend to become similar to their dialogue partner in conversation by adopting characteristics of their partner’s speech.  I worked on cleaning noisy Supreme Court audio recordings and measuring and analyzing entrainment on acoustic-prosodic features (such as pitch and loudness) between lawyers and justices.  We found that lawyers entrained more than justices, supporting the theory that the less dominant speaker is more likely to entrain to the more dominant speaker. 

How did DREU shape your research career?
My DREU experience had a major impact on my career path. Spending a summer immersed in research in a large university lab, surrounded by people working on exciting projects in natural language and speech processing, solidified my interest in getting a PhD in computer science and pursuing a research career.  I returned to the Speech Lab the following summer, and ultimately joined the Speech Lab at Columbia as a PhD student, with my DREU mentor as my PhD advisor.  I feel privileged to have had such a wise and dedicated advisor, whose enthusiasm for research is contagious, and whose commitment to helping her students is extraordinary. She is passionate about encouraging women in CS and continues to mentor DREU students during the summer. Under her guidance, I have mentored some excellent DREU students. 

What advice would you have for DREU mentors and DREU student participants?
The DREU program is more than an internship where a student completes a research project — it should be a mentoring relationship as well. For mentors, it is important to take the time to get to know your DREU student.  Meetings should not just be about the project details — ask your student about their plans for after graduation and offer  guidance and support.  For students, take advantage of this rare opportunity to be  mentored.  Communicate as much as possible with your mentor, and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you need help.  And enjoy the experience — it will fly by!

Click here to read more!

CRA-WP Co-Chair Andrea Danyluk Named Distinguished Member of ACM


Recently, ACM named 62 Distinguished Members for outstanding contributions to the field. Several from the CRA-WP community were recognized for outstanding educational contributions to computing, including CRA Board Member and CRA-WP Co-Chair Andrea Danyluk. Congratulations to all!

Valerie B. Barr
Mount Holyoke College

Andrea Danyluk
Williams College

Manuel A. Pérez Quiñones
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 

Jodi L. Tims
Northeastern University

Danyluk became CRA-WP Co-Chair in October 2019, replacing Julia Hirschberg. She is the Mary A. and William Wirt Warren Professor of Computer Science at Williams College. She is a member of the ACM Education Board, the ACM Education Advisory Committee, and is co-chair of the ACM Data Science Task Force. She joined the Computing Research Association’s Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W) in 2008. She is the co-chair of CRA-WP.

Check out the Latest Videos on the Grad Cohort Experience


At the 2019 Grad Cohort for Women Workshop, more than 400 graduate students spent two days building both professional and support networks, while also attending sessions on how to succeed in graduate school. In three new videos, students, speakers, and sponsor representatives share their thoughts on the program’s impact.
Interested in applying to the workshop? Share these videos with potential attendees:

Participants find the workshop provides a welcoming environment which creates a sense of belonging. At Grad Cohort, attendees build confidence and connect with others going through similar experiences. The applications for both workshops are now open.

Interested in sponsorship? Check out the video on sponsorship of both workshops.

Deadline November 15 for Graduate Cohort Workshops 2020


CRA-WP will host two Graduate Cohort Workshops in 2020. The Grad Cohort Workshop for URMD is designed specifically for underrepresented minorities in computing and persons with disabilities in graduate school in computing fields. The Grad Cohort Workshop for Women is designed for women students in their first, second, or third year of graduate school in computing fields. The workshops will include a mix of formal presentations, informal discussions and social events. By attending Grad Cohort, participants will be able to build mentoring relationships and develop peer networks that are intended to form the basis for ongoing activities during their graduate career and beyond. Both applications are now open and will close on November 15.

CRA-WP Co-chair Margaret Martonosi Selected to Run NSF CISE


National Science Foundation Director France Córdova today named former CRA board member, current CRA-WP co-Chair, and current Princeton Computer Science professor Margaret Martonosi as the next head of the Computer and Information Science and Engineering directorate at NSF. Martonosi will assume the role of Assistant Director, CISE on February 1, 2020. 

A Broader Case for Diversity and Inclusion: CRA-Women Transitioning to CRA-Widening Participation


By the CRA Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research 

It is with great excitement that we share with our friends, colleagues, and broader computing community that CRA Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W) is now officially CRA Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research (CRA-WP). CRA-W was established in 1991 with the mission of increasing the success and participation of women in Computing Research. Since that time, we have organized numerous programs at various levels to engage, encourage, and sustain women in computing. In 2004, CRA-W first partnered with the Coalition to Diversify Computing (CDC) to engage and increase the participation of individuals from additional underrepresented groups in computing. In 2008, this partnership became a BPC Alliance, further expanding and strengthening our outreach and programmatic efforts. Over the past decade, our programs have quite naturally shifted from being initially women-only or women-focused, to being increasingly co-ed, with a mission of serving a wide range of constituencies. This natural progression towards broadening our scope to address all forms of underrepresentation in computing continues to motivate and drive our extremely dedicated board of volunteers.

Learn More About Grad Cohort URMD: Check Out Our Latest Videos


CRA recently published two videos on the 2019 Grad Cohort for URMD – one targeted at sponsors and the other targeted at potential attendees. In both videos, students, speakers, sponsor representatives, and CRA Director of Programs Erik Russell share their experiences, the impact it has and the benefits it delivers to sponsors.

Grad Cohort Workshop Replicated Internationally


Over the past few years, in collaboration with ACM, CRA-W invited international observers to attend CRA-W’s Graduate Cohort Workshops, with the goal of creating similar events in their home countries. The representatives experienced first-hand how the event is structured and the impact it has on students. We are excited to share that this has resulted in several international versions of the Grad Cohort program based on the CRA-W model:

While each event is unique to the host country, all follow the two-day structure and give students the opportunity to learn from senior professionals. While CRA-W’s Grad Cohort is only open to graduate students in the US and Canada, these events give students around the world the chance to build communities of women in computing.

2019-2020 ACSA/CRA-W Scholarships for Women Studying Information Security Scholars Announced


CRA-W is happy to announce the recipients of the 2019-2020 ACSA/CRA-W Scholarships for Women Studying Information Security (SWSIS) scholarship. SWSIS is a partnership of Applied Computer Security Associates (ACSA) and CRA-W. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide assistance to women at the formative stages of their careers in these fields. Its long-term goal is to contribute to increasing the representation of women in the information security workforce.  ACSA founded the SWSIS scholarship program in 2011 and joined forces with CRA-W in 2014 to lead the selection process.

Expanding the Pipeline: The Second Annual CRA Grad Cohort for URMD Supports a Diverse Computing Research Community


On March 22-23, CRA hosted the second annual Graduate Cohort for Underrepresented Minorities and Persons with Disabilities (URMD Grad Cohort) in picturesque Waikoloa Village, Hawaii. The location provided beautiful scenery as students spent two days learning how to succeed in graduate school and networked with a diverse group of peers and senior researchers.

CRA Launches BPCnet.org: A Resource Portal for Broadening Participation in Computing Efforts


In partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Center for Women in Information Technology (NCWIT), CRA announces an initial launch of BPCnet.org, a resource portal designed to amplify the NSF CISE Directorate’s efforts in broadening participation in computing (BPC). CRA anticipates that BPCnet.org will provide a much-needed clearinghouse for the community to learn about and engage with ongoing projects to diversify computing.

CRA-W Welcomes New Board Member Meredith Ringel Morris


Meredith Ringel Morris recently joined the CRA-W board of directors. Morris is a principal researcher and research manager at Microsoft Research; she is also an affiliate professor at the University of Washington. Morris leads Microsoft Research’s Ability team, which conducts research in HCI and AI with the goal of developing innovative technologies that extend the capabilities of and enhance quality of life for people with disabilities.

CRA-W Board Member Maria Gini Receives 2019 CRA A. Nico Habermann Award


CRA recently selected CRA-W board member Maria Gini as the recipient of the 2019 A. Nico Habermann Award. The award is given to a person who has made outstanding contributions aimed at increasing the numbers and/or successes of underrepresented members in the computing research community.

She is deeply committed to diversity and possesses the combination of generous spirit, organizational skill, and boundless energy to carry out that commitment. Gini has created and run programs for women and minority men high school students, and co-directed the CRA-W Distributed REU (DREU) program for many years. She currently co-directs CRA-W’s Grad Cohort for Women program, and regularly organizes and mentoring programs at AI and robotics conferences.

Gini has had a tremendous, positive impact on countless individuals as well as on the computer science community. Her efforts in these programs have directly resulted in hundreds of students choosing to pursue research careers.

Applications Open for the 2019 CRA-W Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) Research Scholars Program: Due April 5


Applications are now open for the 2019 CRA-W Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) Research Scholars Program. This program provides guidance to undergraduate women on how to navigate the vast offerings at the GHC conference and opportunities to meet and interact with students and mentors with similar interests in small-group settings. The program will include gatherings on the first and last days of the conference, as well as research-focused activities that all Research Scholars will be required to attend. To learn more, visit the CRA-W GHC Research Scholars Program webpage.

The application deadline is April 5, 2019. Click here to submit an application.

Nature Article Shares How Some Men are Challenging Gender Inequity in Science


Nature recently published an article called, “How Some Men are Challenging Gender Inequity in the Lab: Offering support to female colleagues can trigger a culture change that makes science and engineering more equitable for all.” The article begins with comments from Juan Gilbert, chair of the Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering at the University of Florida. Gilbert urges others to call out the realities of bias. He encourages individuals to address negative behaviors and actively seek diverse applicant pools in faculty search committees. Gilbert has mentored numerous students in CRA-W programs and received CRA’s A. Nico Habermann Award last year.

Click here to read the full article.

2019 CRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award Winners


Congratulations to the recipients of the 2019 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award. This year’s nominees are a very impressive group. A number of them were commended for making significant contributions to more than one research project, several are authors or coauthors on multiple papers, others have made presentations at major conferences, and some have produced software artifacts that are in widespread use.

CRA gratefully acknowledges the support of Microsoft Research and Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs which sponsor the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award program in alternate years. Microsoft Research is the sponsor of this year’s award.

Finishing Your PhD or Postdoc? Submit Your CV for Academic and Industrial/Government Laboratory Positions


CRA encourages postdocs and finishing PhD students looking for academic or industrial/government laboratory research positions to post their applications in this new service before the academic recruiting season begins. Candidates for these positions can upload their resumes, research and teaching statements, job objectives and other preferences, and a link to a presentation video. Recruiting officers with access are able to search this information and are encouraged to contact candidates.

CACM Blog Post: Broadening Participation in Computing is Easier Than You Think


By Mary Hall, Richard Ladner, Diane Levitt, and Manuel Pérez-Quiñones

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) recently introduced new requirements for the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate programs, whereby some funded projects must include a Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plan. To facilitate this transition, the Computing Research Association (CRA) is launching a resource portal called BPCnet which is being funded by NSF to connect organizations that provide BPC programs with computing departments and NSF grant proposers. These changes reflect a recognition that any significant impact on the diversity of the field will benefit greatly from engaging the entire academic computing research community. Many universities will respond by expanding their broadening participation efforts to include students from groups who are underrepresented in computing, including women, underrepresented minorities, and students with disabilities (URMD). This article lists 10 small steps that departments can do toward this goal.   

CRA-W Board Member Named 2018 ACM Fellow


The ACM recently named 56 of its members as ACM Fellows for transformative contributions and advancing technology in the digital age. The Fellows were honored for significant contributions in areas including computer architecture, mobile networks, robotics, and systems security. CRA-W Board Member Sandhya Dwarkadas was among those honored “For contributions to shared memory and reconfigurability.”

Forbes America’s Top 50 Women in Tech List


Ayanna Howard and Maria Klawe were recently recognized on Forbes America’s Top 50 Women in Tech List. The Top 50 Women In Tech is an unranked assessment of technologists in five categories: Moguls, Founders, Innovators, Engineers and Warriors. The list showcases the breadth and depth of entrepreneurial women who are changing the world.

Ayanna Howard is a CRA and CRA-W Board Member from Georgia Tech. Maria Klawe is a former CRA Board Member and a CRA-W Founder from Harvey Mudd College.

View the full list at: https://www.forbes.com/top-tech-women-america/list/.

Register for the Next Virtual Undergrad Town Hall: Optimizing in a Strategic World – An Invitation to Algorithmic Game Theory on November 15


Speaker: Anna Karlin

Research Presentation: Optimizing in a Strategic World: An Invitation to Algorithmic Game Theory
The boundary between computer science, game theory and economics is teeming with activity. One of the most exciting topics at this intersection is “incentive engineering”: the design of protocols so that rational participants, motivated solely by their self-interest, will end up achieving the designer’s goal. In other words: algorithm design with incentives.

Mentor Presentation: What Does a Good Grad School Application Look Like?
Anna Karlin’s talk will include tips on how to write your essay and how to get great recommendations.

Post-Discussion Chat: Join Anna Karlin & Sheila Castaneda for a chat to continue the discussion about finding your place, meet fellow students, and share your experiences.

Join us November 15th at 5:00pm ET

New Resource Available: CRA-W Resources on Sexual Harassment


Members of the CRA-W Board of Directors have curated a page of resources concerning sexual harassment. The purpose of this resource is to inform our community about resources, policies and best practices related to the handling of sexual harassment and sexual violence. There is information on reporting sexual harassment (Title IX), highlights from the National Academies report, advice for conference organizers, computer science community responses, best practices for bystanders and more.

Feel free to share this resource with others.

Applications Open for 2019 CRA URMD Grad Cohort Workshop: November 15 Deadline


Are you?

• An underrepresented minority and/or a person with a disability who is in graduate school studying computer science or computer engineering
• Interested in interacting with successful leaders in your field who can give you advice on topics such as:

– How to find and develop your research topic
– How to prepare for your career after grad school
– How to overcome cultural barriers that make pursuing an advanced degree in computing more challenging

Apply to attend the 2019 CRA URMD Grad Cohort at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii on March 22-23, 2019!

Participants Reflect on the 2018 CRA URMD Grad Cohort in Short Video


Listen to what participants have to say about the inaugural CRA Graduate Cohort for Underrepresented Minorities and Persons with Disabilities (URMD Grad Cohort) in this recently released video.

The upcoming CRA URMD Grad Cohort will be held at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii on March 22-23, 2019. In addition, next year’s CRA-W Grad Cohort for Women will be held at the Hilton Chicago on April 12-13, 2019.

Both applications will open in early October.

CRA-W at ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing: September 19-22


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. If you’re attending the event, come visit the CRA-W booth in the exhibit hall. Additionally, CRA-W Board Member Ayanna Howard has been honored with the 2018 Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award for Scientific Scholarship, Civic Science and Diversifying Computing and will receive the award at Tapia.

Check Out Our Next DSW: SIAM CSE19 Broader Engagement Program – February 25-March 1, 2019


CRA-W is proud to sponsor the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) 2019 Computational Science and Engineering (CSE19) conference Broader Engagement (BE) program hosted in Spokane Washington via the Discipline Specific Workshops (DSW) program. Through the SIAM community and activities we aim to assist in providing a rich scientific program, mentoring, and career and professional development to students from underrepresented and underprivileged backgrounds who aspire to broaden their experience in research-based professional activities.

Help fund your next workshop! Discipline Specific Workshops provide career mentoring and networking opportunities in the context of a specific research area. Apply to host a DSW today!

Register for the Next Virtual Undergrad Town Hall: Big Messy Data – Looking for the Signal in Noisy and Biased Data on October 4


Speaker: Alexandra Mileou

Research Presentation: Big Messy Data: Looking for the Signal in Noisy and Biased Data
Data is not only vast, but it is often imperfect, conflicting, and untrustworthy, leading to flawed analyses and results that can be misleading. This presentation will highlight the impact of imperfect data on our society and discuss tools that derive diagnoses for data errors and tools for detecting biases in data-driven processes.

Mentor Presentation: How to Fail!  (A Guide to Anticipating and Overcoming Failures)
Failures are inevitable and happen to everyone.  This presentation will discuss personal experiences and will offer reflections on navigating various types of failures from the perspectives of research, graduate school, and academia in general.  Our ultimate goal is to embrace our failures, learn to expect them, accept them, and transform them into opportunities for growth.

Join us October 4th at 5:00pm ET
Register Today

iAAMCS Releases Guidelines for Successfully Mentoring Black/African-American Computing Sciences Doctoral Students


These guidelines were established to articulate successful strategies for mentoring African-American doctoral students in Computing Sciences (CS). iAAMCS defines “student mentoring” as the process of supporting, encouraging and guiding students’ academic and social progress with the goal of facilitating career and personal development. Grounded in project-based results and similar empirical research, the following guidelines emerged: (1) recruit strategically, (2) establish community, (3) foster a research culture, (4) provide holistic advising, (5) provide funding and (6) promote professional development. iAAMCS hopes that institutions, departments and faculty use these guidelines to bolster the participation of African-American students pursuing doctoral degrees in CS.

Although the iAAMCS Guidelines serve as best practices for mentoring African-American students in computing, these strategies are useful for optimal mentoring all students.

Click here to download a pdf of the guidelines.

Nominations Open for CRA Distinguished Service and A. Nico Habermann Awards: Due December 7


The CRA Distinguished Service Award is presented to a person or multiple people who have made an outstanding service contribution to the computing research community. The CRA A. Nico Habermann Award is presented to a person or multiple people who have made outstanding contributions aimed at increasing the numbers and/or successes of underrepresented groups in the computing research community.

CRA-W Welcomes Alejandra Guzman


CRA has recently hired Alejandra Guzman as a program associate. In this role, Alejandra supports CRA and CRA-W program activities with meeting planning, workshops, outreach activities, and committee support.

Alejandra graduated from Brown University in 2015 with an Education Studies degree. During her undergraduate career, she was deeply involved with student organizations that supported underrepresented student communities such as first-gen, low income, etc.

She has continued that work in her professional career as she supports disenfranchised students, particularly in STEM fields. Before joining CRA, Alejandra promoted computer science learning through Code Success, a Google-sponsored program at the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), which focused on enhancing NSBE members’ CS technical skills as well as professional skills to ensure they were job ready upon graduation. In her free time, Alejandra enjoys spending time with her family, reading, running and playing with her cat.

Congratulations to Ayanna Howard – 2018 Richard Tapia Award Winner


CRA and CRA-W Board Member Ayanna Howard was recently named the recipient of the 2018 Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award for Scientific Scholarship, Civic Science and Diversifying Computing from the Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in Information Technology (CMD-IT). The Richard A. Tapia Award is awarded annually to an individual who demonstrates significant research leadership and strong commitment and contributions to diversifying computing.

Register for the Next Virtual Undergrad Town Hall – Exploring NLP Techniques to Help Build Medical Decision Support Systems: July 26


Speaker: Sanjana Sahayaraj

Research Presentation: Exploring NLP Techniques to Help Build Medical Decision Support Systems

Natural Language Processing research is intense. But there’s still a lot of gaps that need to be filled and automated techniques that need to be developed when it comes to processing textual data generated during medical treatments. Examples of such documents are discharge summaries, pathological reports, etc., and we still need to develop robust techniques to extract useful information from these documents to arrive at useful answers and insights. These insights can in turn help doctors plan their course of action and make decisions.

Join us July 26th at 5:00pm ET

Meet Your 2018 BECA Winners – Yejin Choi and Reetuparna Das


CRA-W recently announced two recipients of the 2018 Borg Early Career Award (BECA) – Reetuparna Das and Yejin Choi. he award honors the late Anita Borg, who was an early member of CRA-W, and is inspired by her commitment to increasing the participation of women in computing research. The annual award is given to women in computer science and/or engineering who have made significant research contributions and contributed to the profession, especially in the outreach to women. Learn more about the 2018 recipients in this article.

Breaking Another Glass Ceiling: Susan Eggers Receives 2018 ACM-IEEE-CS Eckert-Mauchly Award


Susan Eggers recently received the 2018 ACM-IEEE-CS Eckert-Mauchly Award, “for outstanding contributions to simultaneous multithreaded processor architectures and multiprocessor sharing and coherency.” This is a significant milestone in computer architecture because she is the first woman to receive the award in its 39-year history.

Eggars accepted the award at the ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Computer Architecture (ISCA) and delivered a moving acceptance speech. She has also inspired several women to stay in the field and served as a mentor at many CRA-W Career Mentoring Workshops.

2018-2019 Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security (SWSIS) Scholars Announced


The Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security Program (SWSIS) recently announced its 2018 Scholars with the support of Applied Computer Security Associates (ACSA), the Computing Research Association’s Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W), Google, SANS, and Symantec. Thirteen women were selected to be the 2018-2019 SWSIS scholars. SWSIS scholarships support collegiate […]

CRA-W Sends Distinguished Lecturer to MINK-WIC


The Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) is designed to encourage women and minority undergraduates to pursue graduate education in computer science and engineering and to increase the visibility of distinguished women and minority researchers from academia and industrial or government research labs. It began as a CRA-W program in 2000 with funding from Lucent and is now […]

DREU 2017 Photo Competition – Winner Announced


Congratulations to the DREU 2018 Photo Competition Winners ! Mariko Kamiya was the DREU 2018 Photo Competition Winner. Mariko of Swarthmore College participated in the CRA-W DREU program under the mentorship of Debaleena Chatttopadhyay at the University of Illinois, Chicago.  Mariko worked with Dr. Chattopadhyay and a team of student researchers, including fellow DREU participant Taylor Day, […]

Applications Open for the 2018 Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates


Are you interested in exploring research in computer science? Check out the CRA-W Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU) program. The DREU program matches students with faculty mentors for summer research experiences at the faculty mentor’s home institution. DREU interns are directly involved in a research project with graduate students and professors. Applications are currently open for both students and mentors. […]

CRA Launches New URM Grad Cohort Workshop – Apply Today!


The Computing Research Association is pleased to announce a new iteration of the Graduate Cohort Workshop designed specifically for underrepresented minorities (URM) in computing and persons with disabilities. Applications are now open for the inaugural CRA URM Graduate Cohort Workshop, which will be held March 16-17, 2018 in San Diego, CA.

Grace Hopper Research Scholars Applications Open!


The GHC Research Scholars program brings undergraduate women to the annual Grace Hopper Celebration. The purpose of this program is to provide attendees an unique experience, providing them a mentor, networking opportunities, and advising. The program will utilize the  availability of role models  and existing programming at the Grace Hopper Celebration, while simultaneously providing guidance  to research-interested […]

2017 BECA Winner Announced – Lydia Tapia


CRA-Women proudly announces Lydia Tapia as this year’s Borg Early Career Award Winner. Tapia is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of New Mexico, was recently named the recipient of the 2017 CRA-W Borg Early Career Award (BECA). The award honors Anita Borg, who was an early member of CRA-W, […]

2017 Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security Award Recipients Announced


The Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security Program (SWSIS) recently announced its 2017 Scholars with the support of Applied Computer Security Associates (ACSA), the Computing Research Association’s Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Symantec. The 2017-18 Scholars include 15 new recipients and 4 continuing recipients. SWSIS scholarships supported […]

Fresh off the Press…Winter/Spring 2017 Newsletter!


The Winter/Spring 2017 Newsletter is now available! Take a break from work, your busy schedule, or studying and catch up on your CRA-Women news. This issue includes: Highlight Interview with Alum Lana Yarosh A summary of the activities that occurred at the recent Grace Hopper Celebration An interview with Lori Clarke, emerita professor in the College of […]

Borg Early Career Award Call for Nominations


CRA-Women invites nominations for the 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. This annual award is given to an individual who has: made significant research contributions, had positive and significant impact on advancing women and diversity in the computing research […]

Upcoming Career Mentoring Workshops!


Upcoming early career mentoring workshops for the Education track at SIGCSE 2017 on March 8th 2017. When you attend the Early Career Mentoring Workshop, you will learn how to: be an effective and inspiring teacher, set yourself up for promotion and success, and balance work and life. You can find more information about this event […]

Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates Applications Open


Are you interested in exploring research in computer science? Check out the CRA-W Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU) program. The DREU program matches students with faculty mentors for summer research experiences at the faculty mentor’s home institution. DREU interns are directly involved in a research project with graduate students and professors. Applications are currently open for both students and mentors; Apply […]

Fresh off the Press…Summer/Fall 2016 Newsletter!


The Summer/Fall 2016 Newsletter is now available! Take a break from work, your busy schedule, or studying and catch up on your CRA-Women news. This issue includes: An interview with highlighted Madeline Smith A summary of the activities that occurred at the past DSW Robot Guru 2 An interview with Sandhya Dwarkadas, the Computer Science Department […]

DREU 2016 Photo Competition – Winner Announced


Congratulations to Anthony Enem! Predicting Ligand Binding Sites with UOBPRM and Machine Learning Anthony Enem participated in the CRA-W/CDC DREU program under the mentorship of Nancy M. Amato at Texas A&M. Anthony worked on a team with postdoc researcher Shawna Thomas, Ph.D. student Diane Uwacu and high school student Benjamin Porter. Their project abstract: Many […]

New Program: CRA-W GHC Research Scholars


CRA-W is proud to announce their new program, the CRA-W GHC Research Scholars Program. The GHC Research Scholars program brings undergraduate women to the annual Grace Hopper Celebration. The purpose of this program is to provide attendees an unique experience, providing them a mentor, networking opportunities, and advising. The program will utilize the  availability of role models  […]

Early and Mid Career Mentoring Workshop Application Open


Apply today to attend the early or mid career mentoring workshops on November 19-20th in Washington, D.C. Deadline: September 16th 2016 Early Career Mentoring Workshops: (Labs and Research) The goal of these workshops is to bring junior researchers and educators together with women already established in their fields. The established professionals provide practical information, advice, and […]

2016 BECA Winners – Martha Kim & Hanna Wallach


CRA-Women proudly announces Martha Kim and Hanna Wallach as this year’s 2016 Borg Early Career Award Winners.  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 science and/or engineering […]

2016 Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security Scholars Announced


Hewlett Packard Enterprise Continues Dedication to Diversity in IT Security Education HPE, Applied Computer Security Associates and CRA-W Award Third Annual Recipients of Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE), in collaboration with Applied Computer Security Associates (ACSA) and the Computing Research Association’s Committee on the Status of Women in Computing […]

CRA-Women Celebrates Women’s History Month


By Melissa Borts, CRA Program Associate As CRA-W celebrates Women’s History Month, we decided to highlight a CRA-W board member who is a leader in the field of compilers and computer architecture – Kathryn McKinley. As both an academic (University of Texas at Austin) and industry employee (Microsoft), Kathryn has had the opportunity to broaden […]

Register for the 2016 CISE CAREER Workshop Outreach


The NSF Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) will host a one-day workshop on CAREER Proposal Writing on April 4, 2016. This workshop will be held at the Westin Arlington. The goal of this workshop is to introduce junior CAREER-eligible faculty to the NSF CAREER program and help them to prepare their CAREER […]

Last day to apply to host the next 2016 Discipline Specific Workshops


Apply to host a Discipline Specific Workshop before the January 4th deadline!  Discipline Specific Workshops provide career mentoring and networking opportunities in the context of a specific research area. The workshops include coverage of technical topics such as important recent results and future related research directions. These workshops can be co-located with conferences in the sub-field […]

Fresh off the Press…Summer/Fall 2015 Newsletter!


The Summer/Fall 2015 Newsletter is now available! Take a break from work, your busy schedule, or studying and catch up on your CRA-Women news. This issue includes: An interview with highlighted Alum Sarah Ita Levitan Information on our NEW program the “Virtual Undergraduate Town Hall Series“ An interview with Dilma Da Silva, the Department Head […]

Register to Participate in the 1st Virtual Undergraduate Town Hall


CRA-Women is proud to announce a NEW program, the Virtual Undergraduate Town Hall Series.  During the Virtual Undergraduate Town Hall Event, you will join students from around the world in a virtual mentoring event where you will learn about cutting edge research in the field of computing, and how you can get involved with undergraduate research. […]

Apply before 9/11 to attend the Biomedical Data Science Workshop at SHILAC’15


The Biomedical Data Science Workshop (BMDSW) is a two day event for underrepresented undergraduates, graduates, and post-doctorate researchers from the US and its territories sponsored by CRA-W and the Coalition for Diversifying Computing (CDC). Biomedical Data Science is focused on interdisciplinary computational research in fields such as Biology, Neuroscience, Medicine, and Health where data sets have grown so large […]

Announcing the 2015 GHC ABIE Award Winners (CRA-W Alumni)


Originally posted on MarketWired PALO ALTO, CA The Anita Borg Institute, a non-profit organization focused on the advancement of women in computing, announces the winners of the 2015 Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) ABIE Awards. Each year, the GHC ABIE Awards recognize female leaders in the categories of technical leadership, social impact, innovative teaching practices, emerging […]

DREU 2015 Photo Competition – Winner Announced


Congratulations to Morgan Buford!   Pervasive Systems for Elder Care at The University of Alabama Morgan Buford, Valarie Sheffey, and Omar White worked as a team this summer during their DREU Experience to design a voice-activated home automation app to work with Cortana on a Windows phone. The purpose of the project was to assist […]

Nominations Open for 2016 CRA Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Researchers


The Computing Research Association is pleased to announce the annual CRA Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Researchers, which recognizes undergraduate students in North American colleges and universities who show outstanding research potential in an area of computing research. The award is a terrific way to recognize your best student researchers and your department. Eligible nominees are […]

Learn about Graduate Studies in CSE Workshop – Apply by 9/11


Students from all institutions are invited to apply to attend this one-day workshop at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor on October 17, 2015. Participants will learn about the graduate school application process and the opportunities that exist for those who pursue graduate work in this impactful discipline. The workshop will include research highlights from […]

The Society of Women Engineers Announces Annual Award Winners


Original Article Posted on Market Wired By: Jenny Jaacks The world’s largest advocate for women in engineering and technology announced today the recipients of its annual awards program, an honorable acknowledgment of achievers and leaders within engineering. The annual initiative aims to recognize the successes of SWE members and individuals who enhance the engineering profession […]

2015 BECA – Natalie Enright Jerger


CRA-Women proudly announces Natalie Enright Jerger as this year’s 2015 Borg Early Career Award Winner.  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 science and/or engineering […]

Application Deadline for DREU Summer 2016: February 15


Don’t miss the Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates Summer Program Deadline – February 15! The Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates program is a highly selective program that matches promising undergraduate women and underrepresented groups with a faculty mentor for a summer research experience at the faculty mentor’s home institution. The object of the DREU program is to […]

Discipline Specific Workshops – Call for Proposals


CRA-W and CDC are looking for individuals to host discipline-specific mentoring workshops. The goal of these discipline-specific mentoring workshops is to increase participation of members of underrepresented groups within a specific computer science research area. Our vision is that we will offer seed funding for workshops that will later be sustained by the community. Don’t wait, start […]

Borg Early Career Award (BECA) Shared by A.J. Brush and Radhika Nagpal


Originally Printed in the Summer/Fall 2010 Newsletter The Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W) is pleased to announce that the recipients of the 2010 Borg Early Career Award are A.J. Bernheim Brush, a researcher at Microsoft Research and Radhika Nagpal, an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University. The award […]

Chandra Krintz Awarded Anita Borg Early Career Award


Originally Printed in the Summer/Fall 2008 Newsletter CRA-W presented the 2008 Borg Early Career Award to Chandra Krintz, Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). 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 […]