This article is published in the August 2024 issue.

Highlights of the 2024 CRA Board of Directors Meeting

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By Matt Hazenbush, Director of Communications 

On July 22-23, the Computing Research Association (CRA) held its semiannual Board of Directors Meeting at Cliff Lodge, Snowbird, Utah, just before the 2024 CRA Conference at Snowbird. The meeting featured thoughtful and productive discussions among CRA Board members, CRA staff, society leaders, and distinguished guests.

Welcome and Introductions

The meeting began with a welcome from CRA Board Chair Nancy Amato and introduction of new board members. The Chair’s remarks and an update from CRA Executive Director and CEO Tracy Camp set the stage for the meeting.

Executive Director and CEO Update

Camp provided several updates on CRA activities and accomplishments. She highlighted progress with the new CCC cooperative agreement and announced that CERP received a new NSF award for  its evaluation work and will take over the CRA Taulbee Survey. Camp also shared that CRA-I received its first sub-award and is working on new proposals. She celebrated the early success of CRA-E’s UR2PhD program, in collaboration with CRA-WP, which has already engaged more than 300 participants. Additionally, she discussed the modernization of the CRA job board, which aims to enhance the experience for both job posters and seekers. She also addressed planned improvements to our communications infrastructure through the implementation of an Association Management Software (AMS) platform.

Government Affairs Report

Following dinner, Brian Mosley, Associate Director of Government Affairs, delivered his Government Affairs report, covering key legislative and policy updates impacting computing research. The evening concluded with Board Members introducing the topics for the next morning’s breakout sessions, setting the stage for the engaging discussions to follow.

Key Discussions and Breakouts

The second day began with a review of CRA Board documents and updates on various collaborations and initiatives. The Board specifically discussed two recently published CRA Best Practice Reports: “Report on Minority Serving Institution Engagement in Computing Research“ and “Conference Submission and Review Policies to Foster Responsible Computing Research.” Additionally, a new best practices document, developed in collaboration between CRA and CCC, titled “Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Computing Research: Best Practices for Researchers,” was also highlighted.

The Board also reviewed plans for the development of the 2024 CRA Quadrennial Papers. These white papers, produced every four years for the U.S. government’s new administration, explore key areas and issues in computing research with the potential to address national priorities.

Board members then participated in breakout sessions covering three important topics:

  • Who CRA serves well and potential areas for improvement.
  • Encouraging responsible AI use in interdisciplinary research.
  • Enhancing CRA’s DEI efforts.

Committee Updates and Society Reports

Committee updates included the Career Mentoring Workshop (CMW), which expanded its scope with more federal agencies, added a teaching track, and increased attendee participation. The Governance Working Group is set to update bylaws and review board composition. The Socially Responsible Computing Working Group discussed new initiatives, while the New Chairs Workshop adopted a new all-day format. Additionally, discussions were held on expanding recruiter access to the CV Database, which saw a 50 percent increase in active CVs this year.

CRA Business and Awards

The CRA Board meeting also addressed CRA business, including thanking Snowbird organizers, approving February meeting minutes, and presenting the Treasurer’s Report.

The Service to CRA Award was presented to Peter Harsha, COO and Senior Director of Government Affairs, in recognition of more than 20 years of devoted service to CRA. Harsha’s service has included several tough assignments, such as Interim Executive Director and audit leader.

Notable “Above and Beyond” awards were given to CRA staff members Eniola Idowu for the UR2PhD evaluation launch, Janine Myszka for her leadership at Snowbird, and Jacob Wokenhauer for leading CRA’s adoption of Monday.com.

Looking Forward

The meeting concluded with discussions on unfinished business and new business topics, followed by a lunch with the New Chairs Workshop attendees.

We Want Your Input!

Do you have suggestions for agenda topics for our next Board Meeting? We want to hear them! Please share your thoughts via this Google Form.