CRA Update: February 2025 Board Meeting Highlights

By Matt Hazenbush, Director of Communications

On February 20-21, 2025, the Computing Research Association (CRA) held its semiannual Board of Directors Meeting at the Westin Washington, D.C. City Center. The meeting provided an important opportunity for Board members, CRA staff, society leaders, and distinguished guests to discuss key issues facing the computing research community and CRA’s strategic response.

CRA Leadership Summit

Preceding the board meeting, CRA held its annual CRA Leadership Summit, gathering senior leaders from five of CRA’s six affiliate societies (AAAI, ACM, IEEE-CS, SIAM, and USENIX), as well as the NRC’s Computer Science and Telecommunications Board. Summit discussions focused on pressing topics such as federal policy shifts, publication ethics, and the evolving identity of computing as a discipline. Many of the Leadership Summit attendees remained for the duration of the board meeting as well, enriching discussions and collaboration.

An opening reception provided Board attendees the opportunity to network with participants from the CRA Leadership Academy, fostering connections with emerging academic leaders in computing.

Chair’s Welcome and CEO Update

Board Chair Nancy Amato opened the meeting by welcoming attendees and introducing new CRA Board members: new society representatives from AAAI and ACM and recently elected CRA Deans Chair. In her remarks, Amato highlighted the evolving landscape for computing research, particularly given recent federal policy shifts. 

CRA Executive Director and CEO Tracy Camp then provided updates on ongoing initiatives, including progress with CRA’s new Career Center, fundraising for the CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshops, CCC collaboration with IEEE-CS, and the continued success of the UR2PhD program. Camp also emphasized ongoing efforts to enhance CRA’s communications and operational effectiveness.

To begin Board business, the Board approved the consent agenda, which included the July 2024 Board Meeting minutes and updates to the CRA Code of Conduct and Whistleblower Policy.

Government Affairs Update

Brian Mosley, Associate Director of Government Affairs, summarized recent developments from the first month of the Trump Administration’s return to office. Key points included major shifts in AI policy, federal budget uncertainty, and sweeping federal executive orders impacting funding, federal staffing, and diversity programs. 

Mosley highlighted CRA’s commitment to keeping the computing research community informed and engaged during this period.

Breakout Sessions: Critical Discussions

On Thursday evening, topics for Friday’s breakout sessions were introduced, providing context and key questions for Board discussion. Friday’s breakout sessions allowed Board members to discuss and provide input on three critical topics:

• Enrollment Pressures: Keith Marzullo (University of Maryland) and Samir Khuller (Northwestern University) led discussions on changing student enrollment dynamics, the demographic cliff, international student trends, changes in federal priorities, and potential impacts on graduate programs and faculty.
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA): Nancy Amato (UIUC) and Susan Rodger (Duke University) explored new directions for CRA’s programs with DEIA components, particularly in consideration of recent federal executive orders..
• Federal Funding Concerns: Alex Aiken (Stanford) and James Allan (UMass Amherst) facilitated a dialogue on advocacy priorities, specifically addressing potential reductions in research funding and F&A (facilities and administration) rates.

The breakout sessions generated valuable insights and strategic guidance for CRA’s future actions.

Governance Updates

Tracy Camp and Gene Spafford summarized recommendations from the CRA Working Group on Governance, highlighting proposed updates to CRA bylaws and governance processes. The Board agreed to provide feedback after the Board meeting, with final decisions expected in future meetings.

CRA Taulbee Survey and Data Collection

Katie Siek (Indiana University) shared the Survey Committee’s goals for improving the CRA Taulbee Survey. Plans include enhancing report formats, iterating survey content, and increasing survey participation. Board members contributed ideas for additional data to better inform community planning.

CRA Awards: Recognizing Community Leaders

The CRA Board selected recipients for its two most prestigious awards:

• CRA Distinguished Service Award: Carl Landwehr was recognized for his foundational contributions to cybersecurity research and national cybersecurity initiatives.
• CRA A. Nico Habermann Award: Lori Pollock was honored for her sustained commitment to broadening participation in computing research.

Additionally, CRA staff member Lauren Lashlee received the CRA Above and Beyond Award for exceptional fundraising efforts, particularly supporting the 2025 CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshops.

Board and Officer Elections

Results of the 2025 CRA Board of Directors election were announced, with terms beginning July 1, 2025:

Newly Elected Board Members:

• Carla Brodley, Northeastern University
• Mona Diab, Carnegie Mellon University
• Mark Hill, formerly Microsoft and University of Wisconsin-Madison

Reelected Board Members:

• Maria Gini, University of Minnesota
• Divesh Srivastava, AT&T
• Ben Zorn, Microsoft Research

The Board also elected new officers, who will begin their terms on July 1, 2025:

• Chair: James Allan, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Vice Chair: Mary Hall, University of Utah
• Secretary: Ran Libeskind-Hadas, Claremont McKenna College
• Treasurer: Ming Lin, University of Maryland

Acknowledging Exiting Board Members

Board members whose terms conclude at the end of June — Nancy Amato (UIUC), Lorrie Cranor (Carnegie Mellon), Gillian Hayes (UC Irvine), and Jaime Teevan (Microsoft) — shared reflections on their tenure, emphasizing CRA’s critical role in the computing community.

CRA extended special thanks to outgoing Board Chair Nancy Amato for her exceptional leadership, vision, and contributions. Amato’s tenure as Board Chair concludes June 30, 2025.

Looking Forward

The next CRA Board of Directors meeting will be held virtually in late May or early June 2025. Community members are encouraged to suggest agenda topics to continue shaping CRA’s future direction.