February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 Archives

Published: February 2021, Issue: Vol. 33/No.2, Download as PDF

Archive of articles published in the February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 issue.

New NSF Fellowship Opportunity for CISE Bachelor’s Degree Holders to Return for PhD

In: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

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.

Help us share this opportunity!

CRANSF

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

In: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

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 mentoring program would be (1) to guide returning students through the application process towards a successful CS Ph.D. admission and school selection and (2) to mentor them through the transition to Ph.D. graduate study during the first year. The CSGrad4US Mentoring Program would include both a group mentoring component addressing general aspects of the graduate application process and an individual coaching component.

Interested in serving as a mentor or coach?
More information and a sign-up opportunity will be posted on CRA, CRA-E and CRA-WP websites in the spring. Click here to subscribe to updates.

CRANSF

Biden Names Science Team; Eric Lander as Science Advisor; Elevates Position to Cabinet-level

By: Peter Harsha, CRA Director of Government AffairsIn: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

President Joe Biden announced on January 15th his nomination of Dr. Eric Lander, biologist and former leader of the Human Genome Project, to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and serve as the Presidential Science Advisor. Biden also announced that he was designating the Presidential Science Advisor a cabinet level position for the first time in history, illustrating the importance the new administration will place on the guidance of science in policymaking. Also nominated as Deputy Director of OSTP was Dr. Alondra Nelson, who is the president of the Social Science Research Council and a distinguished scholar of science, technology, social inequality and race.

GovAffairs

2021 CRA Board of Directors Election Slate; Petition Nominees Sought

In: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

CRA is pleased to announce the 2021 Election Committee’s slate of nominees for the CRA Board. CRA also encourages nominations by petition, which are due by February 22.

CRA

Students With Disabilities Report Differing Feelings of Belonging in Computing than Their Peers

By: Evelyn Yarzebinski, CERP Senior Research AssociateIn: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

CERP analyzed the results of the 2019 Data Buddies Survey and discovered disparities in experiences of students with disabilities at the undergraduate, terminal master’s, and doctoral levels.

CERP

I2O PostDoc Fellowship: Deadline March 1

By: CCC StaffIn: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is broadening its commitment to young scientists through a new Information Innovation Office (I2O) PostDoc Fellowship Program focused on postdoctoral researchers in the field of computer science with grants sized to support each fellow for up to two years.

CCC

CCC Council Member Melanie Mitchell on if AI can Exist in Medicine Without Human Oversight

By: CCC StaffIn: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

Melanie Mitchell, Computing Community Consortium (CCC) Council member and Professor at the Santa Fe Institute and Portland State University was recently interviewed on the Medscape podcast, Medicine and the Machine in an episode titled ‘Can AI Exist in Medicine Without Human Oversight?”.

CCC

CCC Council Member Maria Gini Featured in University of Minnesota Article: Designing the Next Generation of Robots

By: CCC StaffIn: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

Computing Community Consortium (CCC) Council member and Distinguished Professor of the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, Maria Gini was recently featured in an article highlighting the work of U of M’s Minnesota Robotics Institute (MnRI).

CCC

Expanding the Pipeline – Minding the Gaps in the CS Pipeline: The MSCS Degree

By: Jan Cuny, Northeastern University, et al.In: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

Education presents a complex and confusing landscape. The traditional view of a CS education pipeline flowing from elementary through secondary, postsecondary, and graduate education is an oversimplification – one that may hinder our efforts to diversify computing. This simplification encourages a focus on educational efforts based on retention across stages and the traditional transitions between them, ignoring the fact that successful students may enter or re-enter CS education through a variety of nonstandard onramps.

CRA-WPExpanding the Pipeline

Changing the Face of Computer Science Video Campaign

In: February 2021, Vol. 33/No.2 /

Although computer science has become foundational to every industry and field of study, representation and participation in computer science is still far from balanced. Only 3% of Black students learn computer science in high school or university. Please watch and share this video broadly. Inspire or encourage a student to try computer science, and let them know they belong. Together we can change the face of computer science.

CRA

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