CRA’s Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research received one of two 2005 Public Service Awards presented by the National Science Board in recognition of CRA-W’s dedication “to increasing the number and success of women participating in Computer Science and Engineering research and education.” The board noted three CRA-W projects in particular:

Career Mentoring Workshops: which bring together junior women in academic careers with women already established in their fields to provide practical information and advice, as well as opportunities for networking and peer support.

Distributed Mentoring Project: which aims to increase the number of women entering graduate school, by matching outstanding female undergraduates with female mentors for a summer of research at the mentor’s institution.

Collaborative Research Experiences for Undergraduates: which aims to increase the numbers of women and minorities who continue on to graduate school, by providing positive research experiences for teams of undergraduates who work during the academic year at their home institutions.

Of course, this isn’t the first award for CRA-W. Last year, the committee was recognized by President George W. Bush as a winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. CRA-W is among the most energized, hardest-working committees of CRA, so it’s great to see them continue to earn plaudits for their efforts. Given the current situation, the effort is surely needed….