Join CRA at the ACM Federated Computing Research Conference 2023

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The following was originally posted in CRA’s April Edition of the Computing Research News (CRN). 

CRA is planning several activities at the ACM Federated Computing Research Conference (FCRC) 2023 in June in Orlando, FL. FCRC assembles a spectrum of affiliated research conferences and workshops into a week-long, co-located, meeting. CRA will host a plenary panel session in honor of its 50th anniversary, a workshop on Computing Research in Industry, an information session on UR2PhD, a program that focuses on engaging more women in computer science PhD programs, and an academic careers workshop for graduate students and post-docs considering teaching-oriented faculty positions. Details on each of the activities are below:

CRA-I: Workshop on Computing Research in Industry
June 18th, 12:30-5:15pm

Companies are increasingly investing in computer science research to support their strategic goals. This workshop will not only look at what it means to do computing research in an industrial setting, but give examples of important areas (such as Artificial Intelligence) that are currently being prioritized. The key differences of doing research in an industrial setting compared with an academic setting will be discussed and ideas will be shared for how universities might best prepare their students for a career in industrial research.

This workshop is now open to the public; register here. If you are a student interested in attending CRA-I’s workshop, please contact Helen Wright (hwright@cra.org) regarding a complimentary registration. See the full agenda here. 

Plenary Panel: Reflecting on 50 Years of Computing Research, and Future Outlook
June 20th, 4:15-5:15pm

In recognition of CRA’s 50th anniversary last year, CRA Board Member Mary Hall will moderate a plenary panel reflecting on 50 years of computing research, with an eye toward the future.

Panelists confirmed so far are:

  • Hagit Attiya, Technion
  • Jack Dongarra, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 2021 Turing Award Winner
  • Mary Hall, University of Utah
  • Lizy Kurian John, University of Texas at Austin
  • Guy L. Steele Jr., Oracle Labs

Learn more about the featured panelists here.

UR2PhD Information Session: An undergraduate research to PhD national mentoring program
June 21st, 10-10:30 am

CRA will host a brief information session on UR2PhD (pronounced “you are 2 PhD”) to introduce the program, describe how departments–including graduate students/post-docs, undergraduate students, and faculty–can get involved, and answer questions. UR2PhD is a national, virtual program with the goal of vastly increasing the number of women engaging in CS research–from the undergraduate level to the PhD.  UR2PhD comprises three pillars: (1) early undergraduate research methods training and community, (2) research mentor training for graduate students and post-docs advising undergraduate researchers, and (3) a bridge program to support undergraduate students from their first research experience through their application to a PhD program.

The session will explain opportunities for participation. Information on how departments can apply to become institutional partners is now available. Institutional partners will work closely with the UR2PhD program leadership beginning in the Summer of 2023 to vastly expand the number of research opportunities for women and gender-marginalized undergraduates, including those from marginalized races and ethnicities, at their institutions. The session will also provide information on how individual students can apply to participate.

Learn more about UR2PhD here.

CRA-E: Teaching-Focused Academic Careers Workshop
June 21st, 5:30-9:30pm

Are you a graduate student or postdoc considering an academic career?
CRA-E is organizing a workshop to inform graduate students and postdocs about academic teaching career options.

Options are increasing for PhD recipients who want to pursue a career focused on undergraduate teaching. Most PhD-granting departments have introduced a teaching faculty track, often with academic rank, while many masters-granting and primarily undergraduate institutions are expanding their computer science departments. Teaching-focused faculty often pursue research in their primary technical area with undergraduates or conduct research on computer science education.

This workshop is intended for PhD students and postdocs who want to learn about academic career options with a focus on teaching and gain a better understanding of the landscape of academic positions. Experienced and successful academic leaders as well as junior faculty in different teaching-oriented positions will highlight how to best prepare for the different teaching positions and compare teaching-focused career paths.

Workshop sessions will focus on the responsibilities, benefits, challenges, and opportunities of different teaching-focused career paths, including information on what’s needed to be a competitive candidate. The workshop concludes with a networking reception where potential candidates can meet representatives from institutions with teaching focused positions.

Attending the workshop

To attend, you must register for the workshop as part of your FCRC registration AND complete the CRA-E workshop application. A box meal will be provided to registered participants.

Click here for more information and a tentative agenda.