2022 STARS Schedule

2022 STARS Celebration of Broadening Participation in Computing

Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022

Marriott Marquis, Washington, D.C.

Meeting Level 1, Rooms Georgetown University and University of DC

Conference Program

8:00 AMRegistration & Badge Pickup
8:45 AM
Welcome & Opening SessionThe STARS Aligned: How Student & Faculty Leaders Can Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Computing
Jamie Payton & Tiffany Barnes
9:15 AM1: Engaging and Inclusive Approaches to Support K20 CS Education & Outreach
Richard Ladner, Kinnis Gosha, Jason Black, Felesia Stukes, Wanda Eugene
10:15 AMBreak
10:45 AM2A: Identity-Inclusive STARS Catalyst Initiatives
Manuel Pérez Quiñones and John Porter III
2B: Mindfulness in CS Outreach
Jontue Hill, Aaron Warrick, Akil Parker and Tya Barnes
11:30 AMLunch & Keynote:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Metaverse

Dr. Kyla McMullen
12:50 PM3A: Building Partnerships with and for STARS Alumni
Ebe Randeree and Faye Jones
3B: Getting to Your Finish Line:
Tips and Resources to Help You Meet Your Education and Career Goals

April Curley, Siobahn Day Grady, Jamie Payton
1:35 PM4A: STARS Inclusive Workforce Preparation
Edward Dillon and Kinnis Gosha
4B: Poster Session
2:25 PMBreak & Poster Session
3:00 PM5: STARS Data Collection, Evaluation, and Impact
Tom McKlin, Pascua Padró, Taneisha Lee Brown, Susan Fisk, Clarissa Thomspon, and Tiffany Barnes
3:35 AM6: STARS Leadership Corps:
How to Take Action to Broaden Participation in Computing

Jamie Payton and Tiffany Barnes
4:15 PM7: Student Awards & Closing

8:45am – 9:15am | University of DC

The STARS Aligned: How Student & Faculty Leaders Can Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Computing

Speaker: Dr. Jamie Payton | Temple University

Speaker: Dr. Tiffany Barnes | North Carolina State University

9:15am – 10:15am | University of DC

Engaging and Inclusive Approaches to Support K20 CS Education & Outreach

Speaker: Dr. Richard Ladner | University of Washington

Speaker: Dr. Kinnis Gosha | Morehouse College

Speaker: Dr. Jason Black| Florida A&M University

Speaker: Dr. Felesia Stukes | Johnson C. Smith University

Speaker: Dr. Wanda Eugene | University of Florida

Session Description: This panel features experts who will share their knowledge and experiences in designing and implementing engaging and inclusive approaches to support computing education. The panelists have expertise in designing approaches that are culturally situated to address the context of students with disabilities, Black students, and Hispanic/Latinx students, with programs that are geared toward preparing K12 teachers to apply equitable and inclusive practices in their CS classes, engaging college students in working with K12 students for equitable and inclusive CS learning opportunities, and engaging undergraduate students in culturally responsive entrepreneurship and data science programs.

10:15am -10:45am

Break

10:45am -11:30am | University of DC

Identity-Inclusive STARS Catalyst Initiatives

Speaker: Sarita E. Brown | Excelencia in Education

Speaker: Dr. Manuel Perez Quiňones | University of North Carolina at Charlotte 

Speaker: Dr. John Porter III | Morehouse College

Session Description: We all want to recruit students from traditionally underrepresented groups in computing. Unfortunately, we often bundle all of these students under a single umbrella term, underrepresented, marginalized, or minoritized. The challenge we face is that students might not identify themselves with any of these terms. In this session we will explore the complexities of Latinx/Hispanic identity and how we can explore, define, and implement initiatives that are inclusive of the Latinx/Hispanic identity. We will present some data from our STARS partners that highlight regional information (where a STARS chapter exists), demographic decomposition of existing STARS student chapters (who is present), and briefly explore areas of opportunity for growth by exploring where there are other Latinx/Hispanic students that are not being connected with STARS initiatives. We will present some of the confounding details of the terminology in the Latinx/Hispanic community, are you a Latino? Latina? Latinx? Latine? Hispanic? Afro-Caribbean? If you are from Spain, are you a Latino? If you are from Brazil, are you a Hispanic? Even the definition of race is problematic within the Hispanic/Latinx community. Finally, with this information as a background, we will engage in a discussion of how to reach out to the Laitnx/Hispanic community. What strategies might we engage in? Where should we reach out to gain access to new students? And how can these initiatives be effectively used and replicated?

10:45am -11:30am | Georgetown University

Mindfulness in CS Outreach 

Speaker: Aron Warrick |  Reju, Inc.

Speaker: Jontue Hill | Urban Technology Project

Speaker: Tya Barnes | Temple University

Speaker: Akil Parker| All This Math

Session Description: As Technology Advances, it is important to identify the social contributions, economic inclusivity, and Transferable computing knowledge successes. Pedagogical learning strategies are becoming a high priority in education paralleling STEM studies and CS4ALL program initiatives. Mindful: Stress and Trauma induced behavioral combative practices ISTE: “Instructional Design and Delivery” hot topic segment acknowledges the positive impacts of pedagogical Education and its impacts within STEM studies. “The pedagogy and learning strategies are rising to the top more than the technology topics,” Gagliolo said. “It shows that awareness that learning comes first, and tech tools are there to support.” As Education progresses towards pedagogy learning, Mindful STEM aligns with transgressive technology; implementing practices highlighted as positive engagement responses from not only students but excluded professionals. Who Does Mindful STEM Include?Mindful STEM may be practiced based on results of historically underrepresented gender, race, and disability groups. Examining results of historically predominant gender, race, and non-disability groups inclusivity efforts, Why practice Mindful STEM? Incorporating pedagogical developments that benefit learning space should also be implemented into CS (Computer Science), STEM programs. Examining STEM through a Mindful transformative education lens, Mindful STEM Curriculum Building is currently a theoretical practice. How can this conversation solidify Mindful STEM’s creditable inclusivity & equity impact? collaborating professionals establish a curriculum foundation and resources to integrate into classroom and corporate culture as Mindful STEM.

11:30am – 12:45pm | University of DC 

Lunch & Keynote: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Metaverse

Speaker: Dr. Kyla McMullen

12:50pm – 1:35pm | University of DC 

Building Partnerships with and for STARS Alumni

Speaker: Dr. Ebe Randeree | Florida State University

Speaker: Dr. Faye Jones | Florida State University

Session Description: Establishing a national network of alumni can be a valuable resource for educational entities.  Use of outcome performance metrics can provide important information about program success, what employers are looking for, what salaries the schools alumni generate, what skills are in demand, the strength of the program preparation, as well as the benefits of the program in working with students (now alumni). Data collected can be used for marketing, institutional and state reporting, mentoring contacts, as well as fundraising and future engagement.  In this workshop, we detail elements of alumni tracking and obtain feedback of such a program for targeting underserved students in STEM.

12:50pm – 1:35pm | Georgetown University

Getting to Your Finish Line: Tips and Resources to Help You Meet Your Education and Career Goals

Speaker: April Curley | Last Mile Ed Fund

Speaker: Dr. Jamie Payton | Temple University

Speaker: Dr. Siobahn Day Grady | North Carolina Central University

1:35pm – 2:20pm | University of DC

STARS Inclusive Workforce Prep

Speaker: Dr. Edward Dillon | Morgan State University

Speaker: Dr. Kinnis Gosha | Morehouse College

Session Description: In the field of Computer Science (CS), the demand to fill job vacancies is high. Yet, the supply of CS candidates to fill these vacancies remains low, which is also a prominent issue as it pertains to the representation of underrepresented groups in these settings. Upon approaching graduation, CS majors are expected to demonstrate their developed skill-sets in a way that impresses upon a hiring manager that they are worthy candidates for a job/career opportunity, especially in corporate opportunities.  

One practice that has been used by hiring managers to screen the potential of a candidate’s skill-set is technical interviews. This practice examines a candidate’s ability to solve technical problems during an interview. Likewise, it provides hiring managers insight on the candidate’s critical thinking and interpersonal skills, respectively. This introduces the question of how CS and related departments are preparing their majors to be successful at meeting the requirements imposed during a technical interview? 

The objective of this session is to discuss current efforts that the speakers are conducting first-hand in the classroom to address this question, and to introduce a faculty-based workshop series that looks to prepare CS faculty, especially those who reside at minority-based and underserved institutions, to implement practices in their classrooms and departments at large to prepare students for the technical interview process. The idea is to take the participating faculty through a series of workshops that directly exposes them to the technical interview process, the potential challenges that students are facing during this process, and practices they can personally implement to assist their students’ preparation for technical interviews.

1:35pm – 2:20pm | Georgetown University

Poster Session

2:25pm – 2:55pm | Georgetown University

Break & Poster Session

3:00pm – 3:30pm | University of DC

STARS Data Collection, Evaluation, and Impact

Speaker: Tom McKlin | The Findings Group, LLC

Speaker: Pascua Padró | The Findings Group, LLC

Speaker: Taneisha Lee Brown | The Findings Group, LLC

Speaker: Dr. Susan Fisk | Kent State University

Speaker: Dr. Clarissa Thompson | Kent State University

Speaker: Dr. Tiffany Barnes | North Carolina State University

Session Description: This session reviews the methods used to research and evaluate the STARS SLC. We briefly review the major findings and contributions from a decade of STARS efforts, describe the timeline for measuring SLC participants and the events they will lead. We will also describe the methods used to collect data for SLC-led events. This includes the methods to help SLC students register the event, collect data from participants (including STARS K12 outreach events), and suggest ways to analyze that data. These evaluative efforts help our community to better describe the immense reach of SLC participants and contributes to a growing body of evidence used to improve CS education at all levels.

3:35pm – 4:15pm | University of DC

STARS Leadership Corps: How to Take Action to Broaden Participation in Computing

Speaker: Dr. Jamie Payton | Temple University

Speaker: Dr. Tiffany Barnes | North Carolina State University

Session Description: The STARS Leadership Corps is the flagship program of STARS, where faculty mentor student-led teams in activities to broaden participation in computing. A panel of STARS faculty will reflect on successes and challenges in leading the SLC at their institutions, and then attendees will be asked to share their own BPC-related leadership experiences. Finally, small groups will collaborate to make plans to ignite STARS Leadership Corps at their own institutions.

4:15pm – 4:30pm | University of DC

Student Awards & Closing