Carla Strickland, Digital Curriculum Development Manager at UChicago STEM Education

Title: Culturally Responsive CS – Lessons from the field

Time: Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 12:30-1:20pm PT

Carla Strickland is the Digital Curriculum Development Manager at UChicago STEM Education. As an expert in digitally enhanced STEM curriculum, teaching, and learning, she works with elementary teachers and administrators to integrate computer science into their existing STEM instruction, with a particular focus on culturally responsive pedagogy and curriculum. Carla brings an Afro-Caribbean perspective and a passion for equitable, high-quality instruction to her work in education.

Leshell Hatley, Founder & Executive Director, Uplift, Inc.

Title: Fanning the Flames: Successful Efforts for DEI in Computer Science Before, During, and After Undergrad

Time: Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 12:30-1:20pm PT

Leshell Hatley, Ph.D. is an educator, researcher, and entrepreneur who leads Uplift, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit STEAM education and research organization.  Dr. Hatley is a passionate computer engineer, educator, and researcher who continuously combines these three attributes to create innovative approaches to teaching STEM concepts to students between the ages of 3 and 73. Her 25+ years of research and teaching expertise includes topics such as artificial intelligence, learning technologies, robotics, and culturally relevant computer science/computer engineering education.  Dr. Hatley was recognized as one of the 50 Women in Robotics You Should Know in 2021 by RoboHub in celebration of Ada Lovelace Day. In 2020, she was recognized as one of the 20 most influential technologists in Baltimore by technical.ly.

Kate Atchison, Associate Director of the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing (I4C)

Title: Scaling and Expanding DEI Programs for Underrepresented Students in Computing at the University of Maryland

Time: Wednesday, February 14, 2024, 12:30-1:20 pm PT

Kate Atchison serves as the Associate Director of the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing (I4C) and the Site Lead for Break Through Tech DC at UMD. Kate joined UMD in 2016 as part of the Maryland Center for Women in Computing and has continued to support DEI efforts across computing. Currently, Kate oversees the corporate and community partnerships, NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Maryland Affiliate, Tech + Research, and strategic planning efforts around inclusion and diversity in computing. During this time, she launched several new initiatives and programs including I4C and Break Through Tech DC at UMD, and raised over three million dollars for DEI efforts in computing at UMD. Kate is also active in computer science education research computing.

Oluwakemi Ola, Associate Professor of Teaching, Computer Science, University of British Columbia

Title: Navigating the Unseen: Insights from a Black, Alien Woman in the World of Computing Academia

Time: Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 12:30-1:20 pm PT

Dr. Oluwakemi Ola is an Associate Professor of Teaching at the University of British Columbia. She completed her doctoral degree in Computer Science in 2018, specializing in information visualization. Her dad is a storyteller, and her mom is a community builder. As their offspring, she skillfully merges these vocations and related skills, expertly weaving narratives while concurrently establishing educational communities. She currently holds the positions of educator, researcher, and activist. In her capacity as an educator, she imparts knowledge through teaching introductory programming and visualization courses at the prestigious University of British Columbia. In her role as a researcher, she meticulously explores methodologies to eliminate impediments obstructing the learning process. Her research also involves the creation of robust support systems to address pervasive misconceptions and the comprehensive examination of socio-emotional factors influencing learning. As an activist, she is dedicated to driving change through the establishment of connections and the dismantling of systems of marginalization. She accomplishes this by offering mentorship, unveiling the hidden curriculum within the academy, and assuming diverse, high-impact leadership roles.