research | education | outreach | programs | collaborations

ABRC, formally housed in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, will draw upon scholars from across the University of California, representing a variety of disciplines from computer science and digital arts to engineering and business.

The involvement of researchers, teachers, corporate representatives and policy-makers via speakers' series, workshops and a visiting fellows program permits UC Irvine to formalize and leverage current diversity efforts and expand interdisciplinary research and curricular revisions focusing on changing the situation. Please check this page often for updates on ABRC's many initiatives.

ABRC research projects will benefit from new approaches and garner unique solutions to recruiting and retaining underrepresented students to the sciences. Research projects will help gain a better understanding of how any why certain fields deter or encourage participation from both female and underrepresented populations, as well as discover new ways to foster enthusiasm for information technology among underrepresented populations and women. Please check this page often for updates on ABRC's many research initiatives.

Laptops and Literacy
With assistance from UC Irvine professor and ABRC Associate Director Mark Warschauer, a Costa Mesa elementary school, with a Hispanic enrollment of 96%, has set up a class in which all the students have daily access to laptops in a wireless environment. The project will investigate the types of literacy practices that students engage in using the laptops both at school and at home. This project is part of a broader study on laptops and literacy involving wireless laptops programs at several public schools.

Mobile Computing Initiative
Current technology is pervasive and mobile computing is largely targeted to male consumers. The distinctions of female usage patterns in portable devices have not been studied indepth. This initiative will investigate female usage of mobile and pervasive devices, and develop prototype applets, technologies, devices and interfaces that better address women's needs and interests.

 

Information technology educational programs suffer from poor diversity participation; women, Hispanic, African American and Native American students are conspicuously absent from engineering, computer science and information technology degree programs. Creating new programs, and modifying existing programs, to attract and retain these populations is critical to the ongoing success of each industry. Please check this page often for updates on ABRC's many education initiatives.

Undergraduate hub of NCWIT
The University of California at Irvine – led by the Ada Byron Research Center for Diversity in Computing and Information Technology (ABRC) -- is one of seven National Center for Women in Information Technology (NCWIT) hubs that consist of academic institutions, industry initiatives, professional groups, and other organizations.

More specifically, our overarching goal as a NCWIT hub is systemic change of undergraduate education in information technology (not limited to computer science) so that more women are inclined to participate. more »

Informatics at UCI
The department of informatics in UC Irvine's School of Information and Computer Science is introducing a new degree program, a bachelor of science in informatics, to specifically combat the many issues that discourage women and underrepresented populations from pursuing the field. The major in informatics is designed to facilitate access, retention and completion for these groups by promoting experience-based computer science. Additional details on the program will be announced on the ICS Web site: www.ics.uci.edu 

Google Anita Borg Scholarship
As part of Google's ongoing commitment to furthering Anita Borg's vision by encouraging women to pursue careers in computing and technology, we're pleased to announce four $10,000 scholarships for female students in the computer sciences during the 2005-2006 academic year. Two scholarships will be awarded to undergraduates, and two to graduate degree (master's or Ph.D. level) candidates. These scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates' academic background, their responses to short essay questions and letters of recommendation.

Completed applications must be received no later than Friday, January 15, 2005. Finalists will be notified on Monday, March 14, 2005 and recipients will be announced on Monday, April 18, 2005. Additional details on the program are available at the Google Anita Borg Scholarship web page.

 

Research has shown that underrepresented populations would be more attracted to computer science, engineering and digital arts if these disciplines were integrated with other subjects and resulted in the students' ability to impact society. To that end, ABRC is committed to establishing outreach programs to support student instruction, professional teacher training and adult transition. Please check this page often for updates on ABRC's many outreach initiatives.

ABRC Outreach Road Show
Through interactive classroom presentations, ABRC motivates future generations of scientists, engineers and mathematicians by illustrating the extensive career options technologists have at their finger tips.

To view the presentation, please click here.

If you are interested in scheduling Professor Irani to speak at your southern California junior high school, please e-mail: abrc@uci.edu

California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS): This competitive summer program for California high school students, COSMOS students investigate and learn about topics distinctly outside the normal range of high school mathematics and science. Field trips, in-class lectures and hands on lab projects introduce students to aerospace, biology, computing, engineering and mathematical fields of study. ABRC members are active faculty participants in COSMOS, serving as instructors and special lecturers. For more information on COSMOS, please visit: www.cosmos.uci.edu.

 

Sponsoring a speaker series, workshops and visiting research fellows, ABRC's program goals include generating fresh, intelligent discussion and enlighting academic and community members. Please check this page often for updates on ABRC’s many program initiatives.

ABRC speakers' series:
Each quarter ABRC will invite scholars from across the nation to lead discussions, present research results and announce new initiatives that build on the Center's fundamental goals to teach, research and create. Series details will be posted here as they become available.  

 

ABRC's partnership with both national and local organizations will facilitate the assessment and research and unite ABRC with industry participants who will benefit from ABRC's research, further connecting schools, communities and corporations in the recognition of women's impact on technology.

• National Center for Women and Information Technology (www.ncwit.org)
• Women In Computer Science (www.ics.uci.edu/~wics/)