Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in Information Technology
 
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May 2017
Volume 7, Issue 4

Welcome to the May 2017 issue of the CMD-IT eNewsletter!
 
We want to remind everyone that we have extended the deadline for nominations for the CMD-IT University Award for Retention of Minorities and Students with Disabilities to May 31st. 

The ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing registration is open and we are already well on our way to making our attendance goal.  Be sure to register by June 14th to take advantage of our early bird pricing.

June is LGBT Pride Month. Please let us know how you are celebrating this month by posting on our CMD-IT Facebook page.

AccessComputing is doing some great new programs to help increase the participation of people with disabilities in the computing field.  Check out our new article. 
 
To include job openings or events to our Community Calendar for the June e-newsletter contact Andrea Raines
  
Best regards,
CMD-IT Leadership   
CMD-IT University Award
CMD-IT University Award Submissions Due May 31

The CMD-IT University Award for Retention of Minorities and Students with Disabilities in Computer Science recognizes US institutions that have demonstrated a strong commitment to increasing the computer science baccalaureate degree production of minorities and students with disabilities, through effective retention programs. The 2017 University Award is sponsored by  Microsoft, Inc
Award decisions will be based on quantitative and qualitative reporting of results. The qualitative reporting includes details about the institution, the unit that awards the undergraduate computer science degree, and descriptions of the retention programs. The quantitative reporting includes a five year history of retention data.  All nominations will remain confidential. Each participating university will receive a detailed report that summarizes the data across all participating institutions.
Nominate your university!
The nomination process entails a  two step process.
1. Complete the  nomination form.
2. Once your nomination form has been received, you will be sent an excel file to provide your five year history of retention data and details regarding your retention programs. Your complete package must be submitted via the link provided by May 31, 2017.

2017 CMD-IT University Award Deadlines

  • Application Deadline: May 31, 2017.
  • Notification date: June 15, 2017.
The CMD-IT University Award Recognition will take place at the  2017 ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference.
For questions regarding the CMD-IT University Award nominations, please contact  Manuel Perez Quinones.
2017 ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing 
Tapia Conference Early Bird Pricing Ends June 14th  REGISTER TODAY! 



Registration is now open for the Tapia Conference.  The conference will be held September 20-23, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta GA.  Early bird pricing is in effect until June 14th.  Register early and secure your spot for this year's conference.  

If you are seeking a job or internship please be sure to submit your resume to our Resume Database.  Platinum sponsors will begin access the database June 1st and scheduling interviews during the conference.

Be sure to secure your hotel room at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.  

We look forward to seeing you in September at #Tapia2017.
Supporting Diversity
Increasing Participation with AccessComputing

AccessComputing, the Alliance for Access to Computing Careers, has a very straightforward mission - increasing the participation of people with disabilities in computing fields. The mission has continued to expand in recent years with two new focuses: Increasing employment for people with disabilities and promoting the teaching of accessibility topics in CS and Informatics Curricula.  

Increasing employment for people with disabilities has led to the creation of AccessComputing Industry Partners.  AccessComputing Industry Partners are companies that are working to make the technical workplace more welcoming and accessible to computing professionals with disabilities. Companies learn about strategies that can be successful in recruiting and retaining employees with disabilities. Benefits of being an Industry Partner include frequent conference calls where best practices are shared, access to students to test new accessibility products, workshops and the ability to refer interns and students to the AccessComputing Student Team for mentoring and professional development activities.  In addition, AccessComputing Industry Partners are offered access to a resume database of qualified computing students who have disabilities for potential internships and permanent employment.  Industry Partners currently include Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Microsoft, Salesforce and Yahoo.  Apply today to become an industry partner.
Panel of Computing Professionals with Disabilities: Katie Sullivan, Microsoft; Sean Marihugh, Microsoft; Jessie Shulman, Expedia; and Joel Isaac, JP Morgan Chase, photographed at Building Capacity in Industry: Recruiting and Retaining Employees with Disabilities.
Building Capacity in Industry: Recruiting and Retaining Employees with Disabilities are the proceedings of a Capacity Building Institute (CBI)  hosted by AccessComputing.  These proceedings are a valuable resource to anyone working on recruiting and retaining employees with disabilities.
The inclusion of accessibility topics in CS and Informatics curricula is critical for the ability of the over one billion people in the world dealing with disabilities to engage in using every web and computer software and hardware products. Technology companies dedicated to accessibility have faced the common challenge of preparing designers, engineers and researchers to think and build inclusively. Similarly, academic programs in design, engineering and HCI are seeking ways to better prepare students to address the needs of diverse populations. Given this shared challenge, industry, academia and advocacy organizations have now come together to create models for teaching and training students of technology to create accessible experiences.  TeachAccess.org enables its members to access Digital Accessibility industry and academic experts, provides in person and online guest speakers, train the trainer programs for faculty, workshops and many more benefits to help facilitate their learning.  Everyone is working together to reach the goal of every web and app development class to include the standards and requirements of accessibility.
AccessComputing is continuing to extend its reach to change the world of computing. Among the many resources offered by AccessComputing is an article from ACM Inroads entitled AccessComputing Promotes Teaching Accessibility which helpsprovide the rationale for teaching accessibility. Go to the AccessComputing website for more resources and information on how you and your organization can participate.
In This Issue
Diversity Awareness
June is LGBT Pride Month

The month of June was chosen for LGBT Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969. As a result, pride events are held during this month to recognize the impact LGBT people have had in the world.  

Learn about events in
your community at http://www.gaypridecalendar.com
Community Calendar
31 May

31 May

15 June

23-24 June

27 June

30 June

20-22 September

20-23 September

21-23 September

04-06 October

18-22 October

18-22 October

19-21 October

28-30 October

30-31 October

29-30 May

31 May

15 June

23-24 June

27 June

30 June

20-22 September

20-23 September

21-23 September

04-06 October

18-22 October

18-22 October

19-21 October

28-30 October

30-31 October

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