NCWIT Conversations for Change
an online thought leadership series
Get ready for conversations, Q&As, on-demand videos, and more! Fully immerse yourself in research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further your efforts in creating inclusive cultures.
The debut series of events occurred between May 4 and June 4, 2020. Select recordings are available for playback. Check out sessions you might have missed or simply want to watch again: ncwit.org/summit/archives/.
Playback
2020-21 NCWIT Summit Sponsors
We are incredibly grateful for 2020-21 NCWIT Summit Sponsors Anchor Point Foundation, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Bloomberg, Facebook, PNC, and Walmart.
Sponsorship opportunities for the 2021 NCWIT Summit are available. Please view more information online (PDF), or email summit@ncwit.org.
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Dr. Jane Goodall
Founder, the Jane Goodall InstitutePrimatologistEquipped with little more than a notebook, binoculars, and her fascination with wildlife, Jane Goodall braved a realm of unknowns to give the world a remarkable window into humankind’s closest living relatives. Through nearly 60 years of groundbreaking work, Dr. Jane Goodall has not only shown us the urgent need to protect chimpanzees from extinction; she has also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environment.
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Ruzena Bajcsy
NEC Chair and Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of EngineeringUniversity of California, BerkeleyRuzena Bajcsy was born in 1933 and grew up in Czechoslovakia. Because of the family's Jewish background, all of her adult relatives were killed by the Nazis in 1944. Declared to be war orphans by the Red Cross, she and her sister remained under the organization's care until the end of the war. Despite moving between orphanages and foster parents, Bajcsy had no trouble at school and was a good student. Determined to have a career in electrical engineering, she earned a MS degree and a PhD degree in the subject from Slovak Technical University.
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Ruha Benjamin
Professor, African American StudiesPrinceton UniversityRuha Benjamin is a Professor of African American studies at Princeton University and author of People’s Science: Bodies and Rights on the Stem Cell Frontier (Stanford University Press). She has studied the social dimensions of science, technology, and medicine for over fifteen years and speaks widely on issues of innovation, equity, health, and justice in the U.S. and globally.
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Temple Grandin
Philosophical LeaderTemple Grandin, PhD, is one of the most accomplished and well-known adults with autism in the world. Her life was brought to the screen with the HBO full-length film Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes. Dr. Grandin has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in September 2016 and featured on NPR, and she has a 2010 TED Lecture titled "The World Needs ALL Kinds of Minds." She has also been featured on the BBC special “The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow,” ABC's “Primetime Live,” “The Today Show,” and more. Dr.
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Tommy Orange
AuthorTommy Orange is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel There There, a multi-generational, relentlessly paced story about a side of America few of us have ever seen: the lives of urban Native Americans. There There was one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year, and won the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and the Pen/Hemingway Award. There There was also longlisted for the National Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
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Brenda J. Allen
Professor EmeritaUniversity of ColoradoBrenda J. Allen (PhD, Howard University) is a former Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion and Professor of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus. During almost 30 years in the University of Colorado system, Professor Allen developed a track record for scholarship, teaching, service, mentorship, and training related to organizational communication, power dynamics, social identity, and leadership. She has worked tirelessly to promote more inclusive, humane, and equitable perspectives and practices, especially in higher education.
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Colleen Lewis
McGregor-Girand Associate Professor, Computer ScienceHarvey Mudd CollegeColleen Lewis is the McGregor-Girand Associate Professor of Computer Science (CS) at Harvey Mudd College, where, in addition to teaching CS, she teaches a class on Social Justice and Equity: STEM and Beyond. Her research seeks to identify effective teaching practices for creating equitable learning opportunities (for more resources, see CSTeachingTips.org).
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Paul L. Marciano
AuthorDr. Paul is the leading authority on employee engagement and respect in the workplace. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Yale University and has worked in the field of human resources and organizational development for over 30 years. His best-selling McGraw-Hill business book, “Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work: Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles of RESPECT™,” has received critical acclaim around the world and has been translated into several languages.
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Kyla McMullen
Assistant Professor, Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering DepartmentUniversity of FloridaWatch Dr. Kyla McMullen's Summit interview here
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Eshika Saxena
Student, 2020 NCWIT Collegiate Award WinnerHarvard UniversityEshika Saxena is a freshman at Harvard University planning to major in Computer Science. She developed an early interest in technology as a regular participant in FIRST Lego League robotics competitions and expanded her knowledge by taking several programming courses.
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Cheryl Swanier, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Computer ScienceClaflin UniversityDr. Cheryl A. Swanier is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Claflin University where she was named the Henry N. and Alice Carson Tisdale Endowed Professor and served as the former Department Chair of Mathematics and Computer Science. In her role as chair, she was successful in strategically obtaining the inaugural ABET accreditation for the Computer Science program at Claflin University and establishing the inaugural Computer Science Advisory Board.
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Janine Vanderburg
Co-founderColorado Encore NetworkJanine Vanderburg leads Changing the Narrative in Colorado, a campaign to change the way people think, talk, and act about aging and ageism. Committed to leveraging the talents of people of all ages to benefit community, she is a co-founder of the Colorado Encore Network and a member of the Encore.org national Network Leadership Team, as well as CEO of Encore Roadmap, which provides inspiration and tools for capitalizing on the strengths of older adults.
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Darryl Yong
Professor of MathematicsHarvey Mudd CollegeDarryl Yong is a Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, Director of the Mathematics Clinic Program, and Associate Dean for Diversity and Faculty Development. He was also the Founding Director of the Claremont Colleges Center for Teaching and Learning. His scholarship has several foci: the retention and professional development of secondary school mathematics teachers, effective teaching practices in undergraduate STEM education, and equity, justice, and diversity in higher education.
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Jannie Fernandez
Director K-12 Alliance and TECHNOLOchicasUniversity of Colorado BoulderOriginally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Jannie works at the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) as the Director for the K-12 Alliance and TECHNOLOchicas. She obtained her BS in special education with a focus on learning disabilities from Florida International University in Miami, Florida and a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to her work at NCWIT, for over ten years, Jannie taught Biology and Physics, and served as Special Education Department Head for a public high school in Miami, Florida.
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Lucy Sanders
NCWIT CEO and Co-founderUniversity of Colorado BoulderLucy Sanders is CEO and Co-founder of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT).
Lucy has an extensive industry background, having worked in R&D and executive (VP) positions at AT&T Bell Labs, Lucent Bell Labs, and Avaya Labs for over 20 years, where she specialized in systems-level software and solutions (multimedia communication, and customer relationship management). Lucy was awarded the Bell Labs Fellow Award, the highest technical accomplishment bestowed at the company, and she has six patents in the communications technology area.
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JeffriAnne Wilder, Ph.D.
Senior Research ScientistUniversity of Colorado BoulderDr. JeffriAnne Wilder is a sociologist and leading scholar specializing in diversity, race relations and women’s empowerment. JeffriAnne works as research faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder working on the Social Science research team at NCWIT. JeffriAnne works directly with the K-12 Alliance to create research-driven resources that will equip and empower its members with tools to increase women and girls’ participation in computing and technology.
