The CS4RI Summit aims to inspire the next generation of computer scientists, entrepreneurs, and engaged tech sector employees... and anyone who wants to build the skills of the future. Together, let's excite students with the many educational and career opportunities that result from studying CS. We're challenging the entire Rhode Island community, from kindergarteners to CEOs, to showcase and celebrate computer science in action!

Algorithms have an inordinate amount of influence on our lives. The predominant ones largely dictate the friends we interact with online, the goods we buy, and the news we see. An algorithm (YouTube's) even made Justin Bieber happen-and that's probably the least impressive example. In a society as tech-obsessed as ours, this prevalence means that algorithms have obtained an almost magical quality. They represent the deus ex machina of the science-fiction thriller that is real life, a plot device that makes our tools do the things they do. According to anthropologist Nick Seaver of Tufts University, algorithms have so thoroughly graduated into the realm of cultural abstraction that they should be studied anthropologically. Seaver studies technology's effects on contemporary culture - he's written a whole book about the codes that select music for us - and says algorithms' outsize role in culture means that we have to understand what they are and how we think about them from a cultural perspective. In the latest issue of Big Data and Society (pdf), Seaver argues that even the word ''algorithm'' has moved beyond computer-science definitions and no longer refers to computer code compiled to perform a task. It belongs to all and is fair game for social scientists, like himself, to define in complex terms.

While many human workers fear that they will ultimately be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), it's more likely that our current workforce will shift into new types of roles for people, according to a new report from professional services company Cognizant. ''In the future, work will change but won't go away,'' the report stated. ''Work will continue to be core to our identities, our nature, our dreams and our realities. But it won't necessarily be the work we know or do now.''

Five postdoctoral women scientists were awarded grants for their groundbreaking research and commitment to closing the gender gap in STEM fields.

The average woman makes 79 cents for every dollar that the average man earns. Yes, this is an average across all professions. Yes, although the severity varies from field to field, the wage gap still exists. But no, it is not because women choose to be paid less. Women are often discouraged from pursuing careers in higher-paying fields and face challenges when it comes to being promoted. The trend of women pursuing lower-paying careers is visible at ASU, with social work and education programs containing a much higher proportion of women than do engineering or business programs. Nancy Jurik, a professor of justice and social inquiry at ASU's School of Social Transformation, said that many job markets are often geared against women. ''There are a lot of studies where they have attempted to statistically control on the level of education, the industry, the occupation, the college major, the hours worked, how much of work life was continuous, and when you do that, there's still a gender gap,'' Jurik said. While women often end up in lower-paying careers, this is not so much of a conscious choice to be paid less so much as it is the result of years of outside influences and discouragement from these careers.

First, as a raft of studies has shown, harassment flourishes in workplaces where men dominate in management and women have little power. We've recently seen this imbalance wreak havoc in the entertainment and media industries, where it's long been understood that major players like movie producer Harvey Weinstein and former Fox News chief Roger Ailes could easily make or break women's careers. But this is also happening across the economy, with women in tech and law, saleswomen (particularly in retail), waitresses, hotel maids, and many others. Male-dominated management teams have been found to tolerate, sanction, or even expect sexualized treatment of workers, which can lead to a culture of complicity. People may chuckle over misbehavior rather than calling it out, for example, or they may ostracize harassed women, privately ashamed of not having spoken up. Reducing power differentials can help, not only because women are less likely than men to harass but also because their presence in management can change workplace culture.

If you want to start a new company and be really well-funded and successful, the best strategy is to be a white male who graduated from Stanford. That sounds horribly insensitive, but it's sadly true. A new study-confirming many other studies- of entrepreneurs who received funding or an exit within the last 12 months, finds that only 4% were women and 13% were minorities. Stanford emerged as the top school for producing such value-creating alumni at a higher rate than even the second and third place institutions - Harvard and University of California, Berkeley-combined. The results are from a study entitled ''Founders Funding & Exit Ranking USA,'' which was compiled by GraphicSprings, a London-based branding and design firm that works with startups and entrepreneurs. The group sorted through 5,000 funding announcements, company press releases, media reports and data from Bloomberg and Crunchbase from the last 12 months. ''First, we want to raise the alarm that not enough women entrepreneurs are getting funded,'' says Carl Davis, the marketing manager at GraphicSprings, in an email to Fast Company. The same is obviously true of minorities. In addition, going to college in proximity to the Valley is a good predictor of future success.

70 leading corporate and academic signatories of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion (CEO Action), convened for an inaugural closed-door discussion. This session was designed for CEOs to identify short and long-term actions that the business community can achieve within their own organizations and as a collective coalition to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. At the closed door session, signatories discussed advancing the diversity and inclusion agenda with a focus on key issues around gender, race, and measuring impact. They also strategized how to implement actions within the CEO Action pledge collectively and within their own organizations. The CEOs will continue to communicate effective programming and measurement practices to strengthen commitments and serve employees and society as a whole better.

Brenda J. Allen, vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion at CU Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, and Penina Axelrad, professor at Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences at CU Boulder, are the recipients of the annual Excellence in Leadership Award given by the systemwide Excellence in Leadership Program (ELP). The awards were presented during a lunch Friday at Denver's Brown Palace. The event brings together program alumni to facilitate continued collaboration, networking and leadership development. ELP provides opportunities for CU faculty and staff to become more effective leaders who can successfully address the challenges of a dynamic university. Since 2000, more than 562 fellows from all campuses and system administration have completed the program.

The Big Bang Fair offers a world of inspiration for young people and brings learning to life. Taking place from 14-17 March 2018 at the NEC in Birmingham, visitors are spoilt for choice with hands-on activities and a range of stage shows. This fair provides a fantastic opportunity for young people to see STEM brought to life in an unexpected way and have the chance to talk to scientists and engineers from universities and leading UK companies about their work. Tickets are completely free and give students a unique insight into STEM in action.