In 2004, computer science (CS) education at the K-12 level in the U.S. was underdeveloped, fragmented, and focused on basic computer literacy skills rather than computational thinking or programming. Access to CS education was also highly unequal, with gender, racial, and socioeconomic barriers contributing to limited access opportunities for students from historically underrepresented communities. The lack of emphasis on CS education infrastructure at the state and federal level, balanced by a growing number of advocates in the K-16 space meant that there was room for innovation and fresh thinking on how to build interest in the subject of computing. Barriers to CS education at the K-12 level led to disparate participation at the post-secondary levels with lower numbers of women and others from historically marginalized racial/ethnic groups in computing than expected given population sizes. In 2004, data on students with disabilities in CS programs specifically were scarce, and individuals with disabilities were underrepresented in higher education overall. Conceived as a multi-pronged way to focus on solutions to “the underrepresentation and disparities among women, persons with disabilities, Black and African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos/Latinas, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders,” the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) first solicitation for Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Alliances was issued in 2005. The NSF BPC Alliances work nationally through a wide variety of activities including outreach, advocacy, support programs, convenings, research and other interventions to cultivate a diverse and inclusive computing workforce and research community. While there are many projects funded by NSF, as well as private foundations, colleges, universities and school districts that also contribute to the diversification of computing from K-12 through industry, this article focuses on the currently funded BPC Alliances. NSF BPC Alliances differ from other NSF-funded projects in that they are large coalitions with a national focus, that “design and carry out comprehensive programs addressing underrepresentation in the computing disciplines…. Collectively, Alliances serve as a national resource for achieving the transformation of computing education.” Because the Alliances serve as a national resource, their approaches and accomplishments are shared to raise awareness of their resources and encourage new collaborations.

The L’Oréal USA For Women in Science program awards five women postdoctoral scientists annually with grants for their contributions in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields and commitment to serving as role models for younger generations. The For Women in Science program was created out of a simple belief: the world needs science, and science needs women because women in science have the power to change the world. The program is the U.S. component of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Fellowships program. Celebrating its twenty first year in the U.S., the For Women in Science program has awarded 105 postdoctoral women scientists over $5 million in grants. L’Oréal USA partners with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to manage the program’s application and peer-review process. Each year, the program attracts talented applicants from diverse STEM fields, representing some of the nation’s leading academic institutions and laboratories.
You can watch feature films on each of the 2024 Awardees.

Tatianna Miller, a clinical health and wellness counselor and corporate consultant, espoused this key message in a recent AWIS webinar and focused on the importance of resilience for those working in demanding STEM fields. Miller offers support to professionals who want to improve strategic self-development and emotional intelligence skills so that they can better navigate highpressure environments. In the webinar, she emphasized that resilience lies at the heart of successful scientific work. Whether we work in research or any other profession, our ability to adapt, pivot, and learn from setbacks is essential. Every experiment, every breakthrough, and even every failure contributes to building resilience, she explained. A central theme of her presentation was that life is unpredictable—a roller coaster of highs, lows, and everything in between. Miller urged us to stop trying to control external circumstances and to focus instead on how we respond to life’s challenges. This intention requires to manage it effectively. Stress, she explains, is actually a building block of resilience. Crucially, we must strive for flexibility in how we adjust our plans and manage our emotional responses when things don’t go as expected. self-awareness, reflection, and an openness to change. Just as scientists remain open to unexpected results in their experiments, so too must we stay open to the twists and turns that life presents. Miller warns of the danger of clinging to unrealistic expectations about careers, relationships, or personal achievements. These illusions can lead to disappointment, especially for women who often juggle professional and family responsibilities. Such disappointment, in turn, can make life feel like mere survival rather than like a journey toward fulfillment. By shifting our focus inward, acknowledging our current reality, and staying open to change, we can foster a healthier, more resilient mindset.

Emmanuelle Charpentier, PhD, is a French professor and researcher in microbiology, genetics, and biochemistry. She earned her PhD from the Institut Pasteur in 1995, researching molecular mechanisms involved in antibiotic resistance. She moved to the US in 1996 and stayed for five years, working at several institutes, including Rockefeller University, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In 2002 Charpentier returned to Europe. In 2011, Charpentier met Jennifer Doudna at a research conference and they began a collaboration. Together they developed the CRISPR-Cas9 system as a simple gene-editing tool. This discovery reduces the time and work needed to edit genomic DNA. In 2020, Doudna and Charpentier were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this discovery.

The Internet has played a significant role in the democratization of STEM learning. However, there is still much work to be done. It can be challenging to find meaningful authentic lessons for STEM learning and hands-on project-based activities. Searching online for the topic “simple machines” will lead to pages and pages of results. Even when one finds a decent looking resource, many of them: Lack scaffolding and supporting materials; Are confusing; Can lead to misconceptions; Only provide surface level learning; Are more like directed crafting; Have limited assessments; Are not aligned to standards. To provide true and equitable access to STEM learning, the communities need access to learning resources that provide fun and engaging guided activities that are inspired and evaluated by STEM educators and STEM professionals. Research has shown that underrepresented minoritized (URM) students studying STEM face many challenges, including inadequate K12 STEM experiences, financial concerns, and hostile academic environments. Teachers may unknowingly discourage URM students to study STEM due to unconscious biases. These factors, combined with the lack of opportunities and limited resources, drive many URM students away from majoring in STEM fields. To help combat these negative influences, teachers and students need STEM activities that are engaging, low-cost, and standards-aligned.

Sylvie Lombardi, senior R&D director at BD, discusses her journey in biomedical engineering and the rewarding impact her work has on physicians and patients in this episode of Diverse. Hear how Lombardi’s childhood dreams of becoming a doctor influenced her path in STEM, her advice for aspiring engineers in the medical technology space, and the growth opportunities that BD provided throughout her career.

Diversifying the science, technology, engineering and math fields has long been a top priority of many universities and tech companies. It’s also a goal of the National Science Foundation, the biggest funder of university-led research and development in the U.S. But in the field of engineering, at least, there hasn’t been a lot of progress in diversifying the academic pipeline beyond white men. The share of engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded to Black students has barely budged over the past decade. Women and Hispanic students fared better, but their respective percentages are still well below their shares of the population as a whole. The shares of engineering professors who are Black or Hispanic are also little changed and remain in the low single digits. Many reasons have been cited for this lack of progress, including stereotypes, lack of exposure, limited role models and the recent backlash against so-called woke policies that emphasize diverse hiring policies. But, as a scholar of STEM education accessibility, I believe there’s another culprit: poorly prepared professors. Unlike the other challenges, it happens to be a much easier problem for universities themselves to remedy.

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Rebecca Midles is joined by Laurie Gagnon, CompetencyWorks Program Director at the Aurora Institute, to explore the transformative power of Competency-Based Education (CBE). Laurie explains how CBE shifts the focus from traditional seat-time requirements to mastering skills and knowledge at an individualized pace. This approach personalizes learning, promotes equity, and empowers students to take charge of their educational journeys. Laurie shares inspiring examples of districts successfully implementing CBE and discusses the systemic changes needed to support this innovative model. The conversation highlights the critical role of equity in CBE frameworks. Laurie addresses misconceptions and emphasizes how thoughtfully designed CBE systems can reduce opportunity gaps while fostering a shared language for clarity in educational transformation. Her insights illuminate the potential of CBE to prepare all learners for future challenges and opportunities.

The world of AI is evolving at breakneck speed, and Lica World is at the forefront, redefining how video content is created. This innovative platform leverages artificial intelligence to generate high-quality videos, offering an accessible solution for content creators, marketers, and businesses alike. But behind this groundbreaking technology is a story of perseverance, grit, and the unique challenges faced by women of color in the tech industry. Lica World started with a vision: to democratize video production. "We wanted to create a tool that would allow anyone, regardless of technical expertise, to produce stunning videos," Mehta explained. The platform uses cutting-edge AI to simplify and accelerate the video creation process, making it ideal for small businesses and creators on a budget. But turning this vision into reality required more than innovation; it required funding, a significant challenge for many startups, especially those led by women of color.

Stories are inspirational. Jamie Zvirzdin shares her story of learning to take herself and her career seriously as a woman. We need stories like these, stories of people who act with courage to overcome challenges. She researches ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays with the Telescope Array Project at the University of Utah. She is the author of Subatomic Writing: Six Fundamental Lessons to Make Language Matter (2023) and writes a monthly science column for newspapers in Central New York. Her science essays have appeared in The Atlantic, Orion Magazine, Brevity Magazine, The Kenyon Review, and others.