OurCS Workshops
OurCS@AccessComputing+CREATE
January 13 - 15, 2021
OurCS@AccessComputing+CREATE was a research-focused workshop for undergraduates with disabilities in computing fields that was held virtually on Wednesday, January 13 through Friday, January 15, 2021. UW's CREATE (Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences), aims to make technology accessible and to make the world accessible through technology. CREATE is an AccessComputing partner.
Forty-six undergraduate students from around the nation participated in the workshop along with ten mentoring faculty members from a variety of research areas. The keynote speakers were Elaine Short from Tufts University, Nicholas Giudice from the University of Maine, and Jeanine Cook from Sandia National Laboratory. There were plenary presentations on applying to graduate school and succeeding in graduate school. A panel of senior and recently finished graduate students with disabilities talked about their own experiences in graduate school. Each of the mentors led a short course on research in their area of expertise. There was also time for networking among students and mentors.
Eddith Figueroa from the University of Texas at Austin appreciated hearing about the panelists’ experiences. “I really enjoyed the panel of people who were in grad school. It gave me a lot of perspective into what it would be like to try and go to grad school with a disability,” Figueroa said.
Cameron Cassidy from Texas A&M University highlighted the information about graduate school, saying, “Professors Milne and Ladner shared a lot of good information about graduate school, which made me more comfortable in my decision to pursue an advanced degree.”
Nayha Auradkar of the University of Washington found the networking opportunities valuable. “I learned a lot through networking with research leaders and engaging in interactive research workshops,” Auradkar said.
Funding for this workshop was provided by Google Explore CSR with additional support from AccessComputing and the UW Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE).
OurCS@UW+AccessComputing
April 11 - 13, 2019
OurCS@UW+AccessComputing, a two-day research-focused workshop for undergraduate women with disabilities in computing fields, was held April 11 – 13 in the new Gates Center at the UW. Students from universities nationwide were immersed in an interactive workshop with mentors from UW, other universities, and Google.
Thirty-six students with disabilities from across the country participated in research explorations with faculty, graduate students, and professional mentors. The explorations focused on accessibility-related topics including app accessibility, accessibility of design methods, fabrication for accessibility, social robots for mental health, accessible virtual reality, and teachable machines for sign language. Working in small groups with mentors, students explored these areas and presented on their findings. Students joined the AccessComputing team and will continue to engage with each other and AccessComputing.
OurCS@UW+AccessComputing also featured keynote presentations by mentors with disabilities. Jen Mankoff, the Richard E. Ladner Professor in UW’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, gave a keynote that looked at ways that her research interests evolved over time as her disability changed. Shiri Azenkot, assistant professor of information science at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech, Cornell University, gave a keynote that focused on navigation for individuals with low vision.
Funding was provided by Google Explore CSR, the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, and AccessComputing.