Mentoring

A recent unexpected professional theme has arisen via three separate avenues. I have had the pleasure of serving as teaching mentor to novice teachers 1) as part of the CS department community, 2) in my role as a member of the Peer Eval Committee, and 3) as a participant in the Faculty of Science Teaching Startup Program. In each case, I have played the “senior” role in a mentorship relationship, but also in every case I have benefitted remarkably from the arrangement. I get to engage in regular conversations around the substance and practice of classroom management, marking, TA expectations, educational technologies, and professional development, etc. It has been my joy to work in this capacity with five new CS faculty over the past year.

Equity and Diversity

Though there are several specific activities that illustrate my involvement in the movement to diversify the field of computing, none truly captures my heart-felt commitment. I am motivated by my view of computing as a rich discipline worthy of academic pursuit, with exactly the same cultural significance as the study of music and literature, but with the added responsibility of supporting technical innovation. It is a social imperative to include diverse voices because failing to do so limits the set of ideas on which progress is built.

In recent years, my activism has settled into a few specific initiatives:

  1. I am the chair of our department’s Commitee on Outreach Diversity and Equity. Current initiatives include support for fledgling Women in Computer Science, and QueerCoded student organizations, evaluation of CS admission processes, policy research on inclusive hiring for near and new university graduates, and general dissemination of resources for student wellness and inclusive teaching.
  2. A few times per year I am invited to give motivational talks to student groups—often women’s student organizations. These talks are technical, but I always find some way of including a message about the power of diverse voices. This year’s repertoire included a tribute to Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician, and a metaphor for innovation about the science of snowflakes.
  3. Via invited talks, small group facilitation, and panel participation, I have had several recent opportunities to engage in meaningful conversation with my peers about topics such as inclusive teaching, or the effects of unconscious bias.
    • Canada Celebration of Women in Computing, Workshop on Inclusive Teaching, small group facilitator. Toronto, ON, November, 2019.
    • Canada Celebration of Women in Computing, Panel on Implicit Bias, panelist. Toronto, ON, November, 2019.
    • Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education, Spring 2019, Distinguished Lecture. “The Art, Craft, and Practice of Teaching.” University of Illinois. March 26, 2019.
    • Computing Research Association-Education, Academic Careers: The Landscape is Broader than You Think, panelist. Phoenix, AZ, June 2019.
    • Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, Leading Intentional Cultural Change, panelist. Houston, TX, September 2018.

In each of these contexts I am certain that I learn more than I contribute, and I am grateful to have the opportunities.