The Department of Computer Science at Colorado State University has been accepted as a 2019 BRAID Affiliate, an initiative designed to promote diversity in undergraduate computer science programs.
The Building, Recruiting, And Inclusion for Diversity (BRAID) initiative, co-led by AnitaB.org and Harvey Mudd College, launched in September 2014 in partnership with 15 universities across the nation. BRAID provides support to computer science (CS) departments to help increase the percentage of women and underrepresented minority students in their undergraduate computing programs. Participants implement successful, tested strategies developed at BRAID Beacon Schools – institutions leading the way in gender diversity within their CS departments.
BRAID Affiliates are institutions that have committed to increasing the diversity of their computing departments, but do not receive funding through the BRAID initiative. Affiliates participate in BRAID for one year, learning best practices from BRAID schools. Affiliates also participate in the annual BRAID Summit in July, a gathering of BRAID stakeholders for two and a half days of discussion, ideation and inspiration.
“Colorado State University and the Department of Computer Science are delighted to be a 2019 BRAID Affiliate. Colorado is one of the nation’s leading high-tech states, and Colorado State University graduates about 20 percent of the state’s new computer scientists each year,” said Professor Craig Partridge, computer science department chair. “Evolving our computer science program to be more welcoming to women and minorities is clearly important, both for equity of access to high-tech jobs and to improve the diversity of the high-tech workforce in Colorado. We look forward to working with the BRAID initiative to make that evolution happen.”
CSU is among five schools selected as the 2019 BRAID Affiliate Schools – along with Boston University, Kean University, Temple University, and the University of Melbourne.
“BRAID is one of our Project 365 programs having an impact all year long, and we appreciate the Affiliate institutions that are committed to increasing diversity in their computing departments,” said Brenda Darden Wilkerson, president and CEO of AnitaB.org. “Together, we are connecting, inspiring and guiding women in computing and organizations that view technology innovation as a strategic imperative. We can and we must have 50/50 parity for women in tech by 2025.”
Support computer science students
Make a direct impact for computer science students by supporting the BRAID Initiatives Fund online, or make checks payable to CSU Foundation, PO Box 1870, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1870, and indicate the donation is for the Computer Science BRAID fund.
