acm                           

The Association for Computing Machinery

Advancing Computing as a Science & Profession

                   MEDIA ADVISORY

Orlando - For Release October 9, 2007

TAPIA CONFERENCE TACKLES IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN COMPUTING

WHAT:  2007 Tapia Conference on Diversity in Computing co-sponsored by ACM

Celebrating the benefits of participation by underrepresented groups in the computing sciences

               Panels and Presentations Include:

        ·    Robotics Competition – Testing student skills in programming robots for real, virtual worlds

        ·    Mentoring Across Race and Discipline – Translating mentoring approaches to students of color

        ·    Diversity is Key to IT Security at Disney –How Disney uses diversity for IT security

        ·    Diversity: A Weapon of Mass Construction – How organizational structures undermine diversity

        ·    Multi-Robot Intelligence – How robots express perception, cognition, and action

        ·    It’s Not Just About the Machine – How the power of information must reflect diversity

        ·    ‘Kuhler-er-blahynd’ – How colorblindness blinds people to facts about diversity

        ·    Math Computations for Very Cool Activities – Appreciating mathematical applications

        ·    Poster Session – Showcasing the latest research as part of ACM’s Student Research Competition

        ·    Banquet and Awards Ceremony – Sponsored by Microsoft

WHEN:   October 14-17, 2007 - Complimentary press registration (except meals)

WHERE : Hilton Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, 1751 Hotel Plaza Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

WHO:    Oct. 15:        Shirley Malcolm, Head, AAAS Directorate for Education and Human Resources

                                     Norman Johnson, Chief Scientist, Referentia Systems

               Oct. 16:        John Leslie King, University of Michigan Vice Provost, Academic Information

                                     Richard Tapia, University Professor, Rice University

                                     Edward Gonzalez, Ph.D. Candidate, Rice University

                                     Joseph Sifuentes, NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Rice University

                                     Manuela Veloso, Professor, Carnegie Mellon University

                                     Maria Klawe, President, Harvey Mudd College

               Oct. 17:        Anne Kuhns, Director, IT Security, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

 WHY:   To compete in a global economy, we must recruit, retain, and provide career opportunities for more under-served student populations in higher education.  The Tapia Conference www.richardtapia.org/2007 offers a supportive networking environment for under-represented groups in computing and information technology, from science to business to the arts to infrastructure.   Participants include Fortune 500 CEOs, National Science Foundation representatives, faculty, non-profit leaders, public servants, members of the media, and students from across the United States. The level of student involvement drives every Tapia Celebration, and the energy cannot be matched.

About ACM

ACM http://www.acm.org is an educational and scientific society uniting the world’s computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.

For More Information:             Contact Virginia Gold   vgold@acm.org  212-626-0505

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