Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

DEI is now a globally-established concept—but what does that concept mean to around the globe? Here, several ACM luminaries who have lived on multiple continents briefly discuss how diversity, equity, and inclusion varies in their experience,. They also offer examples of how potentially marginalized communities—based possibly on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, nationality, cultural background, religion, age, or other aspects—can be similar and how they can vary. Read the Viewpoint article in the December 2022 issue of Communications of the ACM.

Every computing student deserves a chance to see themselves in computing, irrespective of demographics, interests, or socioeconomic status. Real-life stories of people finding success after repeated setbacks help students see how and why they persevere. In her article, “The Lives of Hidden Figures Matter in Computer Science Education,” Tiffani Williams, co-chair of ACM's Standing Committee on Systemic Change, provides examples of how computer science educators can incorporate stories of struggle and growth into the classroom and make CS more welcoming for everyone. Read her Viewpoint article in the February 2022 issue of Communications of the ACM.

Most ACM members reside outside the United States, with varying diversity issues around the world. In "An Analysis of Black Faculty in CS Research Departments," Juan E. Gilbert, et al. thought it would be enlightening to do a case study on one marginalized group in the US in the hopes that the lessons learned could be helpful to other groups and in other regions. This particular case study is on the education origins of African-American faculty members in Computer Science (CS) at US universities. Learn about the results and the authors' conclusions in the February 2023 issue of Communications of the ACM.

Machine Learning has tremendous potential for developing tools to improve efficiency and accuracy in decision-making. However, ML also has the potential to lead to outcomes that reinforce human biases, disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, and violate notions of privacy. View the panel "Confronting Ethical Challenges in a High-Tech World," with Mehran Sahami and moderators Fay Cobb Payton and Susan Reiser as they explore some of the promise and perils that arise from Machine Learning to understand both some of the ethical issues and competing value trade-offs at stake.

View the webinar “Language Matters: DEI and the Question of URM,” featuring Nicki Washington of Duke University and Tiffani L. Williams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in discussion on the importance of language to promote inclusive environments for work and study. The webinar was organized by the ACM Education Board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Computing Education Task Force and ACM’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, and was moderated by DEI-CE co-chair Fay Cobb Payton.

ACM Education Board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Computing Education Task Force and ACM’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, for the webinar "Power On! Addressing Issues of Equity and Youth Agency in Computing Education Through a Graphic Novel for Educators and Students." Authors Jane Margolis and Jean Ryoo offered insights on how students of all ages can become more aware of the ethical complexities of technology and how technology intersects with systemic inequality and racism. DEI-CE co-chairs Fay Cobb Payton and Susan Reiser moderated.

In this episode of ACM ByteCast, Rashmi Mohan hosts Pattie Maes, a Professor at MIT's Program in Media Arts and Sciences. Maes runs MIT Media Lab's Fluid Interfaces research group and is also a faculty member in MIT's center for Neuro-Biological Engineering. Here, Maes recounts her path to computing, provides historical perspective on the cyclical nature of the field of AI, recalls some of the designs and applied technologies she has worked on throughout her celebrated career, her thoughts on building diverse teams, and more.

In this episode of ACM ByteCast, Rashmi Mohan hosts members of the team V Bionic, who won the Imagine Cup 2022 grand prize for ExoHeal, a modular exoskeletal hand rehabilitation device that utilizes neuroplasticity and Azure technology to provide adaptive and gamified rehabilitation exercises to people with hand paralysis. The team includes Zain A. Samdani, Faria Zubair, Asfia Jabeen Zubair, and Ramin Udash, who describe their backgrounds, how they got involved in computing and robotics, how ExoHeal works, the biggest challenges the team faced while building it, and more.

In this episode of ACM ByteCast, host Rashmi Mohan interviews Steve Nouri, founder of AI4Diversity, founding member of Hackmakers, and Chief AI Evangelist at Wand. With more than one million followers on LinkedIn, he is one of the most influential voices in AI and Data Science. In this podcast, the native Australian Nouri describes his journey to computing, explains the importance of building a brand online and how it can create more opportunities for computing professionals, and shares his big hopes for the non-profit AI4Diversity.

View the recent Techtalk "Reskilling to Build Diverse Tech Teams," being presented on Thursday, July 27 at 11:00 AM ET/15:00 UTC. Panelists include Sue Black, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Marlene Mhangami, Tan Moorthy, and Brad Voeller. Continue the discussion on ACM's Discourse Page.

View the recent ACM TechTalk, "The Art of Concurrency in Go," presented by Johnny Boursiquot, Platform Observability Engineer at Salesforce's Heroku. Jon Calhoun, founder of Calhoun.io, moderated the questions and answers session following the talk. Continue the discussion on ACM's Discourse Page.

View the ACM TechTalk, "Building a Culture to Support Inclusive Design," on demand. The talk was presented by Jen Devins, Google Accessibility UX Lead and Nithya Sambasivan, Senior User Experience Researcher at Google. Continue the discussion and checkout further resources on ACM's Discourse Page.

View the ACM TechTalk, "The Evolution of Accessibility," presented by Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft. Eve Andersson, Senior Director of Product Inclusion, Equity, and Accessibility at Google, moderated the following question and answer session. Continue the discussion on ACM's Discourse Page.

View the ACM TechTalk, "Instant Memory Training for Tech Success—The ABCs and 123s for Developing a Powerful Memory" presented by Chester Santos, International Man of Memory. Will Tracz of the ACM Professional Development Committee moderated the question and answer session. Continue the discussion on ACM's Discourse Page.

View the recent ACM TechTalk, "Learning from Data: The Two Cultures", presented by Adji Bousso Dieng, Founder of The Africa I Know, researcher at Google, and an incoming tenure-track assistant professor of computer science at Princeton University. Continue the discussion on ACM's Discourse Page.

Briana B. Morrison is an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on computer science education, broadening participation in computing, and increasing K-12 access to qualified computing teachers. Morrison’s honors include a University of Nebraska Omaha Outstanding Teaching Award and a Georgia Tech College of Computing Dissertation Award. In her interview, she discusses how is the learning of computer science similar to other disciplines, effective strategies for reducing dropout and failure rates for introductory CS classes, her work with EngageCSEdu, and more.

Gonzalo Navarro is a Professor at the University of Chile. His main research interests are in the design and analysis of algorithms and data structures. He has made important contributions in areas including compressed data structures, text search, graph databases, information retrieval, and metric databases. In his interview, he discusses how he became become interested in algorithms and data structures, his work and insights which have made important contributions to text search, offers advice for young computer scientists creating a productive career, and more.

David Atienza Alonso is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Head of the Embedded Systems Laboratory and Scientific Director of the EcoCloud Sustainable Computing Center at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. His research interests include system-level design methodologies for high-performance multi-processor system-on-chip and low-power Internet-of-Things  systems, as well as ultra-low power edge AI architectures for wireless body sensor nodes and smart embedded systems. In his interview, he discusses thermal management, making computing more sustainable, a common thread that runs through his work, and more.

During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May, ACM spotlighted Asian American and Pacific Islander pioneers and luminaries in the field of computing, whose ingenuity and entrepreneurship have helped shape the world we live in today. Who are your AAPI heroes that have inspired you to pursue computer science? Follow the series via #APAHM and leave us a message on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.

Celebrate Black History Month by viewing the ACM DEI Council's panel, "Black Excellence in Real-World Computing"—now on demand. Moderator Fay Cobb Payton and panelists Juan Gilbert, Diana Burley, Martez Mott, and Happy Sithole offer an hour of stories, insights and actionable tips. Learn about the critical decisions that led them where they are, the unique challenges they navigate working at the intersection of computing, society, and identity, and how students, researchers, and practitioners of color are impacted by the pandemic and other current events.

Learn about the life of Alan Mathison Turing (1912–1954), the British mathematician and computer scientist who made fundamental advances in computer architecture, algorithms, formalization of computing, and artificial intelligence.

Test your knowledge of inspiring quotations from LGBTQ activists and computing professionals with our fun “Who Said It?” campaign running on ACM’s social media channels.

ACM's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council is an essential resource for SIGs, conferences, boards, and councils looking for best practices to improve diversity in their organization and develop programs with a broader reach in the computing community. Our guide provides examples of both inherent and acquired characteristics, which should be taken into consideration when looking at ways to improve the diversity of your team.

As part of ACM’s efforts to combat exclusion in the computing profession, ACM's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council has launched an effort to replace offensive or exclusionary terminology in the computing field. They have developed a list of computing terms to be avoided in professional writing and presentations and offer alternative language. The Council plans to expand this list in the future and invites the community to submit suggestions for consideration.

Language—it bonds people, societies, and countries. Yet at the same time it can be used (deliberately or not) to exclude or divide. The language we use shapes the way we see the world. But how can one navigate the ever-changing landscape of modern syntax? In "Words Matter," authors Juan E. Gilbert, Stephanie Ludi, David A. Patterson, and Lisa M. Smith offer examples of problematic jargon, give explanations of their difficulties, and suggest alternatives. It is with this more careful communication that computing can be more equitable and inclusive. Read their Viewpoint article in the July 2022 issue of Communications of the ACM.

ACM-W is the ACM Community of Support for Women in Computing. ACM-W supports, celebrates, and advocates internationally for the full engagement of women in all aspects of the computing field, providing a wide range of programs and services to ACM members and working in the larger community to advance the contributions of technical women.

The ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct arose from the experiences, values and aspirations of computing professionals around the world, and it captures the conscience of the profession. It affirms an obligation of computing professionals both individually and collectively to use their skills for the benefit of society.

The open exchange of ideas is central to ACM’s mission. This requires an environment that embraces diversity and provides a safe, welcoming environment for all. ACM's Policy Against Harassment applies to all ACM activities, defines expected behavior and explains how to report unacceptable behavior.

ACM's Technology Policy Council and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council sponsored a free screening and public discussion of the film "Coded Bias" and how those in computer science fields can address issues of algorithmic fairness. The discussion, held on March 29, 2021, has been archived, and "Coded Bias" is now viewable on both PBS and Netflix.

ACM Fellow Timothy Pinkston organized and moderated a panel on "Valuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Our Computing Community" held as a joint session of several co-located virtual conferences in March 2021. The panel included John Hennessey, David Patterson, Natalie Enright Jerger, Margaret Martonosi, Bill Dally and Kim Hazelwood. Watch a recording of the session and read a recap in CACM.

DevOps engineering is a relatively new career focused on building bridges between the developmental and operational sides of software development. But what does it take to become a DevOps engineer? What kind of work environment do they operate in? And is it a promising career for women in tech? View the most recent episode of "ACM-W Celebrating Technology Leaders," with host Bushra Anjum, in which you will hear from women with successful DevOps careers and learn from their experiences working in DevOps and as women in the field.