ABSTRACT

Rice University, in an alliance with Boston University; the University of California at Berkeley; Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; the University of Colorado at Boulder; the University of Texas at Austin, and additional partners, proposes the Empowering Leadership: Computing Scholars of Tomorrow Alliance (EL Alliance). It will develop a national network of colleagues who share the common experience of being a minority student or faculty at a majority institution, and others deeply committed to the success of these students and faculty. The EL Alliance has enlisted many of the leaders in computing research to this network, including faculty, directors of national laboratories, leaders in industry, junior faculty, grad students, undergraduates, and professionals. The network will provide multiple, integrated, reinforcing programs and experiences to ensure that the few minority scholars in the computing disciplines at top departments matriculate and go on to make their mark in graduate education, research, industry, or national policy. These programs will include the national support network, local and online communities, and annual meetings, using technology to reach, inspire, and support isolated minority students. Furthermore the Alliance will be aligned with well-recognized programs such as AGEP Alliances, NSDL, CI-TEAM, the TeraGrid, and other Broadening Participation in Computing awardees. The EL Alliance will directly impact many of the finest underrepresented minority students in the country, encouraging, preparing, and retaining them as they pursue degrees in computing. In turn these students, as they take their places in the leadership of the community, will be in a position to impact additional students.

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