Modern Figures Podcast

Modest in nature, Dr. Nashlie Sephus is a tech giant. A native of Jackson Mississippi, she grew up doing it ALL. She has worked with everyone, she knows everyone, she probably has your number.

Being the first Black woman to earn a PhD in Computer Science at Purdue University is only one part of Amber’s story. Amber has always been curious and interested in gadgets (and their destruction at times) which led to her interest in computer science. Despite being discouraged from pursuing the PhD by her initial advisor, Amber never forgot her purpose and persevered to the end. True to form, her passion for giving back is evidenced by her drive to build visualization tools for electronic healthcare records to make predictions that inform treatment guidelines. Currently, Amber is giving back to her community in Jackson Mississippi, as the COO and co-founder of the JXN Tech District, a $150M live-work-play, mixed-use real estate development project in Jackson, MS.

Dr. Karina Liles is nothing short of amazing. She has been using technology to solve problems from a young age. From teaching colors to her sister at a young age, to being the on-call tech guru for her family and friends, creating clever scripts to get her job done faster, and making video games for her brother, Karina has always been an advocate of using technology to engage others. Currently, as the Chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department Claflin University, an educational consultant, and the creator of the STEM Truck SC, Karina ensures that the next generation of computer scientists are just as excited about computing as she is.

Episode 29 - Applying Pressure Hosts: Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullen Guests: Erik Russell and Dr. Burçin Tamer Description: If you’ve watched Disney’s newest hit movie Encanto, you can relate to this episode. We all feel like Luisa at times, but instead of crumbling under the weight of the pressure to address inequities in computing, the Computing Research Association is applying pressure through data-driven, evidenced based initiatives to promote broadening participation. This is Data that’ll tip, tip, tip, the scales towards inclusion. Erik's Bio: As Director of Programs at the Computing Research Association (CRA), Erik provides operational leadership, program management, and relationship building for the organization. Working closely with the CRA Committee on Widening Participation (CRA-WP), Erik drives CRA's talent development initiatives with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through careful engagement, recruitment, cultivation, and support of talent, he aims to amplify efforts to promote advanced computing research. Before joining CRA, Erik worked to advance computer science education through his service as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow within the Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering at the National Science Foundation. Erik has been actively working to engage and retain students from groups historically underserved in computer science research. Burçin's Bio: Dr. Burcin Tamer is the Director of Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) at the Computing Research Association (CRA). Dr. Tamer leads a number of projects that collect data, conduct research and evaluation, and engage with the computing community to support the community’s efforts to broaden participation in computing. These projects include BPCnet.org, which is an NSF-funded project that provides resources and services to the community to successfully develop and implement impactful BPC Plans.

Episode 28 - Wandavision Hosts: Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullen Guest: Dr. Wanda Eugene Description: Dr. Wanda Eugene, an actor turned engineer, has ALL of the degrees. She found her home and community in engineering through an unlikely path. Hear about how she uses her expertise in computer science, industrial engineering, instructional technology, entrepreneurship, and African-American studies to make her impact on the world. Bio: Wanda Eugene, Ph.D. is constantly seeking out new ways to leverage technology to engage underserved communities. As a principal at DEEP Designs LLC, she specializes in cultivating technology with vulnerable populations and integrates the strategic direction of the organization. As the Executive Director of Computing and Society Engagement (CASE), she has launched Entrepreneur Diversity in Information Technology (EDIT), a free incubator program that works with underserved minorities to launch tech-based businesses with the support of entrepreneurs like Jimmy John Shark. In parallel with this work, she serves as a Research Assistant Scientist in the University of Florida Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department, where she explores how cultural, social, and personal surroundings affect the appropriation of computational artifacts and ideas of how they can serve as a resource for the design of new technologies. Dr. Eugene holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science, a Master’s in Industrial Engineering and a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies specializing in Instructional Technology and African American Studies and a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering.

Episode 27 - Guess Who's Back, Back Again Hosts: Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullen Description: We are back (again). We have a *BIG* update (listen until the end). In this episode, we reflect a bit on the progress of the podcast so far. Listen to hear what we have been up to since the panini press began, podcast updates, job updates, life updates, and  everything in between. 

Episode 26 - Best Revenge is Your Paper Hosts: Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullen Guest: Pamela Gibbs Website: http://www.pamelasgibbs.com Instagram: @pamelaDisrupts Twitter: @pameladisrupts LinkedIn: Pamela Gibbs Description: From a young age, Pamela Gibbs wanted to know all the things. As an avid reader, her interest in solving the great mysteries of the world and speaking truth to power led her to pursue a career in research (and to spending a lot of time being grounded). It comes at no surprise that she ended up pursuing degrees in several disciplines, giving her a set of broad perspectives and experiences. Today, Pam is pursuing her doctoral degree while working in human factors engineering at Walmart. In this episode, we discuss family, business, banking, diversity, tech, Beyoncé, and more. Join us as she shares what inspires her to continue to learn and grow and how that’s shifted through the years.    Bio: Pamela Gibbs has over a decade of finance, sales, business strategy experience along with 5+ years of technical expertise in the field of computer science. Her background is very diverse, she is currently working as a Technology Design Researcher for Walmart, and completing her doctoral studies in Information and Interaction Design at the University of Baltimore. Prior to that she completed dual bachelor of science degrees in International Business and Marketing as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Penn State University. Combining her technical and business knowledge, Pamela looks forward to helping dismantle some of the barriers to access regarding education, technology, and finance that impact underrepresented groups- particularly black women, while continually shattering the glass ceiling. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, where she uses her platform to inspire and fuel the current and future generation of women in technology.  She is a proud wife, mother, member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, and lover of all things Beyoncé.

Episode 25 - Corporate-ish. Identity, Retention: Her Passion, Our Mission. Hosts: Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullen Guest: Dr. Denae Ford Robinson  Website: http://denaeford.me Twitter: @denaefordrobin LinkedIn: Dr. Denae Ford Robinson Description: If you visit Dr. Denae Ford Robinson's website you’ll learn a lot about her. One of the first things you’ll see is that she’s focused on dismantling barriers in computer science. And so are we! Denae is passionate about understanding how identity plays a role in retaining underrepresented people in tech, with a specific research focus on cognitive and social barriers in socio-technical ecosystems. We talk a lot about this and the strategies she’s seen that make a difference, including mentoring, which is just one of the many ways we seek to broaden participation in computing at iAAMCS and NCWIT.Though she’s taken her talents to industry, Denae maintains one foot in the academy. Listen in and learn how you too can pursue publishable research in a corporate environment (which is a big deal for those of us with doctoral degrees). Bio:  Dr. Denae Ford Robinson is a Senior Researcher in the SAINT group at Microsoft Research where her research lies at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction and Software Engineering.  Her current research focuses on how empathetic mechanisms can facilitate collaboration for software engineers in online socio-technical ecosystems globally through an extended cultural lens.  Dr. Ford Robinson earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science and a graduate minor in Cognitive Science, M.S. in Computer Science, and B.S. in Computer Science from North Carolina State University. As a scholar student athlete, she found the joy in computing and let it run from there, literally. Throughout her Ph.D. academic career, she has interned and collaborated with research laboratories including MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Microsoft Research, Stack Overflow, and Facebook Research. Her dissertation research creates and applies a framework for dismantling barriers to participation titled "Identity-Based Signals and E-Mentorship to Support Engagement in Online Programming Communities", which cites her impactful collaboration with Stack Overflow on the Mentorship Program.  Dr. Ford Robinson firmly believes that her research is for software developers, so to make sure they find value in it and have the opportunity to give feedback, she writes blogs: http://blog.denaeford.me. She also blogs about her time as a PhD student at http://philosideee.com . More information about her research and papers can be found at http://denaeford.me.  She has received several fellowships and awards including the National GEM Consortium Fellowship, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Microsoft Research Ph.D. Fellowship, and #blackcomputer Fellowship. She was also recently recognized with the 2019 #blackcomputeHER Rising Star Award. Passionate about pouring into others, she participates in several service opportunities including  serving on the Board of Directors for INTech Camp for Girls designed to inspire young Black, Latinx, and Indigenous girls in computing.

Episode 24 - Working Moms Get The Job DoneHosts: Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullenGuest: Dr. Gloria Opoku-BoatengInstagram: @glowhyiaTwitter: @glowhyiaOBLinkedIn: Dr. Gloria Opoku-BoatengDescription: Gloria Opoku-Boateng met Kyla at the 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference. And Kyla knew we had to interview her to share her unique story. She started her computing education in Africa while her father was working as a missionary. In high school, she and her siblings fell in love with technology. And as a result, Gloria decided to pursue computer science in college. Since she stayed in Africa to get her degree, While she didn’t have to contend with racism, she did feel isolated as one of the only women in her classes. But she persevered and went on to obtain 2 masters degrees and a PhD! Gloria’s determination (like doing 10 internships in her PhD program) is on display throughout this episode. She leveraged all her experiences which makes for an interesting career trajectory. Fun fact: Gloria is a Mom to a 7 week old and as this episode drops Jeremy’s baby girl is now 7 weeks!Bio: As an African-American, wife, mom, sister, and woman in tech, Gloria is not your typical black woman in computing. She grew up a missionary kid who lived in different parts of the world. She is currently in a research leadership/manager role at Amazon Web Services; leading UX and design research teams for some of the most technical services Amazon provides via cloud. Prior to her current role, she led research around Capital One's AI/ML Platform and Identity Services. She has also worked with corporate tech giants like Google, IBM, and Northrop Grumman. Her academic tech journey started with her bachelors in computer science; continued with two masters in applied health informatics and Human-Computer Interaction, and a phD that culminates health, UX research, and vulnerable populations. She is passionate about mentoring and giving back to the community. Over the last several years, she has volunteered in so many ways to teach girls how to code, mentor UX researchers, and served in various capacities with local and regional robotics competitions. With her work and passion, Gloria has been awarded several awards and recognition. She hopes to inspire women in tech with her experience and encourage black women to 'have it all' through balance and patience. When she is not at work or volunteering, she is spending time with her family; catching up on her favorite TV shows or book.

Here’s a secret: you don’t have to get a degree in computing to have a career in the tech industry. Our next guest has degrees in physics, optical engineering, and engineering education, but none in computing. Today, she works for the oldest technology company in the world! Dr. Lauren Thomas Quigley’s story gives us the perspective that is often shared in engineering classrooms across the country, that completing a degree in engineering teaches you how to solve problems. It’s an algorithm that can be applied in a variety of different domains. Listen in to learn how Lauren’s degrees propelled her towards her career educating the tech workforce. And hear how her mentorship through the National Society of Black Engineers and beyond helped Jeremy accomplish her goals of completing her doctorate in engineering.