Congratulations Jason - FAMU CIS Department Receives $552,000 Grant from National Science Foundation to Attract African-American Women to Computer Science

AAWCS Scholarship program designed to recruit, retain and graduate underrepresented women with CS degrees

The Computer and Information Sciences program at Florida A&M University today announced the receipt of an National Science Foundation (NSF) grant valued at $552,000 dedicated to recruiting minority women to computer science and information technology disciplines. The program, entitled “African-American Women in Computer Science (AAWCS)”, is a four-year program that provides scholarships and other assistance to Dr. Jason T. Black, CIS
women who express a financial need and an interest in CS or IT.

AAWCS, the brainchild of Dr. Jason T. Black, Assistant Professor in CIS, and Dr. Edward L. Jones, Chair of the CIS program, is seeking to directly address the dismal number of minority women, particularly African-American women, that pursue degrees in CS or IT. “The numbers are staggering,” said Black, who is also the Principal Investigator for the program. “The latest data show that out of all U.S. entering freshmen declaring a major in Computer Science, African-American women made up only 3.3%. The fact is that women are not choosing technology, and this is a dangerous predicament. When you couple that with the fact that it is estimated that 75% of all jobs by the year 2020 will require a technology background, it becomes a crisis call.”

Women who apply to AAWCS will be accepted based on financial need, and will be awarded a scholarship of between $3,000 and $5,000 per semester. In addition to the funding, the women will participate in CIS departmental clubs and organizations, such as the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) club, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the CIS Mentoring Organization (CISMO). AAWCS scholars will also be involved in other STEM programs, such as the Florida/Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP) scholarship program, and the Students & Technology in Academia, Research and Service (STARS) Alliance, both NSF-funded programs already at work at FAMU.

An added benefit to the students is the conference participation, where selected AAWCS scholars will be chosen to attend two national conferences (paid for by the grant) each year, such as the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, and the National Conference of Women in Information Technology (NCWIT). “It is our desire to expose these young women to other African-American women professionals who are making great strides, in the efforts to build relationships, establish partnerships, and provide role-models that show them that they, too, can make it in technology.” The conferences often occur internationally, which will only serve to further their exposure and heighten their excitement toward the field, Black added.

The AAWCS program begins operation on July 1, 2008, and will run until June 30, 2012. Applications for the program can be requested by contacting Dr. Jason T. Black at jblack@cis.famu.edu, or 850-412-7354.

AAWCS is a National Science Foundation funded program