The School of Computer Science's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team has expanded a longstanding outreach effort.

Earlier this spring, students from across the country logged on for OurCS: Diversity in Tech, a virtual workshop for underrepresented groups in computer science to explore computing research.

Participants learned about current research projects and different approaches to research while networking with peers and experts in industry, academia and other computing-related fields. They heard personal anecdotes from faculty about their education and career paths, and listened to a panel discussion about applying to graduate programs and developing research ideas.

The importance of mentorship was a recurring theme throughout the conference, with Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) Ph.D. student Darren Butler advising attendees to "collect mentors like Pokemon."

The conference also included a seminar lecture by Ernanda White, founder and executive director of Black Girls Drone Inc., who discussed the importance of diverse voices, research and inclusive thought leadership in the drone industry.

"This event was the first of its kind and provided the opportunity for students to meet faculty and learn about research firsthand, without committing resources and time to traveling," said Jodi Forlizzi, the Herbert A. Simon Professor in the HCII and associate dean of DEI. "We knew students were engaged when they all returned for the Saturday morning sessions."

The event was sponsored by Google and stems from a wider plan to expand DEI efforts in the school as part of a three-year funding pledge from the company.

OurCS, which stands for "Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Computer Science," began in 2007 as a three-day, in-person workshop aimed at improving gender balance in computing research. Moving forward, the partnership with Google will enable OurCS to feature both virtual and in-person opportunities to reach more diverse groups. The next event will be held virtually in the fall with an emphasis on increasing accessibility in computing research.

"Thanks to industry partners like Google, we can continue to expand the number of potential students we reach through OurCS," Forlizzi said. "We are excited to see the ways in which the program continues to grow with this new support."