Programs

The Leadership Academy is an online (synchronous) interactive professional development program for undergraduate students in computer science, engineering, and other tech-related majors. The goal of the program is to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in these fields by: a) creating an inclusive community; b) teaching students communication, problem-solving, and networking skills, as well as professional norms and expectations; c) providing students with opportunities to expand their professional network; and d) connecting students to longer-term mentors in tech and engineering industries.

Funded by the Alfred P.  Sloan Foundation, the IDS Fellowship Program is a partnership between UMass Amherst and UMass Boston and has two components. The student component welcomes Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous (BHI) undergraduate students, who have been historically underrepresented in computer science and engineering, as IDS Student Fellows.

All fellows complete a mentored research experience, learn about graduate school options, and develop leadership, communication, and other important professional skills. The faculty component includes a cohort of faculty from computer science and engineering who engage in a year-long learning community premised on the idea that university faculty play a critical role in shaping an inclusive academic culture to support students from historically marginalized groups. They are IDS Faculty Fellows.

Through this program, faculty members develop robust mentoring relationships with their student fellow mentees and contribute to systemic change within their research labs and departments, helping to launch more diverse students into graduate pathways and career.