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Description:
As addressed in recent, high profile studies, the U.S. faces a critical shortage in its information technology talent pool and serious under-representation of women and minorities is a key contributing factor. The outcome has been an erosion in the United States' position as a leader in IT innovation; a competitive deficit; and dangers to economic growth. Simply put, the U.S. is in danger of losing its footing in the IT global competitiveness race.
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) 'Innovation and the Role of Diversity' Town Hall on May 17th brought these conversations to a national level. Hundreds of distinguished IT professionals, educators, members of the NCWIT coalition, Congressional staffers, and Principal Investigators in NSF's new Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) program gathered to strategize about improving and prioritizing the role of diversity in the country's IT future. Town Hall participants--high-level, front line policy shapers and decision-makers from government and industry--discussed key issues such as IT innovation and national security, U.S. job growth, diversity, outsourcing and visa issues; women and minority-owned IT ventures and issues with attracting venture capital and long-term implications; and the failure to adequately address IT at virtually every level of education.
Speakers included Bill Wulf, President of the National Academy of Engineering; Rick Rashid, Senior Vice President of Microsoft Research; Padmasree Warrior, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Motorola. A series of panels and discussion groups followed, with Dr. Kathie Olsen, NSF Deputy Director and COO, moderating an Executive Branch panel and dialogue.More Info:
Agenda (PDF)
Speaker(s):
Dr. William A. Wulf, President, National Academy of Engineering
Jan Cuny, Program Director, National Science Foundation
Rick Rashid, senior vice president, Microsoft Research
Padmasree Warrior, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Motorola
Dr. Kathie Olsen, deputy director, National Science Foundation
Lucy Sanders, CEO, NCWIT
Silvestre Reyes, U.S. Rep. (D-TX)
Ilene H. Lang, President, Catalyst
Barack Obama, U.S. Senator (D-IL)
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