Rising Stars New England Logo Banner

The 2024 New England Computing & Data Science Rising Stars program at Boston University is aimed at supporting doctoral students and postdocs from particularly underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds who will be entering the academic job market within 1-2 years. The scholars we are seeking will be from the computing and data sciences, engineering, or math disciplines and are emerging public-interest technology scholars interested in pursuing academic careers.

This program was launched April 2024 and hosted by Boston University’s Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences in collaboration with BU’s Department of Math and Statistics, College of Engineering, Department of Computer Sciences, and members of the Public Interest Technology Network of New England (PIT-NE). It will culminate with an in-person workshop at Boston University in the Fall of 2024.

We are thrilled to announce our cohort of Rising Stars, a group of exceptional young academic professionals making significant contributions to their fields. These innovative thinkers are pushing boundaries, inspiring change, and demonstrating remarkable promise in research and education.

  • Andrea Gallardo, Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University
  • Collins Munyendo, Computer Science from The George Washington University
  • Ezinne Nwankwo, Computer Science from UC Berkeley
  • Joy Ming, Information Science from Cornell University
  • Kentrell Owens, Computer Science from the University of Washington
  • Kweku Kwegyir-Aggrey, Computer Science from Brown University
  • Natalie Araujo Melo, Computer Science & Learning Sciences from Northwestern University
  • Olumurejiwa Fatunde, Operations Management & Decision Sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Tamara Lambert, Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University
  • Tessa Masis, Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Learn More about the Rising Stars Scholars

In addition to highlighting young academic professionals and their research and fostering an interdisciplinary community, this workshop will prepare emerging scholars for the academic job search process and how to succeed as a junior faculty member. It will allow emerging scholars to gain exposure for their research, gain knowledge and practice that will assist their job search process, and build lasting connections with peers and academic leaders in the field of public interest technology from across the country.

See the Rising Stars 2024 Agenda

Photo of students collaborating around table

Program Benefits:

  • Workshop participation at Boston University with travel costs covered by the program.
  • Depending on funding, some chosen candidates might also be sponsored to join the PIT-UN 2024 Convening.
  • Mentoring and skills development relevant to the academic job search process.
  • Networking with senior faculty and peers.

    Benefits of Being a Rising Star:

    • Workshop participation at Boston University with travel costs covered by the program.
    • Mentoring and skills development that are relevant to the academic job search process.
    • A six-month BU email account and access to a vast library of professional resources.
    • Gaining exposure to your research and other work.
    • Networking with senior faculty and peers.
    • One follow-up meeting with a faculty mentor.
    • Two follow-up cohort meetings in early 2025 (January and April).
    • Depending on funding, some chosen candidates might also be sponsored to join the PIT-UN 2024 Convening.

    If you have any questions about the opportunity, please contact the organizers at risingstars@bu.edu.

    Committee and Mentors

    The following individuals are members of the 2024 New England Computing & Data Science Rising Stars program:

    Colette Basiliere Executive Director, PIT-New England and Research Fellow at University of Massachusetts 
    Prof. Tanima Chatterjee Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences (CDS), Boston University
    Prof. Ziba Cranmer Director of BU Spark!, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University
    Prof. Zachary del Rosario Assistant Professor of Engineering and Applied Statistics, Olin College
    Prof. Jessie Finocchiaro Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Boston College
    Prof. Diana Freed Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and the Data Science Institute, Brown University
    Prof. Roscoe Giles Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Boston University
    Prof. Neha Gondal Assistant Professor of Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University
    Prof. Jonathan Huggins Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics & Statistics and the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University
    Prof. Nathan Jones Associate Professor of Special Education, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, Boston University
    Aleena Khan Senior Outreach & Programs Manager, TechCongress
    Julie Lee Technology for Liberty Fellow, ACLU MA
    Prof. Abraham Matta Professor and Department Chair, Computer Science Department, Boston University
    Prof. Elaine Nsoesie Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health at the Boston University School of Public Health
    Prof. Carolina Rossini Lecturer, School of Law and Rising Stars Program Manager at Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University
    Andreen Soley Director of the Public Interest Technology (PIT) program at New America
    Prof. Glenn Stevens Professor and Department Chair, Mathematics and Statistics Department, Boston University 
    Prof. Gianluca Stringhini Associate Professor (ECE), Boston University College of Engineering, Boston University
    Prof. Mayank Varia Associate Professor, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University
    Prof. Ethan Zuckerman Associate professor of Public Policy, Communication, and Information, and Director for the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure, University of Massachusetts

    Call for Nominations and Applications: Closed

    Eligibility and Selection Criteria:

    • Applicants must be emerging scholars in computer science, computer engineering, math, statistics, and data science from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, particularly including Black, Latinx, and Indigenous doctoral students and postdocs who have obtained a Ph.D. no earlier than 2022.
    • Applicants must be interested in pursuing an academic career in the short term in computing and data sciences, engineering, or math, with research interests in public interest technology topics.
    • A committee will select up to ten applicants for participation in the program based on their application, with specific attention to their personal statements of interest and published scholarship.
    • Preference will be given to applicants who are focused on public-interest technology issues and who have not secured a faculty position.

    2024 Timeline:

    • Call launch: April 16th, 2024.
    • Nominations deadline: June 30, 2024.
    • Application deadline: July 15, 2024.
    • Committee's decision communication: August 30th, 2024.
    • Workshop at Boston University: October 2024.
    • Mentorship and cohort meet-ups - January to April 2025.