Rising Stars New England 2024 Agenda

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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.

Learn More about the Rising Stars Program

2024 Agenda

Day 1 - October 23rd

8:45 am to 9:30 am - Check-in and Breakfast

9:30 am to 9:45 am - Welcome and Introductions

Prof. Ziba Cranmer, Director, BU Spark!

9:45 am to 10:30 am - Around the Table

MC: Prof. Carolina Rossini, BU Law Lecturer and UMass Director for Public Interest Programs and Professor of Practice

10:30 am to 11:30 pm - Keynote topic: What is next? A Look Ahead at Opportunities.

Speaker: Prof. Jean Morrison, BU

11:30 am to 12:00 pm - Welcome to BU and The Path Ahead of You

Prof. Azer Bestavros,  Inaugural Associate Provost for Computing and Data Sciences and the William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Boston University

12:00 pm to 1:30 pm - Lunch

Served in CDS 548

1:30 am to 2:30 pm - Panel: Career Exploration & Career Development

Objective: Share experiences in career changes, resume, and cover letter writing, requesting and composing recommendation letters, writing a diversity statement, writing a research statement, and negotiating job offers. How to find a good match.

Prof. Diana Freed, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and the Data Science Institute, Brown University

Prof. Emily Nutwell, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Facilitator: Colette Basiliere, ExD, PIT-NE

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Panel: The Academic Creating Real-World Impact

Objective: Share experiences based on the roles academics can play in the "real world," including academics engaging with civil society and policymakers via, e.g., projects with the executive or legislative, congress testimonials, litigation support, campaigns, etc. And the challenges and opportunities such roles provide for academics.

Speakers:

Facilitator: Prof. Jessica Finocchiaro, Boston College

3:30 pm to 4:30 pm - Mentor Circles

Objective: Grab a coffee/tea and have 1:1 or small circle conversations with the Professors present to discuss questions brought up by the Rising Star.

Facilitator: Carolina Rossini

Circle leads:

4:30 pm to 5:00 pm - Keynote

Speaker: Pallavi Eswara, Director of Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs

5:30 pm - 7:30  pm - Dinner

Location: https://www.blueribbonbrasserieboston.com/

 

Day 2 - October 24th

9:00 am to 9:15 am- Check-in & Breakfast

9:15 am to 10:00 am - Keynote: What does it mean to be an academic nowadays?

Speaker: Prof. Ethan Zuckerman, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Communication, and Information, Director of the UMass Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure and co-founder and Director of Public Interest Technology Initiative, UMass

10:00 am to 10:30 am: Modern Skills 1: Innovative Teaching and Engagement Practices

Objective: Share innovative practices for teaching

Speaker: Prof. Kevin Gold, Associate Professor of the Practice of Computing & Data Sciences Preceptor for Instruction

10:30 to 11:00 am: Modern Skills 2: Storytelling

Objective: Share experiences and identify skills needed to tell a compelling story, no matter what you are selling. Yourself, a research project, a class, a product, etc.

Speaker: Maureen McCarthy, Director of Communications, Boston University Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Adjunct Lecturer, Boston University College of Communications, and BU Women's Guild Communications Chair

11:00 am to 12:00 pm - Mentor Circles

Objective: Grab a coffee/tea and have 1:1 or small circle conversations with the Professors present to discuss questions brought up by the Rising Star.

Facilitator: Carolina Rossini

Circle leads:

12:00 pm to 1:30 pm - Lunch

1:30 pm to 2:00 pm: Modern Skills 3: Personal Development & Communications

Objective: Share experiences on tactics, opportunities, and challenges in developing your academic persona via personal development and a communications strategy, including self-advocacy, networking, overcoming imposter syndrome, online presence, etc.

Speaker: Prof. Tanima Chatterjee, BU and Toastmaster

2:00 to 2:30 pm: Modern Skills 4: Find your Community, or Build One!

Speaker: Rebecca Tabasky, Harvard University

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm - Mentor Circles - Pitch Presentation by Rising Stars

Rising Stars will present a research pitch for up to 5 minutes and receive feedback from present Mentors/Committee members and speakers.

Facilitator: Prof. Carolina Rossini

4:00 pm to 4:30 pm: Modern Skills 5: Fundraising

Objective: Identify and apply for public, philanthropic, and private opportunities. Developing partnerships.

Speaker: Prof. Mayank Varia, CDS, Boston University

4:30 pm - 5:00 pm: Wrap-up and Goodbyes