ICS Students Represent UCI at 2024 Tapia and GHC Conferences
UC Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) was proud to be represented by a total of 34 students at two recent conferences focusing on diversity in tech.
Thirteen students attended the 2024 CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Conference and 21 students — many from ICS’s Women In Computer Science (WICS) student group — attended the 2024 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC).
“Diversity computing conferences, such as the Grace Hopper Celebration and Tapia Conference, play an important role in providing students with access to resources, opportunities and networks beyond our campus,” says Vinh Luong, Assistant Director of the ICS Stacey Nicholas Office of Outreach, Access and Inclusion.
For many ICS students, the Tapia and GHC conferences were their first experience at a major professional event, where they engaged with industry leaders and peers from diverse backgrounds, participated in workshops and more.
“These conferences connect students to the broader computing community, inspiring and empowering them to pursue their academic and professional goals,” says Luong.
Tapia 2024 Conference
Hosted by the Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT in partnership with the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), the Tapia 2024 Conference took place in San Diego from Sept. 18–20.
“This conference was extremely educational and truly remarkable,” wrote second-year computer science student Margaret Galvez. “I was able to attend multiple insightful workshops that advanced my knowledge; explore different career paths in graduate studies, labs and industry; and connect with recruiters, organizations and other university students from around the country!”
Galvez attended workshops about human-centered artificial intelligence, web accessibility and machine learning, gaining new skills and knowledge on how technology can be more inclusive.
Second-year computer science student Joshua Sullivan echoed Galvez’s sentiments, describing the conference as a transformative experience.
“Attending this conference for the first time was both eye-opening and inspiring,” Sullivan wrote. “I’m leaving Tapia inspired, motivated and ready to pursue my future in connecting millions of people worldwide through technological innovations and computer science.”
GHC 2024 Conference
The GHC Conference is the world’s largest gathering of women and non-binary technologists, hosted by the Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology in partnership with ACM. This year, the conference took place in Philadelphia from Oct. 8-11.
Mikayla McGrath, a second-year informatics major and internal vice-president of Women in Information and Computer Sciences, said the GHC 2024 Conference provided “invaluable lessons, knowledge and experiences.”
“At the Expo Hall, I had the chance to interact with companies and recruiters, and I enjoyed many insightful conversations with inspiring women currently working in the field,” wrote McGrath. “This experience helped clarify the path I want to take in my studies and career, and I’m excited about what’s ahead, including internships for summer 2025!”
Attending GHC 2024 also motivated students, like third-year business information management major Chidera Okoroama, to bring the lessons they learned in Philadelphia back to UCI.
Okoroama described the conference as empowering and a “truly unforgettable experience” that highlighted the importance of community and representation in technology. The support she received inspired her to found a club called Black in Tech, dedicated to supporting Black students across UCI who are interested in technology. She hopes to get the club up and running next quarter.
“I connected with many inspiring Black women who shared encouraging advice: to keep pushing forward and to never underestimate myself,” says Okoroama. “The journey to making this club a success will take time, but the encouragement I received at GHC has been a major driving force to keep going.”
For more, follow WICS @wicsuci and ICS @ucibrenics on Instagram.
— Karen Phan