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The University of Texas at El Paso Receives 2019 CMD-IT University Award for Retention of Minorities and Students With Disabilities in Computer ScienceCHICAGO, Sept. 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT (CMD-IT) announced The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) as the recipient of the third annual CMD-IT University Award for Retention of Minorities and Students with Disabilities in Computer Science. The University Award recognizes US institutions that have demonstrated a commitment and shown results for the retention of students from underrepresented groups in undergraduate Computer Science programs over the last five years. The award, sponsored by Microsoft, is focused on the following underrepresented groups: African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and People with Disabilities. UTEP received the award on September 19th at the 2019 ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing in San Diego, California. The award included a $15,000 cash award. The CMD-IT University Award decision was based on UTEP’s impressive quantitative reported results, which reflected high retention and graduation rates, and qualitative reporting on their various retention programs. In particular, UTEP highlighted the following programs as directly impacting retention:
“We want to express our immense gratitude for being named the recipient of the CMD-IT University Award for Retention of Minorities and Students with Disabilities in Computer Science. At UTEP, we have long recognized the importance of inclusion and equity as a means of advancing discovery. The unique perspectives of our 21st century student demographic and faculty are vital contributions to research and innovation. UTEP is currently at the forefront of an initiative to ensure Hispanics comprise 20 percent of graduates in computing disciplines, nationally, by 2030. UTEP’s recent designation as a top tier research institution affirms the ability of a university to conduct outstanding research while providing exemplary learning environments that graduate competitive students from underserved communities. We greatly appreciate being recognized by an organization that shares our mission of providing opportunities for young people to achieve success. We look forward to collaborating with CMD-IT and other partners to continue to create pathways for diverse approaches in computing,” said Ann Gates, Professor and Chair of the Computer Science Department at The University of Texas at El Paso. For more information, visit http://www.cmd-it.org/programs/current/university-award/. About CMD-IT The vision of CMD-IT is to contribute to the national need for an effective workforce in computing and IT through inclusive programs and initiatives focused on minorities and people with disabilities. CMD-IT’s vision is accomplished through its mission to insure that underrepresented groups are fully engaged in computing and IT and promotes innovation that enriches, enhances and enables underrepresented communities. For more information, please visit www.cmd-it.org. Media Contact: Jerri Barrett, [email protected] |