Guess who just got back from an awesome adventure in the Dominican Republic? That's right, it's us—Dr. Tyler Clark and Stacey Sexton! We had an amazing time attending the Black Issues in Computing Education (BICE) Symposium from February 1-3, 2024. Now, if you're wondering what BICE is all about, let us break it down for you. It's basically the go-to spot for everything related to innovation, challenges, and best practices for Blacks in postsecondary computing education. This year's theme was all about "Navigating through a Sea of Change," and we definitely navigated some exciting waters!
The symposium, held in beautiful Santo Domingo, was buzzing with opportunities left and right. From insightful sessions to networking galore, there was never a dull moment. We rubbed elbows with some of the brightest minds in the field of computer science! Although we learned lots of new information and the current landscape of CS education through attending the many sessions, our purpose was to gather qualitative data for the Institute for African American Mentoring in Computing Sciences (IAAMCS) project, which is purported to increase the participation of African-Americans in computing, specifically at the Ph.D. level and beyond.
Our goal was simple: to gauge the knowledge and awareness of IAAMCS among stakeholders like computer science educators and industry personnel. And let us tell you, the insights we gathered were absolutely invaluable! But it wasn't all work and no play. We had an absolute blast meeting new people, swapping ideas, and who knows, maybe even planting the seeds for some epic future collaborations.
Our experience at the BICE Symposium was nothing short of amazing. Here's to navigating through seas of change, forging new connections, and making waves in the world of computing education!
-Stacey and Tyler
