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We have created, piloted and are growing the Align program, a Master of Science in Computer Science (MS in CS) for post-secondary graduates who did not major in CS. Our goal is to create a pathway to CS for all students, with particular attention to women and underrepresented minorities. Indeed, women represent 57% and underrepresented minorities represent 25% of all bachelor's recipients in the U.S., but only 19.5% and 12.6% of CS graduates, respectively. If we can fill this opportunity gap, we will satisfy a major economic need and address an issue of social equity and inclusion. In this paper, we present our "Bridge'' curriculum, which is a two-semester preparation for students to then join the traditional MS in CS students in master's-level classes. We describe co-curricular activities designed to help students succeed in the program. We present our empirical findings around enrollment, demographics, retention and job outcomes. Among our findings is that Align students outperform our traditional MS in CS students in grade point average. To date we have graduated 137 students and 827 are enrolled.more » « less
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Computer Science (CS) seems to be everywhere - in our smartphones, apps, cars, watches and so much more. It is integrated into almost every discipline and has a growing importance in our daily lives, yet even with top salaries, exciting companies, and promising careers, the job market remains underpopulated and under-representative of women. Though its applications are everywhere, CS is an often misunderstood field due to lack of exposure and knowledge. This paper explores the misperception associated with Computer Science and examines the efforts to make it more inclusive by attracting women, introducing CS earlier at the K-12 level, and improving entry-level college courses.more » « less
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Effective professional learning communities (PLCs) are important in supporting teacher learning. This study investigated computer science (CS) teacher leaders’ perspectives on the lessons and the challenges in supporting CS teachers through local PLCs. We purposefully selected ten CSTA chapters and conducted focus group interviews with the chapter leaders between 2020 and 2022. Our findings indicated that these PLCs offered social-emotional support, continual networking opportunities, and rich professional learning resources. Also, they amplified teachers’ voices and supported CS teachers’ professional identity building. To engage CS teachers, the teacher leaders built trust, collaborated with other PLCs or organizations, and set an inclusive PLC culture. These PLCs had challenges in recruitment, leadership development and transition, and building group identity.more » « less
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Abstract The Local Vibrational Mode Analysis, initially applied to diverse molecular systems, was extended to periodic systems in 2019. This work introduces an enhanced version of the LModeA software, specifically designed for the comprehensive analysis of two and three‐dimensional periodic structures. Notably, a novel interface with the
Crystal package was established, enabling a seamless transition from molecules to periodic systems using a unified methodology. Two distinct sets of uranium‐based systems were investigated: (i) the evolution of the Uranyl ion (UO) traced from its molecular configurations to the solid state, exemplified by CsUOCl and (ii) Uranium tetrachloride (UCl) in both its molecular and crystalline forms. The primary focus was on exploring the impact of crystal packing on key properties, including IR and Raman spectra, structural parameters, and an in‐depth assessment of bond strength utilizing local mode perspectives. This work not only demonstrates the adaptability and versatility of LModeA for periodic systems but also highlights its potential for gaining insights into complex materials and aiding in the design of new materials through fine‐tuning.