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This paper offers a synthesis on computing identity and the experiences of women and minoritized populations in computing and computer science in higher education. Examining computing identity and its role in the computing experiences of minoritized undergraduates can help us better understand ways to engage and support women and minoritized individuals in the computing field thus increasing participation and persistence of these groups in computing. In this article, we present a review of research literature on computing identity within the experiences of women and minoritized undergraduate students in computing. The research questions guiding this work are: (1) What research literature exists about computing identity?, (2) According to existing literature, what are the experiences of women and racially minoritized undergraduates in computing (e.g., persons who identify as Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous people)?, and (3) What theoretical frameworks are used to guide existing computing identity literature? Emergent themes include the need to focus on exposure to computing, persistence, career expectations, and engagement. While there is no consensus on a computer identity framework, there is research guided by social cognitive career theory, social identity theory, and practice theory. We conclude that computing identity, including its multiple conceptualizations, offers multiple opportunities for informing and broadening participation of minoritized populations in computing. Future research should include further conceptual exploration of computing identity. 

A Historically Black College or University (HBCU) hosted a virtual supplemental learning program to expose underrepresented minority and low-income youth to game development via Construct 3: Game Making Software. The program implemented a hybrid need-based admissions model that compared paid, subsidized, and free virtual outreach participation among underrepresented minority (URM) and low-income adolescents. Due to the program's unique distinctions: a virtual learning environment amid COVID-19, African American undergraduate instructors, and its need-based admissions model, it is unclear which factors directly affected student participation. Future directions include investigating what factors contributed to participation rates, obtaining student and parent feedback, and comparing this program to summer programs for underrepresented students. 

Lack of diversity and high dropout rates among underrepresented students plague the CS discipline. We developed, administered, and validated survey scales measuring social factors that impact the retention and graduation of under-represented CS undergrads at two institutions. Results revealed significant differences between students who identify as men vs. women in terms of computing identity and confidence, and between black and non-black students in terms of familiarity with future opportunities. 

In this work in progress paper, we discuss the utility of electronic mentoring also called e-mentoring. E-mentoring is mentoring that occurs via electronic mediums such as email, phone, Skype etc. as a means of engagement and development. E-mentoring is not a new phenomena. For years, mentors and mentees have used electronic means to connect with each other while bridging geographical, social, racial, gender and cultural gaps. A more recent advance is the use of chatbots as emotional or intelligent agent mentors, specifically embodied conversational agents (ECAs). ECAs are computer-generated representations that have human-like appearances and mannerisms, and are designed to have a human-like relationship with the user. The challenge and goal that accompanies using ECAs is how to deliver mentoring that promotes skill building, academic and career development, and psychosocial support. In this literature review, we provide a brief overview of e-mentoring and its relationship to African American students’ experiences. In particular, we discuss the characteristics, uses, benefits, and disadvantages of e-mentoring and the use of ECAs. We also provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities of e-mentoring uses for minoritized populations such as African American undergraduate students. In addition, we propose that e-mentoring and ECAs should implement culturally sustaining practices, especially when engaging with minoritized populations. In this paper, we explore the feasibility for using e-mentoring as a more contemporary technique for assisting African American students. 

Minority students are not entering computing fields due to inadequate exposure in K-12 curricula. Online computing environments are effective at exposing more minority students to computing concepts before college. An HBCU hosted a virtual camp during COVID-19 to teach minority adolescent students the fundamentals of app development using MIT App Inventor, an app-development platform that allows its users to build fully functional apps for smartphones and tablets. The camp aimed to foster youth innovation and creativity through empowering students to create rather than simply use technology in their lives. Participants in the program showed an increase in wanting to pursue ongoing computing education. 

Modern societies rely extensively on computing technologies. As such, there is a need to identify and develop strategies for addressing fairness, ethics, accountability, and transparency (FEAT) in computing-based research, practice, and educational efforts. To achieve this aim, a workshop, funded by the National Science Foundation, convened a working group of experts to document best practices and integrate disparate approaches to FEAT. The working group included different disciplines, demographics, and institutional types, including large research-intensive universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, teaching institutions, and liberal arts colleges. The workshop brought academics and members of industry together along with government representatives, which is vitally important given the role and impact that each sector can have on the future of computing. Relevant insights were gained by drawing on the experience of policy scholars, lawyers, statisticians, sociologists, and philosophers along with the more traditional sources of expertise in the computing realm (such as computer scientists and engineers). The working group examined best practices and sought to articulate strategies for addressing FEAT in computing-based research and education. This included identifying methodological approaches that researchers could employ to facilitate FEAT, instituting guidelines on what problem definition practices work best, and highlighting best practices for data access and data inclusion. The resulting report is the culmination of the working group activities in identifying systematic methods and effective approaches to incorporate FEAT considerations into the design and implementation of computing artifacts. 

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the efficacy of simulated interactive virtual conversations (chatbots) for mentoring underrepresented minority doctoral engineering students who are considering pursuing a career in the professoriate or in industry. Background: Chatbots were developed under the National Science Foundation INCLUDES Design and Developments Launch Pilot award (17-4458) and provide career advice with responses from a pre-programmed database populated by renowned emeriti engineering faculty. Chatbots have been engineered to fulfill a myriad of roles, such as undergraduate student advisement, but no research has been found that addresses their use with supplemental future faculty mentoring for doctoral students.Methodology: Chatbot efficacy is examined through a phenomenological design with focus groups with underrepresented minority doctoral engineering students. No theoretical or conceptual frameworks exist relative to chatbots designed for future faculty mentoring; therefore, an adaptation and implementation of the conceptual model posited on movie recommendations was utilized to ground this study. The four-stage process of phenomenological data analysis was followed: epoché, horizontalization, imaginative variation, and synthesis.Contribution: No studies have investigated the utility of chatbots in providing supplemental mentoring to future faculty. This phenomenological study contributes to this area of investigation and provides greater consideration into the unmet mentoring needs of these students, as well as the potential of utilizing chatbots for supplementary mentoring, particularly for those who lack access to high quality mentoring.Findings: Following the data analysis process, the essence of the findings was, while underrepresented minority doctoral engineering students have ample unmet mentoring needs and overall are satisfied with the user interface and trustworthiness of chatbots, their intent to use them is mixed due to a lack of personalization in this type of supplemental mentoring relationship.Recommendations for Practitioners: One of the major challenges faced by underrepresented doctoral engineering students is securing quality mentoring relationships that socialize them into the engineering culture and community of practice. While creating opportunities for students and incentivizing faculty to engage in the work of mentoring is needed, we must also consider the ways in which to leverage technology to offer supplemental future faculty mentoring virtually. Recommendation for Researchers: Additional research on the efficacy of chatbots in providing career-focused mentoring to future faculty is needed, as well as how to enhance the functionality of chatbots to create personal connections and networking opportunities, which are hallmarks of traditional mentoring relationships.Impact on Society: An understanding of the conceptual pathway that can lead to greater satisfaction with chatbots may serve to expand their use in the realm of mentoring. Scaling virtual faculty mentoring opportunities may be an important breakthrough in meeting mentoring needs across higher education.Future Research: Future chatbot research must focus on connecting chatbot users with human mentors; standardizing the process for response creation through additional data collection with a cadre of diverse, renowned faculty; engaging subject matter experts to conduct quality verification checks on responses; testing new responses with potential users; and launching the chatbots for a broad array of users. 

Effective advisement can help to address the disproportionately lower self-efficacy, identity, and sense of belonging experienced by Black students in computing degree programs.. Black social media influencers who produce video log (vlog) commentary content on the YouTube platform were investigated to determine the influence they have on improving computing identity for Black students. This exploratory study consists of three studies: (1) a synthesis of vlog commentary college and career advisement videos, coding for the quality of advisement, usability, and user experience; (2) an advisor effectiveness and user experience survey using a selected Black social media influencer who provides computing college and career advisement; and (3) a user experience and interaction preference survey using a selected Black social media influencer. Findings suggest YouTube influencers could be effective, particularly for beginners in the computing field. Future studies intend to further explore Black computing advisement through social media over a long term and at varying levels of interaction.