Featured
Since its launch in 2019, the Center for Inclusive Computing has partnered with 97 colleges and universities to address inequities in computer science.
Northeastern University’s Center for Inclusive Computing (CIC) is part of a $150 million commitment from Pivotal, Melinda French Gates’ organization, to help women thrive in the workplace.
The funding awarded to Northeastern is aimed at addressing the workforce demand for more technical talent in artificial intelligence. Specifically, the investment will expand the CIC’s capacity to work with partner schools on the development of AI tracks within undergraduate computing degrees, and create pathways for non-computing majors to pursue master’s degrees in AI.
The CIC partners with higher education institutions to fund systemic changes to their undergraduate and graduate programs.
Since its launch in 2019 with the initial backing of Pivotal, the CIC has partnered with 97 colleges and universities to address the low percentage of women and individuals from populations that have been historically underrepresented in computer science. Currently, CIC’s partner institutions represent 23.3% of all students earning an undergraduate computing degree in 2023.
This second grant from Pivotal will be used to expand inclusive computing education at even more schools and to address the rise of AI.
The grant recognizes Northeastern’s leadership in breaking down barriers that have historically excluded women and people from other historically underrepresented populations from accessing computing education.
Sign up for NGN’s daily newsletter for news, discovery and analysis from around the world.
The Center for Inclusive Computing is creating pathways that make a computer science education accessible and equitable.
“AI is rapidly growing, and women are more underrepresented in innovation roles,” says Renee Wittemyer, vice president of program strategy at Pivotal. “AI will continue to have a growing and disproportionate impact on society, and we want to build the pipeline of women leaders shaping AI and ensure companies deploying AI are maximizing its benefits and minimizing its harms.
“We also see opportunities to leverage AI to remove workplace barriers for women as it is integrated into HR systems and other practices. Our partners are working to increase entry for women in technical roles and build healthier workplaces that improve career progression.”
Research suggests that learning to code with AI tools might widen the gap between students with and without prior coding experience in the introductory courses. The Center for Inclusive Computing is uniquely positioned to help reverse this trend.
Founded by Melinda Gates in 2015, Pivotal works to advance social progress and expand women’s power and influence in the U.S. and around the world.
The Center for Inclusive Computing at Northeastern is doing just that.
Colleges and universities working with the CIC for at least two years saw significant growth in students from historically underrepresented populations: from Fall 2019 to Fall 2023 the number of Black/African American women and men majoring in computing grew by 136% and 99%, respectively, and Hispanic women and men grew by 116% and 69%. These increases compare with growth rates of 64% and 38% for women and men majors overall at these schools.
Carla E. Brodley is a professor of computer science and dean of inclusive computing at Northeastern, as well as founding executive director for the CIC. She emphasizes that much of this change is a result of schools putting in place practices to serve students regardless of whether they had access to CS in high school.
“Only 57.5% of U.S. high schools offer a CS class and, most of the time, it is an elective,” Brodley says. “This means students are showing up at college with different levels of exposure. A primary goal at the CIC is to make sure departments receive and serve students regardless of prior experience. This equitable access is even more essential in the age of AI, which will impact every field.”
Since its launch, the CIC has raised millions from other sources, including $5.8 million from the National Science Foundation.