CMD-IT News Center

August is National Black Business Month, a time to recognize and celebrate Black-owned businesses and the entrepreneurs whose innovation, leadership, and vision continue to shape industries.

July is Disability Pride Month, a time to recognize the contributions, achievements, and innovations of people with disabilities, including the many ways people with disabilities continue to shape the future of computing. This month commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990, while also highlighting the importance of accessibility, representation, and inclusive design in technology.

June provides an opportunity to recognize the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community whose work continues to shape computing. Across research institutions, startups, nonprofit organizations, and global enterprises, the LGBTQ+ community has helped drive advancements in many areas, including software engineering, artificial intelligence, data systems, workforce development, and community-building while expanding visibility and representation throughout the tech landscape.

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month offers an opportunity to recognize the contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander professionals who have helped shape computing. Across research institutions, startups, and global enterprises, AAPI leaders continue to influence innovation, drive economic growth, and expand the reach of tech in meaningful ways.

CMD-IT highlights one of its programs, the LEAP Alliance, which is focused on diversifying future leadership in the computing professoriate at research universities as a way to increase diversity across computing.  The LEAP Alliance brings together four cohorts of universities, each cohort having common strengths and a common agenda to address the focus on future leadership.  Each cohort consists of 8-11 universities.  Cohorts 1 – 3 focus on doctoral students and Cohort 4 focuses on undergraduate students.  The LEAP Alliance is focused on the following underrepresented communities in computing: African Americans/Blacks, Native Americans/Indigenous, Hispanics/Latinx, and People with Disabilities.

CMD-IT highlights one of its programs, the LEAP Alliance, which is focused on diversifying future leadership in the computing professoriate at research universities as a way to increase diversity across computing.  The LEAP Alliance brings together four cohorts of universities, each cohort having common strengths and a common agenda to address the focus on future leadership.  Each cohort consists of 8-11 universities.  Cohorts 1 – 3 focus on doctoral students and Cohort 4 focuses on undergraduate students.  The LEAP Alliance is focused on the following underrepresented communities in computing: African Americans/Blacks, Native Americans/Indigenous, Hispanics/Latinx, and People with Disabilities.

This Women’s History Month, CMD-IT recognizes women of color in computing whose groundbreaking work has helped shape the technologies, networks, and digital experiences we rely on every day.

As we celebrate Black History Month, CMD-IT recognizes the early pioneers in computing whose brilliance, perseverance, and innovation helped shape the technological foundation we rely on today.

This past October, Marc Richardson, Technical Project Lead with Chameleon, gave an engaging webinar to introduce the Chameleon Cloud for computer science research and education. Chameleon is a large-scale, bare metal reconfigurable experimental platform that supports edge to cloud research.

January is recognized as National Mentoring Month, a time that CMD-IT honors the vital role that mentorship plays in personal and professional growth, particularly within the computing field. National Mentoring Month is a time to recognize, celebrate, and expand mentoring opportunities.