Call for Volunteers
From SIGART wiki
Contents |
Adopt a Turing Award Winner
We are looking for volunteers who want to put together bibliographical material on the Turing Award winners from the AI field. ACM will make the publications of the Turing award winners in the Digital Library open and accessible to anyone. ACM will host web pages on the Turing Award winners that present and highlight their work. The list of winners from AI includes Marvin Minsky (1969), John McCarthy (1971), Herbert Simon (1975), Allen Newell (1975), Edward Feigenbaum (1994), Ray Reddy (1994). Anyone interested in preserving the history of AI, or interested in writing an overview of a Turing Award winner's work, or simply in providing guidance for readers about the research of a Turing Award winner please contact sigart_chair@acm.org for details.
Start a Workshop to Increase Diversity
Consider starting an area-specific workshop to increase diversity. We are all aware of the fact that there are large segments of the population underrepresented in computer science. SIGART would like to see activities initiated by members to increase diversity and it is willing to provide some funding. For instance, you could propose at one of the conferences relevant to your community a workshop aimed at increasing women and other minorities representation in that particular subfield. There are similar workshops (see, for instance, the CRA-W/CDC Computer Architecture Summer School.
Nominate speakers for the Distinguished Speakers Program
Help the Distinguished Speakers Program by nominating speakers. Non US speakers are particularly needed. Nominating is simple, go to the Web page, and enter the information.
E-mentoring opportunity - just 20 minutes per week
The MentorNet One-on-One Mentoring Programs are a chance to make a big difference in the life of a student in as little as 20 minutes a week.
ACM is now partnering with MentorNet, an organization that promotes e-mentoring relationships between students (proteges) and professionals (mentors). Mentors and students communicate entirely by email, wherever and whenever they choose. The programs have proven effective by providing "real world" information, encouragement, advice, and access to networks for students, and particularly for those underrepresented in engineering and science fields.
MentorNet seeks science and engineering professionals to mentor engineering and science community college, undergraduate, and graduate students, who are interested in pursuing a professional future in the fields of engineering and science.
Since 1998, MentorNet has matched more than 20,000 pairs of proteges and mentors. Over 90% of participants would recommend MentorNet's e-mentoring programs to a friend or colleague. Here is what one ACM mentor says about the program: "I have been a mentor with MentorNet for almost five years now. I have had a variety of mentees from graduate students who are struggling to decide if the PhD is the right thing for them to faculty members wanting to determine if moving up into administrative positions is the right thing for their career. Each of these mentees has brought a fresh set of questions and backgrounds that are unique to them. Each has had different issues that need to be dealt with and challenges that they face. Each of these mentees has challenged me to think about my career path and what things were important for me along the way. I enjoy immensely the feeling that I am providing a sounding board for young professionals as they advance their careers. It is very rewarding to have these mentees come back and say that you have helped them to learn about themselves and their career interests. It is a relatively small time investment for a huge personal reward."
Donna Reese, Associate Dean for Academics and Administration James Worth Bagley College of Engineering, Mississippi State University
To learn more, go to: MentorNet
