Collaborative Research: Exploring the Intersectional Relationship between Mathematics and Computing Identities for Black Girls and Women

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

This project will conduct a two-day workshop examining black girls' and women's mathematics and computing identities. The goals of the workshop are to 1) explore the intersectional experiences of black girls and women in math and computer science (CS), 2) begin to understand how math and CS identities relate and inform each other, 3) start understanding factors that lead black women to study math and CS in college, and 4) establish a more extensive research agenda around these issues. The workshop will bring together thought leaders to examine the trajectories of success for black girls and women in mathematics and CS. The results of this workshop will inform the national dialogue in support of broadening participation in both computing and mathematics. The contributions of the workshop address the need to increase the diversity of ideas and perspectives in computer science and mathematics, particularly for black women. This workshop will go beyond simply adding to the discourse for the need to increase diversity in these disciplines by 1) actively investigating research to differentiate the experiences of black women from other groups in computing and mathematics, 2) providing a critical analysis of the conditions under which black girls and women thrive, 3) actively investigating the relationship between computer science and mathematics through both curricular and experiential lenses, and 4) engaging black girls and women to articulate the experiences that differentiate them from other groups in computing and mathematics. The organizers will create and distribute an article describing the workshop, its enactment and the findings that emerge from the discussion and interaction. They will also develop a videography of black girls and women sharing how their personal experiences affect their math and CS identities as well as their interest and persistence in these fields. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.