STAR Community Highlights Blog

Promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS): UC Berkeley Initiatives

By Elizabeth

 

Electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) have become increasingly significant in innovation in today's technological landscape; however, there remains a large disparity in the representation of marginalized groups, including women, Black, Latinx, etc. in these fields. Acknowledging the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, UC Berkeley has taken big strides to bridge this gap through programs like CS Scholars and CS Kickstart to foster an environment where students from all backgrounds can thrive in computer science.

 

One initiative at UC Berkeley to build a more inclusive environment in computer science is CS Scholars. CS Scholars is a support program that builds an inclusive community designed to address the unique challenges faced by students from under-resourced and low-opportunity backgrounds in computer science. Recognizing the need for a supportive network, CS Scholars aims to empower first-year students by providing them with the resources and guidance necessary for success.

 

CS Scholars offers a variety of support mechanisms, including mentorship programs, academic advising, and networking opportunities. They also provide tutoring and professional development and advising support specifically for CS Scholars. By fostering connections with faculty, staff, and peers, the program enables students to build strong relationships that are vital to their academic and professional journeys. This community-driven approach ensures that students feel supported to excel in their studies and pursue their career aspirations. 

nother UC Berkeley program that helps increase diversity in computer science is CS Kickstart. CS Kickstart is a one-week introductory summer program that aims to ignite the passion and curiosity of incoming students who are interested in computer science but may have limited exposure to it. CS Kickstart provides students with an immersive experience to computer science, allowing them to learn programming in Python, electrical engineering and work on a coding project. The program emphasizes hands-on activities, interactive workshops, and engaging lectures facilitated by UC Berkeley students and esteemed faculty members. 

 

CS Kickstart aims to inspire students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue computer science as a potential major or career path. They break down barriers and demystify the discipline, empowering students to explore this exciting field. CS Kickstart helps ensure that individuals who may have had limited exposure to computer science have the opportunity to discover their passion and excel in the field.

 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are paramount in EECS. Diverse perspectives lead to groundbreaking ideas and solutions to problems in society today. CS Scholars and CS Kickstart are just some of the initiatives that the university offers to increase diversity and foster a more inclusive environment for underrepresented communities in computer science. By nurturing supportive communities and providing accessible pathways into the field, these programs empower students to succeed in EECS and create lasting impact.