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Background
The Computing Sciences organization at Berkeley Lab was created to advance computational science at LBNL and throughout the Department of Energy's Office of Science research programs. We have experienced staff with a wide range of expertise in computer hardware and software, applied mathematics, information technologies, networking, and related services who specialize in applying their skills to solve scientific problems.
Computing Sciences carries out its mission by operating national user facilities and programs (NERSC, ESnet, and CEDR), providing on-site services at Berkeley Lab, and conducting applied research and development in computer science, computational science, and applied mathematics — the three essential elements of computational modeling and simulation. We provide Berkeley Lab with its scientific computing infrastructure and technical support, institutional information systems and services, networking and telecommunications services, and technical information and media services. The two sides of Computing Sciences—research and development, and systems and services—are more than complementary: each enhances the quality of the other.
Within Computing Sciences, we recognize that managing diversity requires a comprehensive approach to creating a work environment that values all people, and empowers employees to reach their full potential in pursuit of Computing Sciences and Laboratory goals and objectives.
Goals
Achieving and maintaining diversity in the Computing Sciences workforce results from efforts in several areas:
- Increasing the diversity of our staff through outreach, recruitment, and networking.
- Delivering community-based programs that create opportunities
for computing professionals in training to reach their
full potential, and educate the educators teaching these
students.
- Offering developmental and training opportunities for employees and programs to support work/life balance.
All members of the staff are strongly encouraged to contribute to meeting these goals.
Accomplishments in 2004
Highlights
In addition to ongoing outreach and recruitment efforts, highlights of last year’s accomplishments include:
- Continuing to establish a national presence by participating in the national conferences of professional organizations supporting underrepresented groups.
- Continuing to participate in local college advisory boards
to help them develop industry-relevant curricula.
- Continuing to provide school-to-career placement opportunities for students from Bay Area community colleges.
More information about each of these activities can be found below.
Outreach, Recruitment, and Networking
Recruitment through Electronic Advertising
In addition to our broad and inclusive outreach efforts, Computing Sciences maintains an online presence by posting a “generic” open position notice, which links to the Computing Sciences Careers Web page. Since December 2000, we have been posting openings on career Web sites that may help generate a diverse applicant pool. This past year, the primary site for our diversity posting was Diversity Inc, which includes an active career site for professionals from diverse backgrounds. In August 2004, we switched the generic posting to CareerBuilders, which posts on 47 sites that appeal to a diverse group of possible applicants.
Recruitment through Career Center Postings
Every year (2001–present), a recruitment flyer is emailed to career centers of nearly 800 universities, colleges, and community colleges identified as having a computing-related curriculum. Of these, 21 schools were identified as minority-serving institutions:
- California State University, Bakersfield
- Clark Atlanta University
- Fisk University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida International University
- Howard University
- Jackson State University
- Johnson C. Smith University
- New Mexico Highlands University
- New Mexico State University
- North Carolina A&T State University
- Prairie View A&M University
- South Carolina State University
- Southern University at Baton Rouge
- Spelman College
- Tennessee State University
- Texas Southern University
- Tuskegee University
- University of New Mexico
- University of Texas at El Paso
- University of the District of Columbia
The recruiting flyer emailed to these institutions includes information about who we are, descriptions of openings and positions available in Computing Sciences at LBNL, and the URL for the CS Careers Web pages.
Recruiting at Colleges and University for the Summer Student
Program
Computing Sciences typically begins its college and university outreach for summer student placements in December and January of each year. Our current outreach includes nearly 800 schools (including those identified above as minority-serving institutions). A recruiting flyer that explains who we are and how to apply for the Summer Student Program is emailed to these institutions. The mailing list is reviewed each year to ensure that institutions recently identified as minority-serving are included in the mailing list.
Last year, we placed 20 students; of these, six were women and seven were minority men.
Establishing a National Presence
Establishing a more visible presence on the national scene
will allow us to recruit more successfully. In addition
to our broad and inclusive outreach efforts, a proactive
and focused effort will be made to develop close working
relationships with faculty at the schools listed below in
the hope of being able to recruit more students:
- University of Maryland
- Texas A&M University
- University of Texas at El Paso
- Portland State University
- Georgia Tech
- San Jose State University
- San Diego State University
These schools were selected because each already has faculty that are recognized as leaders in the fields of Computer Science and Mathematics, and are active in broad and inclusive outreach activities.
Activities that have helped Computing Sciences establish a national presence include the following:
- In February 2004, students from Jackson State met with Laboratory scientists about career opportunities, took a tour of the facilities, and gained a sense of the diversity of the Laboratory.
- In conjunction with the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), Computing Sciences sponsored the Tenth Annual Conference for African American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS10). This conference was held at LBNL in June 2004.
Career Fairs as a Recruiting Tool
Computing Sciences’ college-recruiting efforts reached six universities (UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Stanford, San Jose State University, CSU Hayward, and UC Santa Barbara) through nine separate career fair events.
Networking as a Recruiting Tool
To help staff learn about potential professional opportunities, the weekly electronic newsletter published by Computing Sciences (In the Loop) continued to feature new Computing Sciences job openings. In addition to new postings, employees are reminded of the Laboratory’s Employee Referral Incentive Program (ERIP) and encouraged to refer candidates through this program. In 2004, a total of 178 referrals to this program were made Laboratory-wide. Of these, 9.6% of the referrals were from Computing Sciences employees, and one of these was hired in Computing Sciences.
Community-Based Programs and Activities
School-to-Career Placements
The Information Technology Division of Computing Sciences
is participating in the Peralta District’s School-to-Career
Program. This program has been extended beyond the four Peralta
schools (Laney College, College of Alameda, Vista College,
and Merritt College) to include others within the 26 community
colleges in the Bay Area. The program started in the spring
of 1999 with two student interns. In its sixth year, two
student interns who were hired in spring 2004 continued working
at LBNL as second-year interns. Three students were hired
in the summer as part of the Center for Science and Engineering
Education (CSEE) Faculty and Student Team (FaST) initiative
to work on Linux clusters; the faculty member came from Contra
Costa Community College, as did each of the students. For
the first time, two high school students (one was part of
the CSEE High School Program) were also hired.
IT Curriculum Development and Occupational Work Experience Programs
Computing Sciences continued its efforts to support San Francisco Bay Area community colleges by participating in advisory boards for Contra Costa Community College, the College of Alameda, Diablo Valley College, and Solano Community College.
On a national level, Computing Sciences supported a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (Award #0202452) that is intended to develop a National Center of Excellence in High Performance Computing (one of 14 Advanced Education Centers supported by the NSF, all of which target community colleges). We supported Contra Costa Community College (one of four involved in the grant) with local advisory board members, and participated in the program on a national level through membership in the National Visiting Committee, which is charged with reviewing progress on the grant. The second meeting of the advisory committee, NSF, and participating colleges was held at Contra Costa Community College, June 10–11, 2004.
Career Development and Training
We continued last year’s focus on developing the talents and skills of our workforce through training and career development. Through the revised Performance Review and Development process, supervisors and employees were encouraged to develop or revise career development and training plans that support the job and career-related needs of employees in Computing Sciences.
Ongoing Progress Review
Management met quarterly to review Computing Sciences job-group underutilization profiles to gauge our success in diversifying Computing Sciences’ workforce and to determine what additional activities might assist in meeting our goals.
Action Items for 2005
Outreach, Recruitment, and Networking
In addition to our broad and inclusive outreach efforts, Computing Sciences will continue to expand our commitment to diversity through recruiting and outreach efforts with local schools. We will continue to maintain a presence on Web sites that may help generate a diverse applicant pool. Additionally, we will continue our recruitment efforts with colleges and universities nationwide.
We will continue to establish and maintain a national presence by participating in national conferences sponsored by professional organizations and attended by underrepresented groups such as the Tapia Conference; we will also help develop materials to increase the visibility and organizational continuity of the Coalition to Diversify Computing, and will be given membership in the coalition in return.
Community-Based Programs and Activities
Efforts will continue to deliver community-based programs that both help computing professionals in training reach their full potential, and educate the educators teaching these students. Computing Sciences will continue to expand our commitment to diversity through outreach efforts with local schools, mentoring, and sponsorship, as well as internships for students. Examples of activities in support of this effort will include participating in local college advisory boards in industry-relevant curriculum development, and offering opportunities to students through the School-to-Career program. For the fourth year, the IT Division will collaborate with CSEE to host a faculty-student team (one faculty member and three students) from Contra Costa Community College to investigate applications of midrange computing.
Career Development and Training
We will continue last year’s focus on developing the talents and skills of our workforce through training and career development. Through the revised Performance Review and Development process, supervisors and employees will develop or revise career plans and training opportunities that support the job and career-related needs of employees in Computing Sciences.
Ongoing Progress Review
Every quarter, management will review Computing Sciences’ job-group underutilization profiles to gauge our success, and to determine what additional activities might help us meet our goals.
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