Rita M. Powell (Cell) 215-218-8367 rpowell@cis.upenn.edu 609 S. Bambrey St. Philadelphia, PA 19146 http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~rpowell/ Educator with a track record in developing and implementing diversity programs, research in diversity, faculty affairs, program development, marketing and management; Experienced manager; Excellent writer and presenter Education Ed.D. University of Pennsylvania, Higher Education 2005 Thesis: Sundials in the Shade: A Study of Women s Persistence in the First Year of a Computer Science Program In a Selective University M.B.A. M.A. B.A. Temple University, Marketing and Strategic Planning Villanova University, English St. Joseph University, English and Education Experience Associate Director, Computer and Information Science Department 2006-present Staff Assistant C, Computer and Information Science Department (CIS) 2002-2006 University of Pennsylvania Manage the Computer and Information Science Department (CIS), with over 1,000 graduate and undergraduate students, 40 primary, research and practice faculty and lecturers, and 30 secondary faculty. Handle faculty promotion cases and award nominations and oversee faculty hiring cases; Participate in all CIS faculty meetings, take minutes and follow up on commitments. Editor, In the Loop@CIS digital newsletter; administrative manager for all staff projects, i.e. new CIS web site, CIS self-study documents for external boards, social media to promote CIS, Taulbee Survey data collection, and other projects as needed. Oversee communication with alumni. Hire and supervise a staff of eight, and assist in the hiring and supervision of lab managers. Diversity Work Work closely with (CIS) Chairs and faculty on strategic issues and initiatives impacting diversity recruitment and retention; conduct research on increasing access of underrepresented populations in higher education; Conduct research in diversity in Engineering, including evaluation of programs and initiatives; disseminate findings through papers, conference presentations, panels and posters. Established a CIS outreach committee with chair composed of faculty, high school teachers, CIS students and staff Inform faculty of curricular changes that increase the retention of women in the computer science major Mentor Women in Computer Science (WICS) and WICS Residential Program (undergraduates) Mentor CISters (computer science women graduate students, postdocs and faculty).
Rita M. Powell Page 2 Diversity Programs Extension Services-Undergraduate Programs (ES-UP)/ Engage Engineering project funded by The National Center for Women & IT (NCWIT) NSF grant to diversity undergraduate majors in Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Work with faculty and staff project team to develop strategic plans in recruiting and retaining a diverse student body; assist in the development of initiatives to realize goals, evaluate projects, 2013-2015 ES-UP project funded by NCWIT NSF grant to diversity undergraduate majors in Computer Science, 2008-2013. Penn Emerging Scholars Program in Computer Science and Math to recruit freshmen women and underrepresented minorities to the majors, 2013 to present Developed with CIS faculty diversity speakers series for SEAS faculty and students to assist in recruiting a diverse faculty and student body, 2012 to present, including Joshua Aronson, Stereotype Threat and its Effect on Student Achievement, Nora Newcombe, Spatial Development and Individual Differences in Spatial Ability, James Cohoon, Designing and Introductory Computer Science Course to Attract Women to the Major, and Rajiv Gandhi, From Potential to Promise: Developing Scholars One Eureka Moment at a Time. Co-PI on $600,000 NSF Broadening the Participation in Computing Grant with CIS chair (PI) and GSE faculty, including a summer Boot Up! camp, 2010-2013 Grants for diversity programs Awarded additional $200,000 over the past ten years from the Trustees Council of Penn Women, Provost fund, NSF and NSF supplements, NCWIT, Google, Yahoo and other technology corporations WICS High School Day for Girls, an annual outreach program since 2007; Coordinated the efforts of CIS, MEAM and ESE with specially designed classes and lab tours to expand program in 2013 and 2014, attracting 120 high school girls to Penn Engineering at each event Guidance Counselors and Teachers Day, initiated this annual outreach program, ongoing since 2008 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award for High School Girls, initiated this annual event Tapestry Workshop for high school teachers, an NSF funded program with the University of Virginia, 2012 Google CS4HS workshop for high school teachers, 2009 through 2011. Accompany undergraduate and graduate students to annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference; raised funds that increased student attendance Extension Services Undergraduate Programs (ES-UP) Consultant National Center for Women & IT (NCWIT) 2008-present Consult with NCWIT Academic Alliance schools to achieve systemic change in policies and practices concerning women and underrepresented minorities in information technology. Partner with department chairs and faculty in developing and evaluating plans and programs to recruit and retain women and minorities in undergraduate computer science programs; assist clients in developing strategic recruitment and retention plans, and plan implementation and program evaluation; make prioritized recommendations; provide program ongoing consultation, evaluation and support. Present programs and findings at academic conferences. Client schools have included Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University and University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Rita M. Powell page 3 Writer and Researcher 2001-2002 University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Science Worked with SEAS faculty and Executive Director of Computing on a Mellon Foundation grant; researched and wrote the final report to Mellon. Director of Graduate Programs, Philadelphia University 2000-2001 MBA Director 1997-2000 Directed all aspects of the MBA program and the MS in Taxation program; managed program budgets; hired adjunct faculty and staffed courses; taught marketing courses; advised students; made admissions decisions.developed and managed a faculty development program. Participated in marketing programs, including open houses, information sessions and direct mail campaigns to recruit students. Participated in the development of a 5 year BS/MBA with internship and international course/trip components; managed a staff of five. Conducted research on African American women in the MBA program to determine program outcomes and student satisfaction. Associate Director of Admissions, Chestnut Hill College 1995-1997 Responsible for recruitment of the freshmen class; increased freshman class matriculation by 25%; developed prospect database, direct mail campaigns, telemarketing programs, radio and TV advertising, publications, competitive analysis, campus visitation programs, and alumnae and parent recruitment initiatives; participated in Open Houses and College Fairs; hired and trained admissions counselors; managed a staff of five admissions counselors and administrative assistants. Instructor, Marketing and Management 1986-2001 Taught undergraduate and graduate courses in marketing and management at Philadelphia University, Holy Family University, Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia Community College, Montgomery County Community College. Grants Joe Devietti, NSF supplement to Faculty Early Career Development Program to support the Penn Emerging Scholars Program. $18,000 over three years, 2015-2017. Submitted. Chris Callison-Burch, NSF supplement to Faculty Early Career Development Program to support the Penn Emerging Scholars Program. $18,000 over three years, 2015-2017. Submitted. NSF CPS grant supplement, Assuring the Safety, Security, and Reliability of MDCPS (Medical Device Cyber Physical Systems). Insup Lee, PI, Rita Powell, Senior Personnel, $9,000 over 3 years to support the Penn Emerging Scholars Program, 2014-2016. Trustees Council of Penn Women $2,500 award to fund the Penn Emerging Scholars Program in Computer Science and Mathematics, 2014. NSF Broadening the Participation in Computing. Penn COMP-ACT: A College Service Learning Course to Promote and Increase COMPutational Thinking and ACTion in Middle and High School Afterschool and Summer Programs. Co-PI, $600,000, 2010-2013
Rita Powell page 4 Received $60,000 in funding from NSF grant to host the Tapestry Workshop to train teachers in methods to recruit girls and underrepresented minorities into their math and technology classes, 2012 Trustees Council of Penn Women grants to fund the Women in Computer Science (WICS) undergraduate organization and the WICS Residential Program. Co-PI, awarded $25,000 over 11 years, 2004-2014 Yahoo grant to fund students attendance at the Grace Hopper Conference, and to support NETS and NLP faculty seminar series and PennApps, $60,000 over 4 years, 2011-2014 Google CS4HS. Grant to fund summer workshop for high school teachers. Co-PI. $15,000, 2011. Google CS4HS. Grant to fund summer workshop for high school teachers. Co-PI. $18,000. Summer, 2010. National Center for Women & IT (NCWIT)/Microsoft Research Seed Fund Grant. Guidance Counselors and Teachers Day: an Outreach Program to demonstrate the opportunities available to students in the computer science discipline. Co-PI, $15,000, 2009. National Center for Women & IT (NCWIT)/Microsoft Research Seed Fund Grant. Women in Computer Science High School Day for Girls: an Outreach program to expose high school girls to the computer science discipline and the opportunities available to students who major in computer science in college. PI, $20,000, 2007. Provost Diversity Grant to fund programs to increase the participation of women in Computer Science, University of Pennsylvania. PI, awarded $30,000over 4 years, 2005-2008. Invited Talks & Posters Sally Kong, Sneha Keshwani, and Rita Powell. Presentation to the Trustees Council of Penn Women funding committee, WICS and WICS Residential Program, 2014.
Rita M. Powell page 5 Rita Powell, Guidance Counselor and Teacher Day, University of Pennsylvania, November 22, 2013, "Recognizing and Avoiding Stereotype Threat and Unconscious Bias." Susan Martin, Jamie Gurganus and Rita Powell, Presentation. Our UMBC NCWIT-ES- UP Story: Leveraging Research-Based Recruiting and Retention Practices. Society of Women Engineers 2013. Baltimore, MD. October 2 26, 2013. Rita Powell and Joanne Cohoon. Presentation.Tapestry Workshop, University of Pennsylvania, July 12, 2012, "Recognizing and Avoiding Stereotype Threat and Unconscious Bias." Rita Powell and Chris Murphy. Poster Presentation. Evaluation of the Columbia Emerging Scholars Program. ACM-SIGCSE 2012. Technical Symposium in Computer Science Education. Raleigh, North Carolina. February 20 March 3, 2012. Thompson, L., L. Barker, R. Powell, C. Brawner, and T. McKlin. Initiatives to Support Systemic Change for Women in Undergraduate Computing. ACM- SIGCSE 2012. Technical Symposium in Computer Science Education. Raleigh, North Carolina. February 20 March 3, 2012. Thompson, L. and R. Powell. Poster Presentation. Increasing Women s Participation in Post-Secondary Computing. National Science Foundation Reverse Site Visit, February 1, 2012. Rita Powell and Michele Grab. Presentation. University of Pennsylvania, November 18, 2011, "Teachers and Guidance Counselors Encourage Girls in Computer Science." Rita Powell and Jean Griffin. Presentation. University of Pennsylvania Google CS4HS, August 17, 2011. Teachers Encourage Students in Computer Science. Rita Powell, Invited Talk. Columbia University Google CS4HS, July 9, 2011, Teachers Encourage Students in Computer Science. Rita Powell, Invited Talk. Columbia University Emerging Scholars Program. The Computer Science Roadshow: Bringing Computing Information to Your High School. December 17, 2010. Griffin, J., J. P. Dougherty, T. Pirmann, and R. Powell, Certification and standards for computing education in Pennsylvania. Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges. Vol. 25, Issue 3, January 2010. National Center for Women & IT. Panel Presentation, Faculty Summit, Microsoft Research Corporation. Women in Computer Science High School Day for Girls: an Outreach Program to Encourage Girls to Study Computer Science in High School. Seattle, WA, June 2009. Rita Powell. Poster presentation. National Center for Women and IT Academic Alliance Meeting. Women in Computer Science High School Day for Girls: an Outreach Program to Encourage Girls to Study Computer Science in High School. University of California, Irvine, November, 2008.
Rita M. Powell page 6 Rita Powell. Technical Poster Presentation, Grace Hopper Conference. Sundials in the Shade: A Study of Persistence of Undergraduate Women in a Computer Science Program in a Selective University. October 4, 2006. Papers Rita Powell. Invited talk. Sundials in the Shade: Persistence of Undergraduate Women in Computer Science. University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Science, November 2005. Cannon, A., Gordon, J., Ramachandran. A., Murphy, C. and Powell, R. Emerging Scholars Program a PLTL Program that Increases Recruitment and Retention in the Major. Technical Report #MS-CIS-12-16, University of Pennsylvania. 2013. Kafai, Y. B., Burke, Q., Griffin, J., Powell, R., Grab, M., Slattery, M., & Davidson, S. (2013, April). A Cascading Model: Undergraduates as Mentors & Mentees in a Computer Science Service Learning Course. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Meeting, San Francisco, CA. Kafai, Y.B., Griffin, J., Burke, Q., Slattery, M.A., Fields, D. A., Powell, R. M., Grab, M., Davidson, S. B., & Sun, J.S. (2013, March). A Cascading Mentoring Pedagogy in a CS Service Learning Course to Broaden Participation and Perceptions. Paper presented at the 44th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, SIGCSE 2013, Denver, CO. Murphy, C., R. Powell, K. Parton, A. Cannon. (2011, March). Lessons Learned from a PLTL-CS Program. Paper presented at the 42nd Technical Symposium in Computer Science Education, SIGCSE 2011, Dallas, Texas. Rita Powell. (2008, March). Improving the Persistence of First-Year Undergraduate Women in Computer Science. Paper presented at the 39th Technical Symposium in Computer Science Education, SIGCSE 2008, Portland, OR. Powell, R., Anderson, H., Van der Spiegel, J. and Pope, D. (2002). Using Web-Based Technology in Laboratory Instruction to Reduce Costs. Computer Applications in Engineering Education. 10, (4), 204-214. Professional Member, Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) 2007 present Associations Member, ACM SIGCSE 2010 present Member, Philadelphia Area Computer Science Educators 2006 present