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Timnit Gebru is shaping the future of tomorrow. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH (@afro.tech) Non-Linear Career Journey Gebru has always loved math, science , and music. She attended Stanford University from 2008 to 2017, earning a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in electrical engineering—the same field her father worked in. She combined her interests to launch her career at Apple, first as an audio hardware intern in 2004. A year later, she was hired as an audio systems engineer and worked part-time as an audio engineer from 2007 until her departure four years later. Gebru’s professional journey has not been linear. In 2011, she co-founded Motion Think, a company that leveraged design thinking to create solutions for small businesses. While pursuing her Ph.D. at Stanford, she co-founded and became president of Black in AI after attending one of the largest academic conferences in 2016. At that time, she realized that Black professionals were significantly...
Researchers have developed algorithms that accurately depict coily Black hair in computer graphics — a historic advancement for Black characters in media. According to The Guardian, AM Darke, an associate professor in the department of performance, play, and design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Theodore Kim, a professor of computer science at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored the study. Despite increased representation and numerous papers published on computer graphics algorithms over the past 50 years — particularly regarding hair — Kim noted that representations of Black hair have remained relatively unchanged. Due to a lack of appropriate formulas, animators have struggled to accurately depict textures like type 4C hair , characterized by tightly coiled curls. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” Kim said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then...
Howard University has received a new distinction. According to Diverse Education, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has earned the Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification — a first for an HBCU. Not to mention, such an accomplishment is shared with fewer than 150 universities across the country. The criteria entails that institutions allocate at least $50 million toward research and development and award a minimum of 70 research doctorates, the Carnegie Classification website states. Howard University surpassed these expectations in fiscal year 2023, allocating just under $85 million in research expenses and awarding 96 doctorates in a variety of fields — the highest number awarded to Black students at any college or university in America, according to Dr. Bruce A. Jones, Howard University’s senior vice president for research. Dr. Robert T. Palmer, the school’s chair and professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, mentioned, “Howard...
Election season can be one of the most exciting and anxiety-inducing times in America. Every four years, two major party candidates campaign to become the next leader of the free world, along with lesser known independent candidates. This election’s major candidates are current Vice President Kamala Harris as a Democrat and former President Donald Trump as a Republican. Regardless of candidate choice, one critical component of the democratic process is access to voting. Throughout U.S. history, voting has not always been a right for everyone, particularly for women and people of color. Slowly but surely, change began to take hold. The journey toward voting rights for Black Americans began with the 14th Amendment in 1868, granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people. This was followed by the 15th Amendment in 1870, which prohibited racial restrictions on voting. However, barriers like poll taxes and literacy tests persisted, limiting true access. The 1965 Voting Rights Act,...
Dr. Tiara Moore has created a community for Black marine scientists. She was born in Philadelphia, PA, and at 18 months, she and her grandmother moved to South Carolina after her mother was sent to spend time behind bars. “She moved us to get us basically out of harm’s way,” Dr. Moore explained to AFROTECH™. Dr. Moore grew up with her grandmother’s children in a modest household. She spent some of her days reading various books, nurturing her interest in education. She also credits “The Cosby Show” with inspiring her to become a doctor. Interest In Marine Biology And Environmental Science Dr. Moore attended Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, on a full-ride scholarship and majored in biology with the goal of becoming a pre-med student. However, the reality of being a doctor working in a standard practice settled in, and she decided to pivot to marine and environmental science. “I realized, probably not even a year or two in, that I didn’t like it at all. I didn’t really like the...
South Carolina State University (SC State) has received funding to support research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). According to WCIV-4 News, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has received $8 million, which will go toward education and research within its College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Transportation (STEM-T College) and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) workforce development. “I thank Gov. Henry McMaster and the General Assembly for supporting this visionary milestone in the development of SC State and our partners in this critical endeavor,” SC State President Alexander Conyers said, per WCIV-4 News. Elbert R. Malone, SC State associate provost for research and sponsored programs, added: “These funds will be transformational to the STEM-T College because it will provide an opportunity to build a robust research infrastructure that will allow the university to compete in the research arena on...
Three Black women graduates have been awarded a top prize. According to a press release provided to AFROTECH™, Central State University (Ohio) graduates Myesha Burnette, Shawntae Thompson, and Baijing Zinnerman, have received accolades for their research in material and process engineering. They grabbed top honors during the Midwest Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) Student Competition hosted at the University of Dayton Research Institute in Dayton, OH. SAMPE is a nonprofit organization and technical society that targets various areas of materials and processes (M&P), its website mentions. Among its initiatives includes aiding student chapters, providing information and forums, and offering scholarships and awards. “SAMPE provides growth and educational opportunities via conferences, exhibitions, technical forums, and publications. As the only technical society encompassing all fields of endeavor in materials and processes, SAMPE provides a...
One of the major flaws of artificial intelligence (AI) is that it can reinforce racial bias. As CNN reported, the technology is based on data fed by humans, which can mean the data can be racist and biased. “Remember: AI is just software that learns by example,” Reid Blackman, author of the book, “Ethical Machines,” told CNN. “So if you give it examples that contain or reflect certain kinds of biases or discriminatory attitudes … you’re going to get outputs that resemble that.” The impact of its racial bias continues to disproportionately affect the Black community , including when it comes to resume screening. “And many employers now use AI-driven tools to interview and screen job seekers, many of which pose enormous risks for discrimination against people with disabilities and other protected groups,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wrote in a 2021 report on how AI can worsen racial and economic inequities. Now, a recent research paper has shown another area where AI...
In the digital age, the term “popcorn brain” has emerged as a metaphor for how our attention shifts from one thing to another, like the popping kernels in a bag of popcorn. Coined by researcher David Levy in 2011 , it explains the overstimulation caused by technology , leading to constant distraction and difficulty in focusing. Popcorn brain describes how our attention rapidly shifts from one thought to another. Similar to our day-to-day lives, the metaphor mirrors the fast-paced environment created by the digital world. Our minds become overwhelmed by the constant influx of information from various sources, resulting in stress and restlessness. What Is The Average Attention Span? According to CNN , Dr. Gloria Mark, a leading expert in informatics at the University of California, Irvine, states that our ability to concentrate is declining. In her book, “ Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity,” Dr. Mark emphasizes decades of research in...
After what seems like years of back and forth regarding student loan forgiveness, President Joe Biden has come to a decision to help roughly 45 million Americans affected by student loan debt. “In keeping with my campaign promise, my Administration is announcing a plan to give working and middle-class families breathing room as they prepare to resume federal student loan payments in January 2023,” said President Biden via Twitter. On Wednesday (Aug. 24), President Biden revealed that his new plan will give $10,000 in relief to borrowers whose annual income falls below $125,000. Additionally, those who qualified for federal Pell grants will receive an additional $10,000 bringing that total amount of relief to $20,000. The aforementioned agreement was issued to low-income undergraduates whose earnings fall below the income cap. According to Forbes, research shows the latest plan announced by the Biden administration slightly falls in favor of Americans with higher incomes. “Despite...
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has raised funds in honor of the first Black research physician to work at the hospital. The Dr. Rudolph Jackson Campaign will uphold the late doctor’s legacy for his pioneering work as a researcher of sickle cell disease. During a July event, supporters and members of Dr. Jackson’s family celebrated raising more than $2 million. Funds were raised by the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) and significant donors included ABCD & Company, a marketing and event agency located in Rockville, MD. The organization made a donation of $500,000.