UMBC Center for Women in Technology (CWIT)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/12100
The Center for Women In Technology (CWIT) at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) is a merit-based scholarship program for talented undergraduates majoring in computer science, information systems, business technology administration (with a technical focus), computer engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical/biochemical/environmental engineering, or a related program at UMBC.
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Item Hearing the Voice of Software Practitioners on Technical Debt Monitoring: Understanding Monitoring Practices and the Practices' Avoidance Reasons(Brazilian Computing Society, 2024-08-30) Freire, Sávio; Rios, Nicolli; Pérez, Boris; Castellanos, Camilo; Correal, Darío; Ramač, Robert; Mandić, Vladimir; Taušan, Nebojša; López, Gustavo; Pacheco, Alexia; Mendonça, Manoel; Falessi, Davide; Izurieta, Clemente; Seaman, Carolyn; Spínola, RodrigoContext. Technical debt (TD) monitoring allows software professionals to track the evolution of debt incurred in their projects. The technical literature has listed several practices used in the software industry to monitor indebtedness. However, there is limited evidence on the use and on the reasons to avoid using these practices. Aims. This work aims to investigate, from the point of view of software practitioners, the practices used for monitoring TD items, and the practice avoidance reasons (PARs) curbing the monitoring of TD items. Method. We analyze quantitatively and qualitatively a set of 653 answers collected with a family of industrial surveys distributed in six countries. Results. Practitioners are prone to monitor TD items, revealing 46 practices for monitoring the debt and 35 PARs for explaining TD non-monitoring. Both practices and PARs are strongly associated with planning and management issues. The study also shows the relationship found among practices, PARs and types of debt and presents a conceptual map that relates practices and PARs with their categories. Conclusion. The results of this study add to a practitioners’ capability to monitor TD items by revealing the monitoring practices, PARs and their relationship with different TD types.Item Impact of Confinement within a Hydrogel Mesh on Protein Thermodynamic Stability and Aggregation Kinetics(ACS, 2024-01-26) Ghassemi, Zahra; Leach, Jennie B.Though protein stability and aggregation have been well characterized in dilute solutions, the influence of a confining environment that exists (e.g., in intercellular and tissue spaces and therapeutic formulations) on the protein structure is largely unknown. Herein, the effects of confinement on stability and aggregation were explored for proteins of different sizes, stability, and hydrophobicity when encapsulated in hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels. Denaturation curves show linear correlations between confinement size (mesh size) and thermodynamic stability, i.e., unfolding free energy and surface area accessible for solvation (represented by m-value). Two clusters of protein types are identifiable from these correlations; the clusters are defined by differences in protein stability, surface area, and aggregation propensity. Proteins with higher stability, larger surface area, and lower aggregation propensity (e.g., lysozyme and myoglobin) are less affected by the confinement imposed by mesh size than proteins with lower stability, smaller surface area, and higher aggregation propensity (e.g., growth hormone and aldehyde dehydrogenase). According to aggregation kinetics measured by thioflavin T fluorescence, confinement in smaller mesh sizes resulted in slower aggregation rates than that in larger mesh sizes. Compared to that in buffer solution, the confinement of a hydrophobic protein (e.g., human insulin) in the hydrogels accelerates protein aggregation. Conversely, the confinement of a hydrophilic protein (e.g., human amylin) in the hydrogels decelerates or prevents aggregation, with the rates of aggregation inversely proportional to mesh size. These findings provide new insights into protein conformational stability in confined microenvironments relevant to various cellular, tissue, and therapeutics scenarios.Item Towards the Development of Guidance to Support Self-Employed Workers with Visual Impairments(ACM, 2024-03-26) Vader, Mei-LianSelf-employment provides a unique opportunity for a customized work experience that can be specialized for an individual's skills and career goals. In particular, individuals with disabilities benefit from the flexible and accessible work environment of self-employment. The number of self-employed workers with disabilities is a small portion of the population and the number of initiatives and resources available is inadequate. The gap between the availability of resources and the benefits of the career can be attributed to a lack of support, inaccessible technology, and societal expectations. The research described in this paper, aims to examine the experiences of self-employed workers with visual impairments and better understand the technologies, training and resources currently used, with a goal of supporting operations and interactions. Two proposed studies are described. The research aims to culminate in the development of guidance for designers and researchers interested in developing solutions to support self-employed workers with visual impairments.Item Assessing IDEA Diagrams for Supporting Analysis of Capabilities and Issues in Technical Debt Management(2023) Freire, Sávio; Rocha, Verusca; Mendonça, Manoel; Izurieta, Clemente; Seaman, Carolyn; Spínola, RodrigoContext. Technical debt management (TDM) comprises activities such as prevention, monitoring, and repayment. Current technical literature has identified, for each of these TDM activities, several applicable practices as well as practice avoidance reasons (PARs). This body of knowledge (practices and PARs) is available in the literature only in widely spread text and tables, and is not organized into artifacts, hindering the use of current knowledge on TDM. Previously, we organized these practices and PARs into IDEA (Impediments, Decision factors, Enabling practices, and Actions) diagrams. However, an empirical evaluation of these diagrams is still missing. Aims. To empirically assess the IDEA diagrams with respect to their ease of use, usefulness, potential future use, and support for TDM activities. Method. We conduct two complementary empirical studies. Firstly, we applied the technology acceptance model (TAM) with 72 participants in academic contexts. Afterwards, we interviewed 11 experienced software practitioners. Results. In the TAM study, 92% of the participants indicated that they could use the diagrams. Also, the diagrams were considered easy to learn and use. Through the interviews, participants indicated that the diagrams are easy to read and follow, can influence decisions on how to manage debt items, and could be used to support their daily activities. Conclusion. Both studies provided positive evidence that IDEA diagrams can be useful for supporting TDM activities.Item Knowledge-Embedded Narrative Construction from Open Source Intelligence(AAAI, 2023-06-26) Ranade, PriyankaStorytelling is an innate part of language-based communication. Today, current events are reported via Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) sources like news websites, blogs, and discussion forums. Scattered and fragmented sources such as these can be better understood when organized as chains of event plot points, or narratives, that have the ability to communicate end-end stories. Though search engines can retrieve aggregated event information, they lack the ability to sequence relevant events together to form narratives about different topics. I propose an AI system inspired by Gustav Freytag’s narrative theory called the Plot Element Pyramid and use knowledge graphs to represent, chain, and reason over narratives from disparately sourced event details to better comprehend convoluted, noisy information about critical events during intelligence analysis.Item Towards More Transactional Voice Assistants: Investigating the Potential for a Multimodal Voice-Activated Indoor Navigation Assistant for Blind and Sighted Travelers(ACM SIGCHI , 2021-04-23) Abdolrahmani, Ali; Gupta, Maya Howes; Vader, Mei-Lian; Kuber, Ravi; Branham, StacyVoice assistants (VAs) – like Amazon Alexa or Siri – offer hands-/eyes-free interactions that are beneficial to a range of users, including individuals who are blind, to fulfill tasks that are otherwise difficult or inaccessible. While these interfaces model conversational interactions to achieve simple tasks, there have been recent calls for VAs that model more transactional interactions for a wider range of complex activities. In this study, we explored the extension of VAs’ capabilities in the context of indoor navigation through mixed-ability focus groups with blind and sighted airport travelers. We found high overlap in the difficulties encountered by blind and sighted travelers, as well as shared interest in a voice-activated travel assistant to improve travel experiences. Leveraging user-elicited recommendations, we present interaction design examples that showcase customization of different and multiple modalities, which collectively demonstrate how VAs can more broadly achieve transactional interactions in complex task scenarios.Item Formalizing Chemical Theory using the Lean Theorem Prover(2022-10-28) Bobbin, Maxwell P.; Sharlin, Samiha; Feyzishendi, Parivash; Dang, An Hong; Wraback, Catherine M.; Josephson, Tyler R.Chemical theory can be made more rigorous using the Lean theorem prover, an interactive theorem prover for complex mathematics. We formalize the Langmuir [1] and BET [2] theories of adsorption, making each scientific premise clear and every step of the derivations explicit. Lean’s math library, mathlib, provides formally-verified theorems for infinite geometries series, which are central to BET theory. While writing these proofs, Lean prompts us to include mathematical constraints that were not originally reported. We also illustrate how Lean flexibly enables the reuse of proofs that build on more complex theories through the use of functions, definitions, and structures. Finally, we construct scientific frameworks for interoperable proofs, by creating structures for classical thermodynamics and kinematics, using them to formalize gas law relationships like Boyle’s Law and equations of motion underlying Newtonian mechanics, respectively. This approach can be extended to other fields, enabling the formalization of rich and complex theories in science and engineering.Item A Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Study of Women’s Achievement and Attrition in Undergraduate Engineering Education(ASEE, 2022-08-23) Ireland, Danyelle; Cho, Hyun SuThe proportion of women earning bachelor’s degrees in engineering has increased only slightly in the past twenty years from 18% to 21%, and addressing their persistent underrepresentation in these fields remains a national priority. This paper presents preliminary results of a longitudinal mixed-methods research project designed to advance our understanding of women’s underrepresentation in engineering, by examining the factors that influence their educational outcomes, in ways that are aligned with our understanding of the sociocultural context of engineering education. The aims of this project are to: 1. model patterns of major changing behavior among undergraduate women entering and exiting an engineering program prior to graduation; 2. elucidate the cultural ecosystem of undergraduate engineering education and its relation to women’s achievement motivation; and 3. complicate the discourse on identity in engineering education with an examination of structural modes of power, privilege and inequality within the discipline. In this presentation, we focus on the initial quantitative results of the first aim and provide insight into the ongoing research process for the subsequent aims. We apply descriptive statistics and survival analysis methods to analyze institutional data from a racially diverse sample of 10 cohorts of undergraduate women in engineering programs (N=380) at a mid-sized public research university and address the research question: How are demographic characteristics, major-switching patterns, and course-enrollment factors related to retention and graduation among undergraduate women in engineering? We discuss findings including whether and when background factors such as women’s income, race, high school GPA, SAT scores, and scholarship program participation matter to undergraduate engineering outcomes. Finally, we discuss the next phases of data collection as well the implications of this investigation into women’s academic choices and outcomes in undergraduate engineering education.Item Transfer Support and Student Outcomes Correlations among URM and Non-URM Computing and Engineering Students(ACM, 2022-03-03) Ireland, Danyelle Tauryce; Menier, Amanda; Zarch, Rebecca; Esiason, JordanItem Powerful Pre-College and Pre-Professional Supports: CWIT's Bookend Approach to Inclusive Excellence in Undergraduate Tech Education(American Society for Engineering Education, 2021-01-24) Tauryce, Danyelle; Greenwood, Cindy; D'Eramo, Erica L.; O'Keefe, Katherine BellThe Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has a 21 year record of working to enable success for all women and other underrepresented groups in technology fields. CWIT supports students with a nurturing and challenging community, transformative leadership experiences, and professional development opportunities. Our goal is to prepare and empower our students to be change agents in creating technology workplaces that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive. In this presentation, we will highlight successful programs CWIT has used to enhance diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups in the engineering and computing professions. These programs are designed to support the academic, leadership and professional development of undergraduate students and fall on two ends of a spectrum of support: pre-college programs and pre-professional programs. We will engage CoNECD attendees by sharing how these practices were motivated, developed, and implemented, as well as how we assess our impact and tips for transferring these practices to other settings.Item Creating High Impact Academic Leaders: Residential Peer MentorsD’Eramo, Erica; Mrowka, Kaleigh; Shishineh, LailaItem Tailoring First-Year Seminars for Computing Majors(2014-10-20) Rheingans, Penny; desJardins, Marie; Martin, Susan; Seaman, CarolynItem STEM Transfer Success: The Value of Critical Reflection and Shared Responsibility(The Evollution, 2015-08-20) Jewett, Sarah; Martin, SusanItem STEM Transfer Success: Reflecting on Lessons Learned(Destiny Solutions, 2015-08-27) Martin, Susan; Jewett, SarahItem T-SITE: A UMBC Community of Transfer Scholars in Computing, Information Technology, and Engineering(ASEE, 2017) Tauryce, Danyelle; Rheingans, Penny; Blaney, Lee; desJardins, Marie; LaBerge, Charles; Martin, Susan; Slaughter, Gymama; Seaman, Carolyn; Spence, Anne Marie