Panel Discussion on Community Health and Diversity in Open Source
2021 CROSS Research Symposium Panel Discusion
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
10:40am-12:10pm
(Symposium Registration required for access to session)
As noted by the Community Health Analytics Open Source Software (CHAOSS) working group, "diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the health of open source communities." Despite this understanding, open source communities continue to struggle to break down barriers and become more accessible to a more diverse pool of contributors, maintainers and leaders.
This panel, which is part of the CROSS Research Symposium, will focus on how diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion can impact the overall health and sustainability of open source communities and touch on effective methods that will help open source project lead the way on increasing inclusion and diversity in tech.
Carmen Robinson, Program Director for Student Excellence, Engagement, and Inclusion
Dr. Carmen Robinson was appointed the first Program Director for Student Excellence, Engagement, and Inclusion in the UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering in 2020. Robinson served as the school’s Director of Undergraduate Affairs since 2017. As Program Director for Student Excellence, Engagement, and Inclusion, Robinson is responsible for developing new programs and expanding existing ones that enhance the education and research experience for all students; improve four-year graduation rates; and decrease any “achievement gaps” that exist between identifiable groups of students. Dr. Robinson earned her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Prior to that, she earned her MS at the University of Memphis and a BA at the University of Central Arkansas.
Chassidy Cook Sr. Principal DEI Strategy Consultant and Team Lead, Red Hat
Chassidy Cook joined Red Hat in 2019 and currently serves as a Senior Principal DEI Strategy Consultant and Manager in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center of Excellence. In this role, she provides strategic direction, thought leadership and champions the development of an inclusive environment by integrating diversity best practices throughout the talent lifecycle on a global scale. Chassidy is a seasoned diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practitioner with over 13 years of experience working across industries before transitioning to high tech. She has held positions of increasing responsibility in corporate social justice work at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. Prior to her tenure at BCBSNC, Chassidy held positions at Duke University School of Law, Facebook, and McGraw-Hill. A specialist in race and gender equity, Chassidy has published several articles and chapters in the fields of history, global affairs, and sociology. More recently, her work has incorporated broader lines of research that explore the connection between economics and cultural sociology and how they impact work performance. The ultimate goal of her research is to deepen the understanding of culture and intergroup relations in cross-cultural societies and to eventually inform legislation and best practices. Chassidy holds a B.A. in International Affairs, an M.S. in International Affairs, an M.A. in History and is a Certified Diversity Practitioner.
Christina Dacanay, ml5.js Community Steward
Christina Dacanay's stewards the ml5.js project—an educational platform for “friendly machine learning for the web”—by driving community development. She has a B.F.A in Design and Illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a M.P.S from New York University's ITP program, where she is currently a research resident. She has previously served on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Penguin Random House, where she was a senior designer, and advocated for going deeper than visual representation in children's books. Her current work is focused around online communities and how to knit healthy social fabric on the web.
Carlos Espinosa, BSOE Fellow for Anti-Racism Research (FARR)
Carlos I. Espinosa received his B.E. degree in Automation and Control from the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico, in 2012, and the M.S. degree in Autonomous Navigation Systems from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico, in 2016. In 2017, he joined UCSC as a Ph.D. student in the Autonomous Systems Lab. His research focus on the development of algorithms for UAV navigation in GPS denied environments. In 2021, Carlos was one of the first ever recipients of the Baskin School of Engineering Fellowship for Anti-Racism Research (FARR).
Dorothy Santos, Executive Director, Processing Foundation
Dorothy R. Santos is a Filipino American writer, artist, and educator whose academic and research interests include feminist media histories, critical medical anthropology, computational media, technology, race, and ethics. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Film and Digital Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz as a Eugene V. Cota-Robles fellow. She received her Master’s degree in Visual and Critical Studies at the California College of the Arts and holds Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of San Francisco. Her work has been exhibited at Ars Electronica, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the GLBT Historical Society.
Her writing appears in art21, Art in America, Ars Technica, Hyperallergic, Rhizome, Vice Motherboard, and SF MOMA’s Open Space. Her essay “Materiality to Machines: Manufacturing the Organic and Hypotheses for Future Imaginings,” was published in The Routledge Companion to Biology in Art and Architecture. She is a co-founder of REFRESH, a politically-engaged art and curatorial collective and serves as the Executive Director for the Processing Foundation. She is also an advisory board member for POWRPLNT and slash arts.
Moderator
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