COEIT team wins ACM RESPECT 2026 award

A team of researchers from the College of Engineering and Information Technology has received the Best Paper Award at the ACM RESPECT 2026 conference, which was held in Chicago June 8-10, 2026. The winning paper, "Beyond Representation: Mechanisms of Culturally Affirming Mentorship for Black and Latinx Students in STEM," was authored by Isabella Lopez ’23, computer science, M.S. ’25, human-centered computing, Maria Sanchez, director of the Engineering and Computing Education Program, and Sanorita Dey, assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering.

The ACM RESPECT (Research on Equity and Sustained Participation in Computing, Engineering, and Technology) conference is organized by the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM’s) Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education. The best paper award recognized the team's work in exploring effective mentorship strategies for Black and Latinx students within STEM disciplines. 

This research, initially supported by a 2024 COEIT Interdisciplinary Proposal award, has evolved into an innovative extension of the team’s work. The researchers are now pioneering hands-on experiential learning processes that leverage AI-assisted technologies. Instead of relying on passive “success stories,” these new tools empower students to actively explore the personal journeys, systemic challenges, and strategic resilience of STEM role models, helping students to connect more deeply with the complex paths to professional achievement.