Morehouse College, the nation’s only historically Black liberal arts institution dedicated to educating and developing men, and the Information Technology Industry Council, a global technology trade association representing 80 of the world’s most innovative companies, are partnering together to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech ecosystem by launching the new Center for Broadening Participation in Computing.
Housed at Morehouse College, the new center is an academic and industry collaboration in preparing underrepresented students to compete for careers in tech, while also developing strategies to make the tech ecosystem a more just, innovative, and equitable space for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. The center will serve as a hub for training college students across 19 metro-Atlanta area institutions through Morehouse’s participation in Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education. High school students from across the state of Georgia will also have an opportunity to participate in center activities as well. Strategic partnerships with universities such as Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign, and the Georgia Institute of Technology will provide students access to opportunities and training from top-ranked computer science programs. The center’s partnership with Coursera, a leading online platform, will give Morehouse students access to over 3,000 courses in business, tech, and data science from leading universities and companies.
The inaugural director of the new center is Kinnis Gosha, the Hortinius I. Chenault Endowed Associate Professor and division chair for Experiential Learning and Interdisciplinary Studies. Dr. Gosha is a graduate of Albany State University in Georgia, where he majored in computer science. He holds a master’s degree in computer science and software engineering from Auburn University in Alabama and a Ph.D. in human-centered computing from Clemson University in South Carolina, where he was the inaugural graduate of the doctoral program.
“The Center for Broadening Participation in Computing will help ensure that people of color remain the drivers of ingenuity they have always been, especially as we navigate the boundaryless open range of the scientific and technological frontier,” said David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse College. “A cutting-edge STEM education, infused with a top-tier liberal arts foundation and close engagement with leaders in the field, will provide talented students with a one-of-a-kind experience that will make them uniquely prepared to be global leaders of innovation.”
