Creating IT Futures Blog, 2/24/2012 (Julius Clark)

In IT Security, Clark Found His Stage.  Of all the new directors on the board of the Creating IT Futures Foundation, Julius Clark certainly has the most broadly defined IT career. 

And, to think, it started almost by accident.  Clark grew up in Boston’s Roxbury Madison Park neighborhood. During his high school’s junior year, a teacher casually invited him to sign up for the computer-programming course he was teaching. Julius went along. “I was intrigued.”

Turns out, programming was a fun challenge Clark had never encountered.

“There was this whole different level of thinking. You set your variables, and you didn’t have to play with the numbers anymore. We learned BASIC, Turbo Pascal, but he’d let us take breaks to play games on the computers. One of the most complex programs we had to write was to simulate the Space Shuttle launch sequence.”

Read the rest of the Creating IT Futures blog post.

Cincinnati.com, 3/2/2012 (Clarence Larcarte, Kevin Murray)

CinBell CIO Kevin Murray to Share Road To Success With BDPA Cincinnati. Do you remember when there were payphones on every street corner? Do you remember when you worried about the cost of each individual toll- or long-distance call? Do you remember when only cable companies provided you with television service or Internet connections at home? We live in a brave new world now ... and the evolution of service from Cincinnati Bell impacts on all of us in a variety of ways.

BDPA Cincinnati chapter, a nonprofit organization made up of racially diverse information technology professionals who advance the careers of African Americans from the classroom to the boardroom, wants to assist the community with programs that prepare you and your family to 'win the future'.

Read the rest of the Cincinnati.com article.

Digital Journal, 2/23/2012 (Julius Clark, Hayward West)

Creating IT Futures Foundation Elects 2012 Board of Directors.  The Creating IT Futures Foundation has elected its 2012 Board of Directors, adding three new faces to the group. 
  Julius Clark of Wells Fargo Bank; Diana Ermini of OnForce; and Hayward West of Deloitte Consulting were selected to help guide the Foundation as it continues as the philanthropic arm of CompTIA and deploys its new IT-Ready Apprentice Program in its first two locations, Cincinnati and Minneapolis / St. Paul.


Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/596881#ixzz1nDq6rAZF

CyberLife Tutors, 2/15/2012 (Keith Warrick)

LinkedIn for Personal Marketing and Branding with Keith Warrick. Keith Warrick, my friend and fellow LinkedIn evangelist, was interviewed on BDPA Blog Talk Radio about professional social networking. Keith was an early adopter of LinkedIn, becoming a member well before I joined April 1, 2005.  In the BDPA interview Keith pointed out the benefits of LinkedIn goes far beyond an online resume. So many people turn to LinkedIn when  they are in career transition only. LinkedIn is a powerful tool which can promote your skills, demonstrate creditability and build relationship.

Read the rest of the CyberLife Tutors article.

Tots and Teens, 2/15/2012 (Carol Anthony, Renetta English, Denise Hamilton, Damon Holmes)

Patricia Trim interviews a number of leaders from BDPA New York about upcoming chapter programs and services including Black Family Technology Awareness Week, High School Computer Competition and BDPA IT Showcase.

NIU Today, 2/2/2012 (Wheeler Coleman)

Wheeler Coleman Sworn In as NIU Trustee. Thirty-four years removed from his arrival on the campus of Northern Illinois University as a freshman, Wheeler Coleman was sworn in as the university’s newest trustee.

"Less than 34 years ago I was admitted to NIU and I came through these doors wide eyed, naïve and ill-prepared for the academic and social challenges I was about to face," said Trustee Coleman, who grew up on the West Side of Chicago.

"However, with the help of great people – from the faculty, my fellow students and from the administration – I was able to get through this university with a degree in computer science in 1983."

Immediately after graduation, Coleman took a position as a programmer at what was then a small, nearly bankrupt company: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.He moved into management four years later and was part of the team that built the company into what is now the largest, non-investor owned insurance company in the nation.  He currently holds the position of vice president and chief technology officer at what is now known as Health Care Service Corporation.

NOTE: Wheeler Coleman is a member of our BDPA Chicago chapter and a past winner of BDPA's Career Achievement Epsilon Award.

PR.com, 2/1/2012 (BDPA New York)

BDPA New York to Recognize Black History Month by Hosting Events for Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW). BDPA New York Chapter announced today that it will host a day of events recognizing 2012 Black Family Technology Awareness Week. Black Family Technology Awareness Week, or BFTAW, is a national public awareness campaign designed to encourage more African Americans to incorporate technology into their daily lives. By showcasing science and technology in a fun and interactive way, BDPA New York endeavors to motivate more minority students to pursue careers in these fields. It will also be an exciting time for students and families as they spend a full day immersed in a variety of workshops. The theme is “Be a Part of the Solution.”

Read the rest of the PR.com article.

IT Mike Williams: Technology Based Giving, 1/29/2012 (Mike Williams)

Mike Williams

Why I Decided to Go All In With BDPA. After “being involved” for so many years in various community activities while also volunteering and serving as a board member for local affiliates of several national non-profit organizations, I decided to take a break back in 2006 when I moved to Atlanta. I just didn’t realize then that the break would be so long.

Although I continued to participate in community-based initiatives and joined several professional associations in Atlanta during that time, I never actually got involved. To me, getting involved is going all in! That is contributing my Time, Talent and Treasures (3Ts).

Read the rest of the article.

Innovation and Equity, 1/15/2012 (Juan Gilbert)

Presidential Honoree Dr. Juan Gilbert Touts Culturally Responsive Cutting Edge Instruction at African American Civil War Museum. On the first day of Innovation & Equity 2012, Dr. Juan Gilbert (professor and chair of human-centered computing at Clemson University) said education must be as compelling and as relevant as popular video games to achieve the outcomes desired for African American youth.

See the rest of this Innovation & Equality article along with two video interviews of Dr. Gilbert.

NOTE: Juan is a member of the BDPA Greater Columbia chapter.

St. Louis American, 1/5/2012 (John Cooper, Oseyi Ikuenobe, Cherno Jallow, Tiffany Jones, Toni Love, Al Ware)

St. Louis Computer Team Finishes in the Top 10. Students representing BDPA St. Louis Chapter placed in top 10 in the High School Computer Competition at the 2011 National BDPA conference held in Chicago. In addition, one of the students, James Fields, came in 2nd place in the Xbox competition.

The students were sponsored by Monsanto Corporation.

Read the rest of the St. Louis American article.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, 12/21/2011 (Monica Anderson, BDPA Twin Cities)

Dr. Monica Anderson

Black Data Processing Associates Celebrates Innovative Young People. BDPA Twin Cities will hold its Seventh Annual Awards Ceremony on Friday, January 6, at Metropolitan Ballroom, 5418 Wayzata Boulevard, Golden Valley. There will be a reception at 5:30 pm and dinner at 7 pm. The theme for this year’s event is “Ignite, Inspire & Empower: The GPS of Future Technologists.”

The keynote speaker will be Monica Anderson. In 2007, Anderson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Ph.D. in computer science and engineering and is now an assistant professor in the computer science department at the University of Alabama. She is the creator of PREOP, a program which allows computer science novices to program robots graphically using an intuitive object-based interface.

Click here to see the rest of the Spokesman-Recorder article.

BDPA Cincinnati Computer Camp (2012)

BDPA Cincinnati Computer Camp (2012)

View more documents from Wayne Hicks

Diversity/Careers Magaine, 12/1/2011 (Vincent Shorter)

At Monsanto, Retired LTC Vincent Shorter Directs US Business Apps. Vincent Shorter, director of U.S. IT business applications service delivery and support at agricultural company Monsanto (St. Louis, MO), has the "Thirteen Rules of Leadership" of four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell hanging on his office wall. "It can be done" is Shorter's personal favorite ... While in the army Shorter earned a 1995 MS in information and business management from Webster University (St. Louis, MO). He's now a member of African Americans in Monsanto (AAIM) and Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA, Largo, MD).

Read the full Diversity/Careers article.

BlackMoney Worldwide, 11/28/11 (Jacqueline Anderson)

Job Separation Trend Runs Counter to Market. Jacqueline S. Anderson had been used to high ratings as a technology manager in the financial industry for 30 years, but once she spoke up about what she saw as mistreatment of one of her subordinates, that changed.  After the technology manager at Charles Schwab filed a discrimination claim with the California Dept. of Fair Employment and a lawsuit in Superior Court, she was abruptly terminated.

Read the rest of the BlackMoney Worldwide article.

NOTE: Jacqueline Anderson is a member of our BDPA Bay Area chapter

South Florida Caribbean News, 11/4/2011 (Larry Quinlan)

Three Jamaicans To Be Honored At Annual Caribbean American Heritage Awards. The Institute of Caribbean Studies will recognize the outstanding accomplishments of three Jamaicans at the 18th Annual Caribbean American Heritage (CARAH) Awards on Friday, Nov. 11th at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC ... Larry Quinlan, Chief Information Officer for Deloitte LLP, will receive the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Corporate America.

NOTE: Larry Quinlan is a BETF board member.

Read the rest of the South Florida Caribbean News.

Network World, 11/17/2011 (Earl Pace)

IT Hall of Fame Seeks Nominations. IT trade group CompTIA is now accepting nominations for its 2012 IT Hall of Fame inductees. The hall recognizes IT Innovators and IT Channel stars. The Class of 2011 included Phil Katz, creator of the .zip file format, as well as Earl Pace, founder of Black Data Processing Associates. The CompTIA A+ Originators, those who developed a key certification program, entered the IT Channel wing of the hall this year.

Read the rest of the Network World article.

Comcast Newsmakers, 11/17/2011 (Perry Carter)

Selling the Free State, 11/15/2011 (Mario Armstrong)

Maryland's Digital Ambassador. Like a musician serenading his fans; a pastor rallying his congregation; or a coach motivating his team, watching Mario Armstrong deftly move around a packed auditorium at UMBC Sunday evening was both inspirational and motivational.

Hugging friends and colleagues, coaxing audience participation and preaching passion and ‘positivity’ – the Maryland-based “Digital Lifestyle Expert” – a regular contributor to CNN, NPR and NBC – attracted 300+ people at the end of a long holiday weekend in the name of technology, innovation and opportunity.

Read the rest of the 'Selling the Free State' blog post.

BlackMoney Worldwide, 11/15/2011 (Juan Gilbert)

Clemson's Gilbert Receives Presidential Mentoring Honor, Election Contract. Dr. Juan E. Gilbert, Chair of Human-Centered Computing in the College of Computing at Clemson University, has gained attention from President Obama for his work to increase the number of underrepresented students in math, engineering and science. Gilbert's many discoveries include the African-American Multiple Learning Styles integrated learning system, with a prototype designed to teach algebra in a culturally-responsive way. He was also selected this summer to lead a three-year $4.5 million contract with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to create accessible voting technology. He is developer of the Prime III universal voting machine, which he presented on during the 10th annual Innovation and Equity symposium in San Francisco in 2010.

Read the rest of the BlackMoney Worldwide article.

The White House, 11/15/2011 (Juan Gilbert)

President Obama Honors Outstanding Science, Math, and Engineering Mentors. President Obama today named nine individuals and eight organizations recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. The mentors will receive their awards at a White House ceremony later this year.

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, awarded by the White House to individuals and organizations, recognizes the crucial role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal development of students studying science and engineering—particularly those who belong to groups that are underrepresented in these fields. By offering their expertise and encouragement, mentors help prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers while ensuring that tomorrow’s innovators reflect and benefit from the diverse talent of the United States.

One of the award winners is BDPA Greater Columbia member Dr. Juan Gilbert (Clemson University).

See the full list of honorees on the White House website.

CNN, 11/12/2011 (Lisa Chambers, Wayne Hicks, Wesley Williams)

Wesley Williams

Building More Minority Engineers, As Early as Elementary School. As a young teen, Wesley Williams believed his only career option was to work at a local warehouse in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

“I wasn’t planning on going to college, I wasn’t planning on graduating high school, I was planning on doing nothing with my life,” he said.

Now, nearly 10 years later, he is a college graduate and an IT administrator and developer.

“I would be either dead or in jail," he said. "Those would have been my options had it not been for BDPA.”

BDPA, formerly known as the Black Data Processing Associates, is a non-profit organization founded to increase the number of minorities in information technology related industries.

In high school, Williams had no interest in academics and spent most of his time hanging out with the wrong crowd. His mother pushed him to join the local BDPA chapter. There, he discovered a love for technology.

Read the rest of the CNN.com article here.

IT Business Net, 11/8/2011 (Terence Hall)

Why IT Drives Success in Business. Combine all the belt-tightening in a down economy with an increasing shift toward the cloud, and you might think IT isn’t as relevant today to small business as it was just a few years ago. But in fact, IT is a critical component to driving success, especially given the growing number of malware and other threats, an increased reliance on mobility, and adoption of more consumer devices into almost every business.

“Not investing in IT infrastructure or applications is a mistake,” says Terence Hall, communications coordinator and senior network engineer at BDPA New York, a nonprofit organization for professionals in computer science and IT. “There can be a large expenditure for maintaining IT, but many companies are now offering lower-cost solutions for SMBs. And if software licensing is an issue, open-source software is a great solution.”

Read the rest of the IT Business Net article.

Salisbury Post, 10/27/2011 (Damein Greatheart, Kenneth Lennon, Milton Pearson, Trevor Stuart, John Thomas)

Grant Seeks to Get More High School Girls Interested in Technology. It’s no secret that there aren’t enough women in the technology field.

But Livingstone College hopes to change that.

The college’s Black Data Processing Associates chapter, or BDPA, has been awarded a $500 grant from the National Center for Women & Information Technology to raise awareness and interest in technology among high school girls. The grant’s official name is Return Path Student Seed Fund.

Read the rest of the Salisbury Post article.

Rochest Post-Bulletin, 10/24/2011 (BDPA Southern Minnesota)

Business Networking and Educational Opportunities. AM Espresso, a monthly business networking breakfast event sponsored by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, will run from 7:30 a.m to 9 a.m. on November 4th at 3050 Superior Drive 1900 Ballington Boulevard N.W. in Rochester. The Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) of Southern Minnesota are The Homestead is hosting this month's gathering.

Soulclap to the Rochester Post-Bulletin for sharing this event information.

The Temple News, 10/2/2011 (Brianna Edwards)

People You Should Know: Brianna Edwards. Not to be overshadowed by the endless number of organizations at Main Campus is the Queer Student Union, which is deeply involved in the GLBT community both inside and outside of Temple. Sophomore advertising major Brianna Edwards holds the position of QSU president and is hoping the organization has an extremely successful year. The Temple News sat down with Edwards to talk about her involvement in QSU and what events organization members have planned for the school year and about National Coming Out Week.

Read the rest of the Temple News interview with Brianna.


NOTE: Brianna Edwards participated in the 2006, 2008 and 2009 national BDPA High School Computer Competition championships as a member of teams trained by BDPA Philadelphia chapter.

Diversity/Careers Magaine, 10/1/2011 (2011 BDPA Conference)

BDPA Career Fair: The GPS of Future Technologists.  BDPA held its thirty-third national technology conference in Chicago this past August, drawing attendees from chapters across the United States.  They were joined by a roster of top technology companies and organizations in a powerful two-day career fair.

Read the full Diversity/Careers article and enjoy over two-dozen photos from the conference.

Diversity/Careers Magaine, 10/1/2011 (Pamela Sexton)

2011 BDPA Conference Offers Guidance & Inspiration. The thirty-third annual national BDPA technology conference and career fair brought more than 700 IT pros, students and corporate supporters together in Chicago this summer. They spent four days attending seminars, panel discussions and awards presentations, and of course they also enjoyed plenty of opportunities for networking.

The conference's Chicago location drew attendees from chapters across the country, as well as a surge of last-minute interest from local job seekers and companies, says conference director Pamela Sexton, an IT exec at HSBC Bank and president of the host Chicago chapter.

Read the rest of the Diversity/Careers article.

PBS News Hour, 9/28/2011 (Milt Haynes)

Inequality Hurts: The Unhealthy Side of Economic Disparity. As part of our series on economic inequality, Paul Solman investigates the health effects that inequality can have on individuals and society. To determine the hidden costs, he speaks with epidemiologists, former six-figure income earners who are chronically unemployed and poor teenagers who struggle with inequality each day.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

Creating IT Futures Blog, 9/27/2011 (Khalia Braswell, Stephanie Brown, Julius Clark, David Gottlieb, Reginald Jamerson, Dennis Rankin)

Julius Clark

It's Time to Show IT Off. The thing is, if material success is important to a person, then a kid could do a lot worse than to follow a career in information technology (IT). For example, it was recently reported that mobile app developers are pulling in six figures — whether they had a college degree or not.

Six figures for someone in their 20s! Hey, that seems like rap star status to me.

Julius Clark thinks so, too. Clark is the president of the Charlotte (N.C.) Chapter of the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA), a professional technology organization formed in 1975. I was introduced to Julius over the summer when Creating IT Futures Foundation partnered with BDPA's own foundation to award $10,000 in scholarships.

Read the full Creating IT Futures Blog post.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, 9/21/2011 (BDPA Twin Cities)

BDPA Twin Cities Place 5th at National Computer Competition. The Twin Cities Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Minnesota teams won first and fifth place at the 2011 National BDPA High School Computer Competition, which was part of the 2011 33rd Annual BDPA Technology Conference held August 3-6 in Chicago.

The members of the High School Computer (HSCC) team were Cedric Cyrus (Como HS), Samantha Spears (Woodbury HS), Jorian Wulf (St. Paul Central HS) and Douglas Callahan (St. Paul Central HS). The Twin Cities Chapter High School Competition Team took fifth place out of 45 teams. The Rochester team won first place, Detroit team placed second, Columbus, Ohio team placed third, and the Atlanta team placed fourth.

Read the rest of the  Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder article.