Daily, Edwards Appointed to National STEM Pipeline-Building Committees

Shaundra Daily, the Cue Family Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science, and Emily Edwards, associate research professor of electrical and computer engineering, have been appointed to influential roles within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).

Earlier this year, NASEM appointed Daily and Edwards as committee members on the Developing Competencies for the Future of Data and Computing: The Role of K-12 committee. This project aims to identify the tools needed for students to thrive in our current techno-changing society and the role that primary and secondary education plays in crafting these skills.

In these new roles, Daily and Edwards have the opportunity to contribute to the NASEM report and provide recommendations, thus shaping national policies, guiding decision making and aiding the advancement of scientific knowledge.

“I am thrilled to be contributing to these critical initiatives aimed at broadening participation in computing/tech,” Daily said.

“I am honored to serve on this committee with such a tremendous group of colleagues,” echoed Edwards. “I am particularly excited to explore ways to support students as they navigate future careers dependent on computation, and more broadly, emergent areas of science and technology.”

NASEM is a nonprofit and nongovernmental organization that works to ignite advancements in science, engineering and medicine for the betterment and progress of society. As selected members on NASEM’s committees, these positions are a recognition of their expertise, research contributions and success in their field.

Additionally, Daily was also recently appointed to a role with NASEM as an advisory committee member on the Action Collaborative on Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech. The Action Collaborative “aims to engage leaders, share promising practices, develop data collection methods, advance research priorities, and create communication strategies to support the recruitment, retention, advancement, inclusion and belonging of women of color in tech.”

In this role, Daily is able to share her own insights and inform the committee’s strategies, directly impacting the progress and focus of the initiative, as well as maximizing its success. Daily said that she is also able to collaborate with other experts who share the same goal of improving gender equity in the tech world, bringing new insights to her own research and contributing to positive change in the field.

“By sharing my expertise and advocating for diverse voices, I am committed to driving meaningful change and improving opportunities for underrepresented groups in the computing field,” Daily said. “These initiatives have the potential to make a significant impact on the future of education and the workforce, and I am honored to be a part of these efforts.”

With all of these new appointments, Duke faculty continue to add their influence to local and national efforts to make STEM a more diverse and welcoming place.