Filming Interviews of Underrepresented CSci Alums

The University of Minnesota Morris team, representing Communication, Media, and Rhetoric (CMR) and Computer Science (CSci), collaborated to create videos of CSci alumni that support and inspire current CSci majors through their program and graduation. Both grantees and students from CMR and CSci recorded interviews with CSci alumni, including those from groups underrepresented in CSci, discussing their paths and careers in CSci. Together, they created the following videos based on the interviews:

• Math and Problem-Solving Skills in CSci (eases math anxiety, reframes math as problem-solving skills and offers helpful resources and approaches)
• CSCI 3601: Software Design and Development (focuses on this signature course regarding real-world tools for software development and teamwork) 
• Careers (features the alums' decision path to their CSci major and the variety of career paths they pursued after graduation) 
• IS1091: Ethical and Social Implications of Technology (focuses on the usefulness of this class in both their CSci studies and future) 

To share and discuss their videos, they held an event, Telling the CSci Story, that was open to all CSci and CMR students and faculty. This productive team continues to sustain their meaningful work with plans to: host future video-focused public events with new cohorts of CSci students; include the videos in relevant classes to help ease student anxiety and emphasize the value
of the material; and produce additional videos from the footage.