Computer science and engineering must diversity its workforce to meet the future demands for the technical professions. professional development for minority scholars to meet the anticipated needs in the technical workforce. Racial and ethnic minority groups, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, remain substantially underrepresented in engineering and science, especially at the level of Ph.D. researchers and faculty. The Academic and Research Leadership Symposium (ARLS) is a symposium that is co-located with the Annual Convention of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). The purpose of the ARLS is to develop minority engineers in academia, industry, and government laboratories, whose careers involve a strong focus on research, in order to prepare them for leadership and success in their chosen discipline. The ARLS has two threads: (1) a faculty development thread, and (2) a researcher development and networking thread. It provides an opportunity for seasoned researchers (university, corporate, government) to nurture connections with their peers, and be excited and inspired by the latest discoveries and technical advances across many disciplines of engineering and science. Opportunities for new collaborations and strategic career advancements are anticipated. The researcher development and networking thread consists of a networking reception with a keynote presentation by a high-profile researcher, a session on career development in an R&D centric environment (e.g., The Researcher Entrepreneur and Senior Leadership Strategies), and a poster session organized by members of the ARLS network for more in-depth technical discussions.
