What are the FLIP Alliance Universities?  They are the Universities that produce a majority of the computer science faculty at research universities. 

The universities have come together as part of an  NSF INCLUDES grant to form the FLIP (Diversifying Future Leadership in the Professoriate) Alliance  to address the broadening participation challenge of increasing the diversity of the future faculty in computing at research universities as a way to achieve diversity across the field.

The FLIP Alliance Universities are committed to provide and actively participate in programs that help recruit, retain and develop students from underrepresented groups.  The FLIP Alliance Universities invite everyone in the CMD-IT community interested in graduate school to apply to their graduate programs.

The following are the application information links and deadlines for the FLIP Alliance universities. Many of the institutions offer application waivers for students with financial need.

• Cornell University: December 15, 2018, Apply Today!
• Carnegie Mellon University: December 10, 2018, Apply Today!
• Georgia Tech: December 15, 2018, Apply Today!
• Harvard University: December 15, 2018, Apply Today!
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology: December 15, 2018, Apply Today!
• Princeton University: December 15, 2018, Apply Today!
• Stanford University: December 5, 2018, Apply Today!
• University of California at Berkeley: December 15, 2018, Apply Soon!
• University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: December 15, 2018, Apply Today!
• University of Texas: December 15, 2018, Learn More!
• University of Washington: December 15, 2018,  Apply Today!

Attending any conference provides an opportunity to expand and strengthen your network.  At Tapia 2018 you can expand your network by connecting you with peers, mentors, future employers and collaborators.  You will discover that Tapia isn't just a conference, it's a community.   Below are a few ways to maximize networking during the conference:

• Attend meals and receptions where you can connect with new people at your table. Be sure to introduce yourself and exchange contact information. Don't miss the closing Banquet on Friday night to be inspired by our banquet speaker, Shirley Malcom, and Tapia Award winner Ayanna Howard. 
• Check out the Tapia Student Poster Competition and meet graduate and undergraduate students presenting their latest research.
• Connect with our conference speakers. Our schedule is packed with experts on topics ranging from cryptocurrency to robotics. Panelists are happy to answer questions and offer advice. Check out our schedule and start planning today.
• Attend a Tech Talk or Bird of a Feather (BoF) session to meet attendees who share your interests. This is a great way to make new friends and find collaborators.
• Create a Meet-up at the conference using our Tapia Conference App.You can use our app to start a discussion with our attendees, schedule a meeting by the pool and create new connections. 
• Attend our Career Fair and meet our amazing supporters.  These organizations make our conference possible and they are waiting to meet you.  Learn about a variety of career/graduate school/computing community opportunities and make great connections at top companies, government labs, nonprofits and leading academic institutions.  
• Share you thoughts and favorite conference moments with us and the Tapia community on social media. Use the conference hashtag #Tapia2018 on Twitter. Post your photos and connect with attendees in the ACM Richard Tapia Celebration Facebook group today. At the conference share snaps with the official conference geofilter sponsored by Fidelity Investments. 

For the first time the BDPA (Black Data Processing  Associates) and NSBC (National Society of Blacks in Computing) Conferences co-located from August 9 -11 in New Orleans, LA.  The intent was to provide NSBC students access to industry partners and provide BDPA members access to academia. Both groups attendees, 550 in total,  benefited from great integrated experiences and outcomes.

"There is power in the strength of experiences. The co-location and shared experiences of BDPA and NSBC created energy that will fuel both organizations for years to come," said Terry Morris, BDPA National President.