Like a Kid in a Computing Store – Episode 031

Being the first Black woman to earn a PhD in Computer Science at Purdue University is only one part of Amber’s story. Amber has always been curious and interested in gadgets (and their destruction at times) which led to her interest in computer science. Despite being discouraged from pursuing the PhD by her initial advisor, Amber never forgot her purpose and persevered to the end. True to form, her passion for giving back is evidenced by her drive to build visualization tools for electronic healthcare records to make predictions that inform treatment guidelines. Currently, Amber is giving back to her community in Jackson Mississippi, as the COO and co-founder of the JXN Tech District, a $150M live-work-play, mixed-use real estate development project in Jackson, MS.

Om Podcasten

The Institute for African-American Mentoring in Computing Sciences (iAAMCS), a national resource for all African-American computer science students and faculty, launches a new podcast in collaboration with the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), a non-profit that works to increase women’s meaningful participation in computing. Modern Figures Podcast (modernfigurespodcast.com) guest stars Black women in computing who share their stories and perspectives on technical, societal, and personal topics. Geared toward high school and college students, each guest also highlights the interestingly relatable, pivotal moments along their journey in computing.