Description
A diverse and inclusive workforce enables a more innovative culture, so how do we get there and how are we doing on campus? Please join The Whole U and UW Information Technology for a panel event on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workforce, with a special focus on promoting women of all backgrounds.

At this event, we’ll hear from a panel of women who promote and increase diversity and inclusion at UW. They’ll speak on their diversity and inclusion work at UW; including successes, challenges, and important lessons for all to learn.

This event will also provide a forum for discussion and reflection on the experience of women in the workforce, particularly in male-dominated tech fields. After the panelists present, we’ll open the floor to questions for the panelists and moderated discussion on issues of diversity and inclusion in the workforce.

Register now to save your spot and stay tuned for additional panelists!

Meet the Panelists

Magdalena Balazinska, UW Computer Science and Engineering and UW eScience Institute
Magdalena Balazinska is a Professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington and the Director of the University of Washington data science institute called eScience. In January 2020 she will begin her appointment as the director of the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. She is also the Associate Vice Provost for Data Science and the director of the Advanced Data Science PhD Option. Magdalena's research interests are in the field of database management systems. Her current research focuses on data management for data science, big data systems, cloud computing, and image and video analytics (including data management for VR/AR).

Magdalena holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2006). She is a Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellow (2007), received the inaugural VLDB Women in Database Research Award (2016), an ACM SIGMOD Test-of-Time Award (2017), an NSF CAREER Award (2009), a 10-year most influential paper award (2010), the UW CSE ACM Teaching Award (2013), the Jean Loup Baer Career Development Professorship in Computer Science and Engineering (2014-2017), two Google Research Awards (2011 and 2018), an HP Labs Research Innovation Award (2009 and 2010), a Rogel Faculty Support Award (2006), a Microsoft Research Graduate Fellowship (2003-2005), and multiple best-paper (and "best of") awards.

Ebonee Anderson, UW Human Resources, Total Talent Management
Ebonee Anderson is the Diversity Recruiter with Total Talent Management. In her current role she is charged with the responsibility of helping with the design, development, and implementation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) focused recruiting and sourcing strategies and programs. She has already proven herself to be integral to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion work in UWHR and across the University. She was also recently invited to join the UW Diversity Committee.

In Ebonee's view, inclusion begets diversity, and diversity recruiting relies on minimizing barriers and ensuring an inclusive and equitable selection process that leads to a more diverse workforce. Her strategy includes building tools, developing partnerships and using her background in full cycle recruiting as a lens for increasing diversity and inclusion to not just attract and hire talent but also to retain, develop, engage and advance employees.

Her passion for social justice and diversity in the hiring process comes from the experience she gained early in her career providing job readiness training, outreach, and employer engagement for underserved populations. Ebonee is an advocate for using inclusive hiring practices to increase diversity and believes in coaching hiring managers on how to hire with a D.E.I lens. Ebonee's recent diversity talk at the Tri-Campus HR Institute received rave reviews and was described as “absolutely eye-opening.” Her matter of fact, relatable style and practical approach has quickly positioned her as a sought-after presenter and go-to resource.

Eve Riskin, UW College of Engineering and ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change

Eve Riskin is Associate Dean of Diversity and Access in the College of Engineering, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Faculty Director of the ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change. With ADVANCE, she works on mentoring and leadership development programs for women faculty in STEM.

She is principal investigator of the successful NSF-funded STARS program at UW. She was awarded a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, a Sloan Research Fellowship, the 2006 WEPAN University Change Agent award, the 2006 Hewlett-Packard Harriett B. Rigas Award, the 2007 University of Washington David B. Thorud Leadership Award, and the 2017 ECEDHA Diversity Award. She is a Fellow of the IEEE.

Meet the Moderator

KD Hall, UW Department of Communication, KD Hall Communications, LLC and KD Hall Foundation

KD Hall is the epitome of a networking and corporate problem solver genius. Her production and problem-solving skills are not the only things that set her apart. With years of experience in higher education, communication management, strategic professional planning and training, KD is equipped to handle a copious number of tasks with integrity and poise. She is a visionary, a creator, a leader in workforce development and women initiatives including gender pay inequity. Her high energy and hardworking core keeps her motivated while assisting clients to achieve their professional goals. She also serves as an affiliate professor in the Master’s of Communications: Communications Leadership program at the University of Washington and holds her own as a professional speaker, moderator, producer, author, spokesperson, and special interest journalist. She is also the President-elect of the Seattle Globalist, member of the Washington State Women’s Commission Task Force, 2019 Cohort Women on the Watch recipient from the 425 Magazine, and author of an upcoming book Women in the Wage Gap. Not to mention she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with a minor in Broadcasting Journalism, MBA, and Master in Adult Education—Leadership and Training.

KD co-founded her communications firm KD Hall Communications, LLC in 2013 and has since been extremely impactful across corporate and government sectors. Her communications firm specializes in public relations, storytelling, and organizational development. KD also co-founded KD Hall Foundation in 2015, since its inception they have been extremely impactful across the corporate and private sectors and the community at large. As a result, the KD Hall team have been invited to the White House, received 20 proclamations, and successfully guided 60 students through an experiential internship for producing 3 Women on The Rise conferences as well as 4 Women’s History Month conferences. KD and David Hall have been married for a lovely 12 years and she is the mother of 4-year-old Kela Hall Jr. and 1-year-old Chase Hall. Balancing family, non-profit and work is KD’s passion.

About the Series

The Women in Technology (WIT) speaker series aims to inspire and educate individuals working with technology, regardless of gender identity, and support women in the field. This speaker series explores opportunities to transform the technology community both inside and outside UW through conversations about supporting one another through mentorship, the importance of building a diverse and inclusive community, and tackling the unconscious biases we all hold. This series was created in partnership with UW Information Technology. This series welcomes all UW faculty, staff, and students to join the conversation.