If the success of the STARS Alliance Celebration 2007 is any indication, the future of Computing and IT will certainly be bright.

From August 11 through August 15, the University of North Carolina Charlotte welcomed SLC members, mentors, and guests to a truly exceptional experience of training and professional camaraderie. Conference attendance exceeded expectations, with 167 guests representing over 11 colleges and universities.

The STARS Alliance Celebration offered numerous opportunities for training sessions, spanning such topics as Leadership, Technical Excellence, Web Development, and Community Outreach as well as workshops featuring Culturally Situated Design Tools, Mentoring Programs, and Assistive Technology, just to name a few.

In addition to attending workshops and sessions, students were encouraged to enter a judged poster competition highlighting leadership projects undertaken by their SLC programs. These posters were featured side by side with displays by industry and community partners highlighting Computing and IT careers. Congratulations to everyone who contributed their tremendous creative and effective ideas and projects! See full list of award recipients.

On Sunday evening the Alliance held a Public Forum and dinner for over 200 members and guests, featuring a discussion concerning "Partnering for a Larger, More Diverse National IT Workforce." Dr. Teresa Dahlberg introduced special guests and panel members, Dr. Jan Cuny, Program Director, National Science Foundation; Dr. Joan Lorden, Provost, University of North Carolina Charlotte; and Dr. Dorothy Yancy, President, Johnson C. Smith University. Panelists urged the community to take a more prominent leadership role in addressing the national need for a larger more diverse workforce.

The Conference truly became a Celebration when Dr. Cuny announced her recommendation to the NSF that STARS Alliance would be funded for another three years!

We would like to once again recognize and thank the STARS Alliance sponsors; the National Science Foundation, the College of Computing and Informatics, and TIAA CREF, for making this conference a success.

See you next year!!