CTSI TSS Webinar: 'High‑Impact Practices as Pathways to Broadening Participation in Computing: A Cultural‑Historical Activity Theory Perspective'

The Translational Science Seminar (TSS) Series is held monthly. Each month, speakers present practical information related to clinical and translational topics, with the goal of exposing participants to contemporary issues and tools that can accelerate the translation of research to benefit human health. This session is presented by Roderick Lee, associate professor of information systems at Penn State Harrisburg.

Broadening participation in computing is a national priority because the U.S. needs all available STEM talent to stay competitive, especially in fast-moving areas like AI. However, clear gaps remain in who enters, persists, and succeeds in these fields. This presentation will highlight research that examines whether proven “high-impact practices” like undergraduate research, internships, and study abroad can help close those gaps, since they’re known to boost learning, confidence, graduation rates, and sense of belonging.

Lee will focus especially on first-generation college students, who often face systemic barriers that limit access to these opportunities and their benefits. His work also looks at how institutional culture, policies, and even small signals of inclusion shape students’ experiences, with the goal of developing practical, scalable strategies that help more students stay in computing, graduate, and enter the workforce prepared and confident.

Register here.