About Us
Mission
We work at the intersection of academia and industry to propel women and underrepresented communities into computing degrees and tech careers.
Through curriculum innovation, career access, and community building, our goal is to achieve gender equality in tech.
Our Team
We’re a cross-institutional, agile team, working to support large numbers of curious and self-motivated young women as they explore academic and career opportunities in computing fields, and we are especially committed to serving Black, Latina, and Indigenous women.
We love to collaborate with tech leaders in all fields. Whether you’re a large corporation, a startup, a nonprofit, in government, or in academia, we want to partner with you.
We’re hoping to inspire future change makers—the next generation of top talent, the companies that value diversity, and the public institutions that support innovation.
Break Through Tech DC Leadership
Shvetha Soundararajan
she/herBreak Through Tech DC Site Lead at Mason; Term Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Huzefa Rangwala
he/himBreak Through Tech DC Site Co-Lead at Mason; Professor of Computer Science & Lawrence Cranberg Research Faculty Fellow
Kate Atchison
she/herBreak Through Tech DC Co-Site Lead at UMD; Assistant Director of the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing (I4C)
Jan Plane
she/herBreak Through Tech DC Academic Lead at UMD; Director of the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing (I4C) and Principal Lecturer of Computer Science
Additional Members of the Break Through Tech DC at Mason Team
Sanjeev Setia
he/himBreak Through Tech DC Administrative Lead and Divisional Dean School of Computing
David Rosenblum
he/himBreak Through Tech DC Academic Co-lead and Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science
Ozlem Uzuner
she/herBreak Through DC Academic Co-Lead and Interim Chair, Associate Professor of Information Sciences and Technology
Mark Snyder
he/himTerm Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Computer Science
Shahnaz Kamberi
she/herAssociate Professor of Computer Science
Liza Wilson Durant
she/herAssociate Provost, Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement and Professor and Associate Dean
Kammy Sanghera
she/herInterim Executive Director Institute for Digital Innovation
Mercadi Crawford
she/herDiversity Associate, Office of the Dean, Volgenau School of Engineering, George Mason University
Khondkar R. Islam
he/himBreak Through Tech DC Data Lead and Curriculum Innovation Co-Lead; Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, Information Sciences and Technology
Libby Bradford
she/herCoordinator of Outreach and Student Career Management – Break Through Tech for the Department of Computer Science, George Mason University
Additional Members of the Break Through Tech DC at UMD Team
Katie Bemb
she/herCommunications Lead, Break Through Tech DC at UMD
Vedat Diker
he/himPrincipal Lecturer & Program Director, iSchool
Roger Eastman
he/himDirector of Immersive Media Design and Professor of Practice, Computer Science
Elias Gonzalez
he/himCurriculum Innovation Lead, Break Through Tech DC at UMD
Sofia Gonzalez Prieto
she/herGraduate Assistant
Michael Hicks
he/himAssociate Chair of Undergraduate Studies & Professor, Department of Computer Science
Robert Infantino
he/himAssociate Dean for Undergraduate Education, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
Kate Izsak
she/herAssistant Dean for Academic Affairs, iSchool
Bill Kules
he/himDirector of the iConsultancy and Principal Lecturer, iSchool
David Mount
he/himAssociate Chair of Undergraduate Studies & Professor, Department of Computer Science
Ron Padrón
he/himDirector of Undergraduate Operations, iSchool
Caitlin Rudy
she/herCareer Access Lead, Break Through Tech DC at UMD
Alyssa Ryan
she/herAssistant Director, Immersive Media Design
Veronica Sanchez
she/herRetention Coordinator, Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing (I4C)
Amy Vaillancourt
she/herCommunity Outreach Coordinator, Break Through Tech DC at UMD