Week 7 Activity: Colloquium talk at Mudd
This week, Harvey Mudd College hosts a talk by April Wensel, from Compassionate Coding. The talk begins at 4:15 PM on Thursday, but a reception with refreshments will be held outside at 4:00 PM.
For students enrolled in CS Colloquium (CS 195):
- If you’re in Section 1, we expect you to attend the event when it occurs (synchronously).
- If you’re in Section 2, we hope to record the event and post it for you to watch asynchronously.
Compassionate Coding: Staying Human While Working on Machines
Abstract
As engineers, we may work on cold, unfeeling machines, but many of our toughest challenges are sensitive human problems that require compassionate human solutions. When we are managing conflicts with collaborators, trying to understand user needs, or considering the social impact of our work, technical skills alone are not enough.
In this session, we will explore the role of compassion as an essential engineering skill that can help us navigate these complex human issues. You will learn practical strategies for cultivating compassion for yourself, your collaborators, your users, and the global community. On the individual level, compassion can help us manage stress and craft a meaningful career. Compassion for our collaborators and users helps us work together to build socially responsible products. At the highest level, compassion can help us apply our engineering skills to create a more caring world.
About April Wensel
April Wensel is a software engineer and the founder of Compassionate Coding, a conscious business that provides emotional intelligence training to technologists.
Prior to starting Compassionate Coding, she spent a decade in software engineering and technical leadership roles at various companies in Silicon Valley, building products in healthcare, gaming, education, and user research. She has also taught coding and mentored software engineers through community office hours.
She received a B.A. in computer science from Pomona College and has collaborated with researchers at Carnegie Mellon’s HCI Institute and the Carnegie Institution for Science.
When and How to Attend
- Thursday, October 12
- Location: Galileo McAlister, Harvey Mudd College
- Optional reception begins at 4:00 PM
- Talk runs from 4:15–5:30 PM
Recording for Section 2
(You must be logged in to view this video.)
This video is provided for students in Section 2 of CS 195 (and students in Section 1 who had to miss the talk due to extenuating circumstances). This is a private video, so please do not share it with others.
Required Assessment
To receive credit for attending this colloquium, complete the assessment:
Please do so at your soonest convenience, within 24 hours of seeing the talk.
(When logged in, completion status appears here.)