Sophie Engle

Supporting organizations like CodePath, ColorStack, and Girls Who Code is key to empowering the next wave of tech leaders. 💻🔧 See how we're investing in these vital student networks: https://www.lastmile-ed.org/impact
#LastMileImpact #TechEquity

5-panel comic. (1) [teacher with long hair next to whiteboard] TEACHER: I’m supposed to give you the tools to do good science. (2) [teacher addressing students] But what *are* those tools? Methodology is hard and there are so many ways to get incorrect results. What is the magic ingredient that makes for good science? (3) TEACHER: To figure it out, I ran a regression with all the factors people say are important: [embedded list in sub-panel, cut off at end] Outcome variable: correct scientific results. Predictors: collaboration; skepticism of others’ claims; questioning your own beliefs; trying to falsify hypotheses; checking citations; statistical rigor; blinded analysis; financial disclosure; open data (4) TEACHER: The regression says two ingredients are the most crucial: 1) genuine curiosity about the answer to a question, and 2) ammonium hydroxide. (5) STUDENT: Wait, why did *ammonia* score so high? How did it even get on the list? LONG HAIR: ...And now you’re doing good science!

Good Science

xkcd.com/3101/

A chocolate cake with red and white decorations and lit candles shaped as the number 75. Bold text reads: ‘The NSF Turns 75 Today. What has it done over the past 7 decades?’ The background is a celebratory red with a spray-paint texture.

HAPPY 75th, NSF!

We’re celebrating this milestone by highlighting some of NSF’s most transformative accomplishments—innovations that have shaped our world and continue to drive progress in health, technology, the environment, and beyond.

Read on 🧵(1/11):

“Only 13 percent of all classic games released between 1960 and 2009 are currently commercially available.” Survey of the Video Game Reissue Market in the United States (2023). Josh Renaud Journalist & computer historian

🎮 Retro games shaped generations. But many are vanishing.

Some, like educational games by Yaakov Kirschen, who died on April 14, were almost lost forever.

Journalist @kirkman.bsky.social explains why preserving niche software matters: blog.archive.org/2025/05/07/v...

🕳️ #VanishingCulture

BREAKING:

We are suing the Trump admin on behalf of our members for unlawfully cutting off $400 million in federal funding for crucial public health research to force Columbia University to surrender its academic independence.

Stay Tuned.

Photo of Casablanca, a male tri-color Pembroke Welsh Corgi, with green bushes and pink flowers in the background.

Earlier this week, we had to say goodbye to our beloved corgi. I am incredibly grateful for the 15 years of joy he gave us, and miss him *so* much.

Hello 👋, I'm looking for invited speakers (remote) for my Data Visualization course that meets from 8am-9:45am PDT on Tu/ Th. Any data journalists, visualization practitioners, data visualization designers interested in a short (~25-30 minute) talk on one of your projects in my class? Thanks! 📊

<3 seeing our DIY Web Archiving zine being shared! Learn a code-free way to back up what you care about on the web. You too can download the zine for free (w/a poster too, to help point to piles if you can print extra to leave around work, school, coffee place, etc): zinebakery.com/homemade-zin...

Schools, colleges have 2 weeks to ban DEI. An education expert warns it won't be easy The Department of Education told schools to stop DEI efforts or risk losing federal dollars. The president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation warns it won't be quick and easy.

The Department of Education told schools to stop DEI efforts or risk losing federal dollars. The president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation warns it won't be quick and easy.

"Computer Science Students Make Strides in AI," by Evan Elliot, USF News, January 27, 2025, www.usfca.edu/news/compute...

#USFCA #USFCS

Meet Riya Mathur, a recipient of @craignewmark.bsky.social Women in Technology Scholarship at the University of San Francisco. Riya was able to attend the 2024 Grace Hopper Celebration. Discover how this scholarship made her GHC journey possible

Meet Katherine Anthony, a recipient of
@craignewmark.bsky.social Women in Technology scholarship at the University of San Francisco. Katherine was able to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration and meet inspiring women in the tech industry. Read more about her journey below

Thanks to @craignewmark.bsky.social our students
@usfca.bsky.social have been receiving all kinds of scholarships. We'll be highlighting a few. Here is Jade Hao talking about how the tuition scholarship made a difference for her.

2024 Summary of Craig Newmark’s Donations to Women and Military Veterans in Tech at the University of San Francisco Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, donated $250,000 to the University of San Francisco's Women and Military Veterans in Tech initiative this past year. Here’s a...

Here is a summary of @craignewmark.bsky.social donations to Women and Military Veterans in Tech at the University of San Francisco www.linkedin.com/pulse/2024-s...

Semester Planner - Spring 2025

In case it is helpful, I updated my semester planner Google Spreadsheet for the Spring 2025 semester:

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

I use it to plan the topics and major project deadlines around the semester holidays and anticipated travel before creating the course syllabus.

Six women who have had, and continue to have, a positive impact on the tech world, and whose work should be remembered and shared by everyone working in tech— a thread:

☑️ Sabbatical application submitted

New maps show what happens if once-in-a-millennium tsunami hits Bay Area California Geological Survey tsunami maps have been updated for San Francisco, Contra...

Hello #SF friends worried about the tsunami alert...

The website with tsunami evacuation zones isn't loading right now, but there is a snapshot on this SF Chronicle news article from 2021:

www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...

It is supposed to hit San Francisco around 12:10pm. Stay safe!

Trying something new:
A 🧵 on a topic I find many students struggle with: "why do their 📊 look more professional than my 📊?"

It's *lots* of tiny decisions that aren't the defaults in many libraries, so let's break down 1 simple graph by @jburnmurdoch.bsky.social

🔗 www.ft.com/content/73a1...

When I copy and move a file on the Google Drive web interface, I would love a quick way to view that file. I made the copy because I intend to edit it!

I know you can open the file and move/copy from there, but I don't want to accidentally modify the original and update the timestamp.

I'm giving a lecture to 1st year CS undergrads on debugging. It has to be fairly general---they aren't in the same intro class (learning Python or Java and using different IDEs).

Still, I somehow ended up with over 50 slides? No idea how this is going to go.

Photo of Casablanca, a 14 year old male tricolor Pembroke Welsh Corgi, looking to the side in a green field in Golden Gate Park with dappled sunlight and trees in the background.

Anyway… here’s my #corgi.

I *love* my job as a professor...

But, right now I dream about having a job where I could (a) easily take the sick time I need to finally get over these coughing fits and (b) take the vacation/leave I need to manage my precious dog's complex EOL care.

But, I'm sad they won't get to experience GitHub Universe in person even though it is less than 20 minutes away from campus :(

I'm encouraging them to livestream the keynote at least, and to check out RSA's College Day next semester for a great in-person experience.

I finally broke down and used my personal funds to buy GitHub stickers for my CS students this semester.

I am grateful for how inclusive they are. It is so fun seeing them pick one out!

The "I Voted!" sticker design from San Francisco Elections, which depicts the Golden Gate Bridge and bay, Sutro Tower, wild parrots and sea lions, California poppies, and fog.

Used fall break for 2 *very* important things: getting my flu/COVID vaccinations and voting!

I love the "I Voted!" sticker design from SF. There were so many propositions, but the KQED Voter Guide (www.kqed.org/voterguide) was a huge help.

Interested in a CS postdoc with both research & teaching? Check out the #USFCA Gerardo Marín Diversity Post-Doc!

Post-docs teach 1 course per term, get mentoring from senior faculty, and research + relocation support.

Apps due Jan 8th. More at:

I suppose there is a comfort in knowing that even after a break from VIS and hitting a new stage of my career, my social awkwardness, difficulty with crowds, and impostorism stuck around :)

I am looking forward to presenting our CG&A publication "Lessons Learned From Quantitatively Exploring Visualization Rubric Utilization for Peer Feedback" at #IEEEVIS in Melbourne this year!

Check out the preview video at:

Our work on vis rubrics for peer feedback is out of early access!

Daniel Barajas, Xornam Apedoe, @DavidGuyBrizan, @Alark Joshi, and I analyzed data from 2 semesters and make 6 suggestions based on our findings.

Check out the entire @IEEECGA issue at: