Six Northwestern PhD students—Connie Chau, Melissa Chen, Hasti Darabipourshiraz, Mora Labisi, Robin Luo, and Essien Taylor—attended the Computing Research Association (CRA) Widening Participation (WP) Grad Cohort Workshop this spring in Seattle. Designed to provide graduate students in computing with mentoring, networking, and professional development opportunities, the workshop equips participants with the skills, knowledge, and connections needed to navigate graduate school, advance in research, and build successful careers in computing.
Taylor, a PhD student in computer engineering, has attended the CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshop each of the four years he’s been in the doctoral program. He returns for the conversations with people who have already navigated similar pressures.
“That’s not something that’s always obvious in traditional research conferences,” Taylor said.
Fourth-year PhD candidate Melissa Chen made her second appearance at the workshop, returning after an inaugural visit during her first year of graduate studies. Three years later, she said, she’s still in touch with people she met then.
For Chen, the experience is invaluable for highlighting the “human side” of being a graduate student. This time around, Chen had different priorities and questions, noting that she felt more confident in her identity as a researcher and had a much more concrete idea of her area of focus.
“I no longer feel like I’m masquerading as a PhD student. I am a PhD student,” Chen joked, noting that it felt very different to be in attendance with that mindset.
Through interactive discussions, mentorship from senior computing researchers and professionals, and networking opportunities with peers, CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshop attendees gain insights into essential topics such as career planning, research development, work-life balance, personal branding, and job hunting. Attendees were also given opportunities to present lightning talks about their research and have one-on-one conversations with industry and academic leaders.
Chen said she was particularly pleased to converse with a senior faculty member at another school, especially as she considers which path to choose after graduation. Taylor had a similar experience with a senior researcher he met, who explained an industry role.
“That was really helpful, because initially I was leaning more towards professorship, but through the conversations at the workshops, as well as internships and other experiences, I’m now more focused on industry preparation,” Taylor said.
Taylor said a new feature that stood out to him at the workshop this year were “birds of a feather sessions,” where people clustered into small group discussions about specific topics. In particular, he said he took away valuable points about how people deal with stress in academia.
To them, the cohort provided an invaluable complement to the typical world of academic research.
“You can let your guard down because everybody there is genuinely invested in you being successful, and they’re genuinely there to celebrate you and your work,” Chen said.
As a member of the CRA, Northwestern Computer Science received registration and travel expense support for graduate students to attend the 2026 conference, held March 5-7 in Seattle. The department also provided financial support. In addition, Labisi, a PhD student in computer science and learning sciences, attended the CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshop as a fellow of the US National Science Foundation’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NSF CSGrad4US) Program. Luo, a PhD student in computer science, was selected to participate as a CRA Scholarship Invitee.
“It is amazing that so many Northwestern students were able to attend this event,” said Samir Khuller, Peter and Adrienne Barris Chair of Computer Science at the McCormick School of Engineering. “Over time, I have witnessed a strong correlation in graduate students participating actively in such events and their desire to pursue a research-focused career.”