COMPUTER SCIENCE PH.D/ PROFESSOR HELPS BLACK WOMEN AND GIRLS BECOME UNAPOLOGETICALLY DOPE IN TECH

New Book Focuses on the Unwritten Rules for Success in the Field

Black women and girls, who are grossly underrepresented in tech degrees and careers, now have a blueprint for successfully navigating the field. In Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women and Girls on Surviving and Thriving in the Tech Field, Dr. Nicki Washington provides candid advice on not only excelling in this diversity-starved field, but also remaining one’s most authentic self in the face of challenges ranging from marginalization to self-doubt.

Black women comprise less than 1% of all computing graduates each year. While nationwide efforts to increase diversity focus on learning computing fundamentals such as programming, Unapologetically Dope discusses the unspoken lessons that aren’’t taught in classes or textbooks, including:

* Assembling one’s tribe
* Understanding the twice-as-good rule
* Prioritizing mental, emotional, and physical health
* Asking for help
* Tackling imposter syndrome
* The importance of “keeping receipts”
* Understanding one’s worth
* Lifting while climbing
* Owning and trusting one’s dopeness

As the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University (’05) and the first Black female computer science professor at Howard University, Dr. Washington is no stranger to being the only Black woman in the room. Leveraging childhood to current experiences (including working in industry and becoming an alumnus and professor at both HBCUs and PWIs), she details the successes and setbacks that helped her build a career defined by audacity and unapologetic authenticity.

“It is rare for that knowledge to be addressed to us, written down for us to read over and again,” says Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO of AnitaB.org. “Finding it for me, at this time, spoke to me in a way that was unexpected and so very powerful.”

“This book is not only an amazing testament to Nicki’s Black Girl Magic, but also her passion for helping women and girls coming behind her in a field where there are still too few of them present,” says Dr. Dorothy C. Yancy, President Emerita of Johnson C. Smith University and Shaw University.

Unapologetically Dope ($14.95, 978-0984746798) is available at NickiWashington.com and online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About Dr. Nicki Washington

Dr. Nicki Washington is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University (B.S., ’00) and North Carolina State University (M.S., Ph.D.). Her professional experience includes Winthrop University, Howard University, The Aerospace Corporation, and IBM. She led partnerships with the Howard University Middle School of Math and Science, Google, Exploring Computer Science, and Washington, DC Public Schools that introduced computer science courses and teacher professional development across Washington, DC high schools. She also led the creation and implementation of the first Google-in-Residence program at Howard University in 2013. She was a lead writer for the K-12 CS Framework (led by Code.org) and South Carolina K-12 Computer Science and Digital Literacy Standards. She has been a featured writer and speaker for USA Today College, The Root/VerySmartBrothas, Innovate Your Cool, Code.org, Google, Bennett College for Women, The DC STEM Summit, National Coalition for Women in Technology, National Society of Black Engineers, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was also a regular guest on “The Daily Drum” on WHUR.

For more information about Unapologetically Dope, including review copy or interview requests, contact Dr. Nicki Washington at (984) 999-1289 or nicki@nickiwashington.com.