Lecia Barker, professor in the School of Information at The University of Texas of Austin, has been elected to the board of directors for the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology (CPST).
Founded in 1953 as the Scientific Manpower Commission, CPST is a non-profit organization whose membership includes leading professional societies, academic institutions, corporations and individuals concerned with the education and employment of scientists and engineers.
Barker joined the School of Information in 2008. She specializes in the underrepresentation of women and minorities in the information technology workforce as well as the uses of information and communication technologies in educational settings.
Before joining The University of Texas at Austin, Barker led the Assessment and Research Center in the Alliance for Technology, Learning, and Society Institute at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is also a senior research scientist with the National Center for Women in Information Technology.
CPST is charged with collecting, analyzing and disseminating reliable information about human resources in the fields of science and technology in the United States. The organization promotes noteworthy educational and training programs for potential scientists, engineers, and technicians and develops policies for the use of scientific and technological human resources by educational institutions, industries and government entities for the optimum benefit of the nation.