New Voices, New Stories: Welcoming Jessica and Fuzzy to the ACM-W Communications Team
This month, we welcome two new members to the ACM-W Communications Team, who joined our team this August as content creators.
Jessica Yauney will lead the “Above and Beyond” project, which follows up on the historical ACM-W scholarship data since its inception in 2006 to assess the impact of the scholarship on the educational trajectory and career path of our scholars. Jessica is a second-year Education PhD student at Stanford University, United States, where she focuses on Computer Science Education. She previously earned a Bachelor’s in Applied Math and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master’s in Technology from Brigham Young University.
Before beginning her PhD, Jessica was a high school computer science teacher in Lennox, California and worked as a performance engineer at a non-profit genealogy company. Her current work includes evaluating AI tools for teachers, documenting CS primary and secondary teacher pathways, and finding joy in computing classrooms. She also serves on the AiiCE Student Advisory Board and is an active member of NCWIT and CSTA.
Jessica currently serves as an Editor of ACM’s XRDS magazine and first connected with ACM-W through CRA’s Grad Cohort for Women Workshop. She is excited to share ACM-W scholars’ stories to connect and inspire women at all stages of education and career.
Fuzzy Kara-Isitt will be exploring “Unconventional Routes into Computing,” an area of keen interest to our audience as identified by recent polls on our social media platforms. Fuzzy is completing her doctoral research in Machine Learning and Data Sciences at Brunel University, United Kingdom, within a couple of months, on an EPSRC-funded studentship, following a distinguished 15-year career in the information systems industry and other writing stints across Pakistan, Switzerland, and the UK. She became passionate about using technology for social good through her transition from industry professional to teaching and heading Computer Science Departments at secondary schools, encouraging girls into considering tech careers, whilst playing a fun and approachable role model.
Her unique journey exemplifies unconventional pathways into computing—from translator at the Red Cross to journalist, from business analyst to fintech, to quality assurance, to technical writer to educator, and now to AI researcher, notably Tech for Social Good. For her doctoral work, Fuzzy focuses on detecting and mitigating online toxicity using sentiment analysis, bridging her diverse experiences in communication, education, and technology. This interdisciplinary approach, her multilingual background, and the wide range of international experiences, especially with women in computing, across five countries, provide valuable perspectives on global computing challenges.
Fuzzy loves being a mum to her only child and must start her day with a very quiet, strong cuppa early in the morning, when she collects her thoughts while everyone is still snoozing. This is followed by her daily puzzles and catching up on trending news and funny memes, which she thoroughly enjoys. Besides jokes and memes, she also loves clichéd long walks, cafes, reading, music, cinema, and being by the sea when she can.
Welcome to the team, Jessica and Fuzzy! We are looking forward to working with you.