The Association for Computing Machinery has honored the UCLA student chapter with its Outstanding School Service Award for 2020. The annual award recognizes a chapter for significant contributions to its school through a service project, or a series of smaller projects. It is one of five international awards given annually to student organizations.
ACM at UCLA comprises eight committees — AI, Cyber, Design, Hack, ICPC, Studio, Teach LA and W — that each serves a unique mission. The organization welcomes students of all majors, backgrounds and experience levels, and makes all of its workshop resources available on GIthub.
In its self-nomination, ACM at UCLA highlighted its improvements in the learning-assistant program, which allows undergraduates to teach fellow students as part of completing their computer science courses. The group also reported that it contributed to major increases in participation at the Computer Science Department’s annual student town hall, and at other programs including quarterly technical boot camps covering topics such as machine learning, hacking and game design.
The chapter also worked with the department and faculty members on updating the undergraduate curriculum. Members of the chapter. also participated in the school-wide Women in Engineering Stayover Program, where admitted female students stay part of the weekend in UCLA residence halls to experience campus life and connect with current students.
ACM at UCLA has previously won the award in 2018, and was recognized with the Outstanding Chapter Activities Award in 2017. The chapter will receive a prize of $500.
This story is contributed by Emily Luong.