Gilbert's algorithm addresses affirmative action concerns, diversity opportunities
"We found that Applications Quest provides greater diversity than admissions committees in a fraction of the time while maintaining the same academic achievement levels as the original committee," said Gilbert on the day of the oral arguments in the University of Texas case.
It is one of a number of technology solutions to social issues which Gilbert has defined through his groundbreaking work in the field of "human-centered computing," which starts from the perspective of the end user instead of the technology.
Gilbert is among the 13th annual 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology. He is part of a panel on creating a sense of belonging for African-Americans in technology from grade school to graduate school during Innovation & Equity 2013: Keeping America First in Technology: Public Innovation & Supplier Diversity on Jan. 15 in Washington, D.C. Joining him are Dr. Andrew Williams, Professor and John P. Raynor, S.J., Distinguished Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Marquette University; and Dr. M. Brian Blake, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate School at the University of Miami.
Other Gilbert innovations include:
- His work as project manager for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to create a universal voting machine which would solve problems such as the 2000 Florida "hanging chad" scenario
- Voice texting for drivers to prevent use of mobile devices while driving
- Multiple Instructor, Single Learner integrated learning systems to improve the outcomes for far-below proficient students
His example motivates graduate students far beyond his Human-Centered Computing Lab at Clemson. He received a Presidential Award for Mentoring in Math, Engineering and Science from President Obama in 2011 because he works directly with two-thirds of the African-American computer science graduate students in the country.
Part of the significance of Applications Quest is the prospect of moving past the issue of "racial preferences," an ironic twist for the family of Heman Sweat, who had to have the U.S. Supreme Court mandate that he be allowed to attend the University of Texas in 1950. They filed an amicus brief in support of maintaining the University's current holistic review process, which includes race among a variety of factors.
In the bigger picture, in fields like engineering, the United States is not producing enough graduates of any race. The 72,000 U.S. engineering graduates yearly pale in comparison to the 800,000 graduating in China.
Gilbert notes in a video for ReUNION: Education-Arts-Heritage that the real issue is improving the curriculum for diverse groups of students to make it relevant and engaging. "For our people engaging hands on is critical," he notes. "It has to be relevant...At that point of engagement, it's like playing a video game. If you've ever watched a kid play a video game and they couldn't do something. They will not leave until they figure it out."
A daily series on ReUNION -- AlGRhythm -- includes a variety of learning challenges in which top scientists show how to solve everyday problems using mathematics.
The real issue in education and employment is how to expand the pool. Dr. Chance Lewis of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said of Gilbert's solution: "Applications Quest provides what we need most in higher education admissions and hiring decisions – a holistic evaluation of applications that is efficient, objective, and reliable.”
