The Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in Information Technology (CMD-IT) has honored Virginia Tech computer science alumna Jamika Burge ('07, doctorate) with the 2021 Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award for Scientific Scholarship, Civic Science and Diversifying Computing. 

This award is given annually to an individual who is a distinguished computational scientist, computer scientist, or computer engineer and who is making significant contributions to civic areas such as teaching, mentoring, advising, and building and serving communities.

The individual is also one who demonstrates extraordinary leadership in increasing the participation of groups who are underrepresented in the sciences. 

Burge leads the Capital One Experiences Products and Platforms Design team, which designs learning and research insights for multiple customer and platform experiences, at scale, including Eno, the conversational intelligent assistant. She is also a member of the Blacks in Tech Leadership team, where she leads strategic operations that measure the efficacy of professional development opportunities for Black associates and allies.

She is the co-founder of Capital One’s Intersectional Symposium, which focuses on intersectionality as fundamental to exploring the dimensions of how our lived experiences matter in the products and experiences we create for each other and customers, and she contributes to the Fair and Responsible AI Principles initiatives. 

Burge is an authority in research and programming that investigates the intersectionality of black women and girls in computing, which led her to co-found blackcomputeHER.org. It is dedicated to supporting computing+tech education and workforce development for Black women and girls. In fact, Bethlehem Teshome, a recent computer science graduate, attended the blackcomputHER conference during her sophomore year with support from the Department of Computer Science. "We are thrilled that Bethlehem is part of our amazing community, and we celebrate her achievements," said Burge.

Founders of blackcomputeHER.org, from left, Jakita O. Thomas, Philpott Westpoint Stevens Associate Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auburn University and Director of the CUltuRally & SOcially Relevent (CURSOR) Computing Lab; Quincy Brown, Senior Director for Innovation Research at AnitaB.org; and Jamika Burge.
Founders of blackcomputeHER.org, from left, Jakita O. Thomas, Philpott Westpoint Stevens Associate Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auburn University and Director of the CUltuRally & SOcially Relevent (CURSOR) Computing Lab; Quincy Brown, Senior Director for Innovation Research at AnitaB.org; and Jamika Burge.

Burge has consulted with Google, the National Center for Women in Technology, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, among others. She holds an affiliation with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund as a research scientist consultant.

Since 2017, Burge has served as a member of the Virginia Tech Department of Computer Science Alumni Advisory Board. She also serves on the advisory board for the CMD-IT, the Friends of Technology Advisory Board at Grambling State University, and the Center for Inclusive Computing at Northeastern University.