CS Colloquium: Brianna B. Posadas ’13
November 20, 2026 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Location
Galileo Hall, Pryne
240 Platt Blvd.
Claremont, CA 91711
Contact
Morgan McArdle
mmcardle@g.hmc.edu
909.607.0299
Details
How does a computer scientist build a research career around the problems people actually face in the field? Brianna B. Posadas ’13 will share her personal journey to becoming an assistant professor and describe how a background in human-computer interaction, user-centered design and computing education led to agricultural technology research at Cal Poly Pomona.
Posadas will highlight several projects that connect computing, agriculture and community-engaged research: designing usable security practices for greenhouse workers; collaborating with Pitzer College on a California Energy Commission project investigating agrivoltaic systems and the integration of solar energy production with agriculture; developing sensor-based technologies for monitoring cows; and using agricultural datasets to create more meaningful and applied experiences in computer science courses.
Together, these projects illustrate how agricultural contexts can motivate new computing research questions while creating opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, student mentorship and teaching innovation. The talk will conclude with reflections on developing an academic identity, pursuing research grounded in real-world communities and building a career that connects human-centered computing with agriculture and student learning.
Speaker
Brianna B. Posadas, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. An engineering alumna, she earned an M.S. in agricultural and biological engineering and a PhD in computer and information science and engineering from the University of Florida, where she was the first Latina to earn a doctorate from the department. Before joining Cal Poly Pomona, she was a Computing Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow and later an assistant professor at Virginia Tech.
Posadas’s research connects human-centered computing, data science and agricultural technology. Across her work at Virginia Tech and Cal Poly Pomona, she has studied how farmers and agricultural workers adopt emerging technologies, including assistive technologies, precision-agriculture tools and AI-enabled systems. Her current projects include usable security for greenhouse workers, agrivoltaic systems through a collaboration with Pitzer College, sensor-based technologies for monitoring cows and the use of agricultural data in computer science education. Together, this work reflects her goal of helping engineers and computer scientists develop technologies that respond to the practical needs of agricultural communities.
Posadas is committed to fostering diversity, belonging and community in computing and higher education. She advises oSTEM at Cal Poly Pomona, organizes the annual Hispanics in Computing meeting and founded the Latino/Hispanic Organization of Graduate Students at the University of Florida.
This event is for: faculty, staff, students
faculty, staff, studentsCommunity Connections events provide opportunities for HMC faculty, students and staff to cultivate community, foster open conversations and share important information as together we live out our mission and shape the future of the College.
Calendars
Kickstart your career journey by joining us each week for the OCS career and professional development series! From expert panels to hands-on workshops and presentations, each session dives into a new topic designed to help you build skills and confidence for your future.
This faculty panel will explore “dangerous questions” from a variety of disciplines to understand and respond to challenges facing American universities. The discussion will address the erosion of knowledge and expertise, as well as political forces that may attempt to limit intellectual inquiry and creativity.
Ambereen Dadabhoy, asssociate professor of literature, “What Would Shakespeare Say?”
Anup Gampa, assistant professor of psychology, “Invasive Species: Blaming Dysregulated Plant Neighbors Is a ‘Settler Move’ to Innocence”
Rachel Mayeri, artist and professor of media studies, “What Can Art Do During a Fascist Takeover?”
David K. Seitz, associate professor of cultural geography, “Geography Against Immediacy”
Paul Steinberg, professor of political science and environmental policy, “Creative Politics as a Strategic Response to Authoritarianism”
David Wilson, assistant professor of music, “Sounding (Anti-)Authoritarian: A Few Vignettes”
The K-12 through college CS pipeline is full of barriers and those barriers prevent broader participation in the field. I’ll describe some of my research to try to identify or remove some of those barriers. I hope you will learn a bit more about CS education research and how you can advocate for policies and practices that can broaden participation in CS!
“We don’t want to live in a society in turmoil. In the U.S., 93 percent of people want to reduce divisiveness, and 86 percent believe it’s possible to disagree in a healthy way. Yet with increasing political and social fragmentation, many of us don’t know how to move past our differences. Civil rights scholar john a. powell presents an actionable path through ‘bridging’ that helps us communicate, coexist and imagine a new story for our shared future where we all belong.” (description courtesy of Othering and Belonging Institute)
The Office of Civic and Community Engagement (OCCE) will be hosting a guilt-free book club this fall semester on john a. powell’s book The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong. Our first gathering is on Friday, Oct. 3.
This learning community is for everyone, from those who are already experienced in community engagement to those who are curious about learning more about this high-impact educational practice. Faculty participants will discuss readings, meet with outside speakers, share ideas, and think collaboratively about implementing community engagement into the 5C students’ experience.
Welcome to HMC’s Community Conversations for the fall 2025.
HMC Community Conversations* use conversation guides with a structured format to help people with different viewpoints and experiences build understanding. There will be 3–5 other people in a table group. It is not a debate, and the goal is not to change one another’s opinions. There are Conversation Agreements like “Listen and Be Curious” and “Show Respect and Suspend Judgement” that create the framework for diving into the questions. The questions are designed to draw out our personal experiences rather than opinions around the topic.
The overall purpose is to learn more about the experiences others have around the topic and build a sense of community.
Community Conversations will take place on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon in Shanahan 1480; and each gathering will be on a separate topic. Gatherings will be in person only.
Kickstart your career journey by joining us each week for the OCS career and professional development series! From expert panels to hands-on workshops and presentations, each session dives into a new topic designed to help you build skills and confidence for your future.
Learn about HMC’s approved study abroad programs and how to study abroad your junior year.
The Great ShakeOut is an opportunity for our community to practice what to do during an earthquake (drop, cover, and hold on). In the event of a real earthquake, a notification will be sent via Mudd Alert containing important information and instructions.
In most situations, if you feel shaking or receive an earthquake alert, you should immediately:
Drop where you are, onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from being knocked down and reduces your chances of being hit by falling or flying objects.
Cover your head and neck with one arm and hand. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath for shelter. If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall. Stay on your knees; bend over to protect vital organs.
Hold on until the shaking stops. If you’re under shelter, hold on to it with one hand and be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts. If you are not under shelter, cover your head and neck with both arms and hands.
For the purpose of this exercise, we encourage community members to practice these steps for one minute upon receiving the Mudd Alert notification. Thank you for your time and participation in this important emergency preparedness exercise.
“We don’t want to live in a society in turmoil. In the US, 93 percent of people want to reduce divisiveness, and 86 percent believe it’s possible to disagree in a healthy way. Yet with increasing political and social fragmentation, many of us don’t know how to move past our differences. Civil rights scholar john a. powell presents an actionable path through “bridging” that helps us communicate, coexist, and imagine a new story for our shared future where we all belong.” (taken from Othering and Belonging Institute)
The Office of Civic & Community Engagement (OCCE) will be hosting a guilt-free book club this fall semester on john a. powell’s book The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong. Our first gathering is on Friday, October 3rd.
This learning community is for everyone, from those who are already experienced in community engagement to those who are curious about learning more about this high-impact educational practice. Faculty participants will discuss readings, meet with outside speakers, share ideas, and think collaboratively about implementing community engagement into the 5C students’ experience.
Welcome to HMC’s Community Conversations for the fall 2025.
HMC Community Conversations* use conversation guides with a structured format to help people with different viewpoints and experiences build understanding. There will be 3–5 other people in a table group. It is not a debate, and the goal is not to change one another’s opinions. There are Conversation Agreements like “Listen and Be Curious” and “Show Respect and Suspend Judgement” that create the framework for diving into the questions. The questions are designed to draw out our personal experiences rather than opinions around the topic.
The overall purpose is to learn more about the experiences others have around the topic and build a sense of community.
Community Conversations will take place on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon in Shanahan 1480; and each gathering will be on a separate topic. Gatherings will be in person only.
Kickstart your career journey by joining us each week for the OCS career and professional development series! From expert panels to hands-on workshops and presentations, each session dives into a new topic designed to help you build skills and confidence for your future.
Professor Paul Steinberg teaches the popular course Public Speaking for Science and Citizenship. In this workshop, he’ll share insights on public speaking and lead a fun and easy Audience-ology™ exercise.
Steinberg is professor of political science and environmental policy in the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts, where he holds the Malcolm Lewis Chair in Sustainability and Society. The author of three books and recipient of the International Studies Association’s Deborah Gerner Award for Innovation Teaching, Steinberg runs the firm PS Public Speaking.
The Cabinet is hosting informal coffee breaks in fall 2025 for students, faculty, and staff. These coffee breaks will be attended by most of the Cabinet team and will provide an opportunity for the community to share ideas, express concerns, and highlight successes.
All are welcome to stop by as schedules allow.
“We don’t want to live in a society in turmoil. In the US, 93 percent of people want to reduce divisiveness, and 86 percent believe it’s possible to disagree in a healthy way. Yet with increasing political and social fragmentation, many of us don’t know how to move past our differences. Civil rights scholar john a. powell presents an actionable path through “bridging” that helps us communicate, coexist, and imagine a new story for our shared future where we all belong.” (taken from Othering and Belonging Institute)
The Office of Civic & Community Engagement (OCCE) will be hosting a guilt-free book club this fall semester on john a. powell’s book The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong. Our first gathering is on Friday, October 3rd.
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