Staff Spotlight: Dr. Robbin Chapman
Dr. Robbin Chapman, HKS Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Dr. Robbin Chapman is Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Harvard Kennedy School. She previously served as Associate Provost and Academic Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and Lecturer in Education at Wellesley College, and Assistant Provost for Faculty Equity at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2016, MIT established the annual Dr. Robbin Chapman Excellence through Adversity Award to honor a MIT senior who has demonstrated excellence in leadership. In July 2018 Dr. Chapman began and then completed a two-year term as Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer, appointed by the Sigma Xi International Honor Society of Science and Engineering. She serves as Massachusetts regional liaison and senior fellow for the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program, administered through the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She is the Past President of the Society of Senior Ford Fellows. Chapman earned her SM and her PhD degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she conducted research at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the MIT Media Laboratory. Her research interests include design and use of computational tools for learning in public spaces and frameworks and technologies for supporting scholar activism.
1. Please share some background information regarding where you grew up, your community and the schools you attended before college.
As a young girl I grew up in Dinwiddie, VA and my family later moved to Brooklyn, NY. I became a city kid, enjoying the variety of museums, libraries, theatres, and Avery Fisher Hall (my favorite) checking out the New York Philharmonic orchestra. I attended the high school of performing arts (yes, the “Fame” school), as a drama major, and discovered how an introvert like me could still speak up and engage with others. My first college experience was at Medgar Evers College, part of the City University of NY. I’m grateful to have gone there because faculty were mostly African American and very active in encouraging me and building my confidence as a budding scholar. I transferred to Brooklyn College to join a computer science research group, however, my experiences at Medgar Evers forged a critical fork in the road for me academically and personally.
2. Were there any classes, teachers or special experiences in your K-12 schooling which were pivotal in deciding what to pursue in college? If so, explain how they impacted you.
I loved math and engineering-related activities. Most were not part of the educational experiences offered at my schools but were offered at some of the afterschool centers I attended. I especially loved anything to do with outer space, planets, and galaxies, and would never miss a televised NASA launch. And Star Trek, of course. Also, I was enthralled with mechanical engineering, as well. Taking mechanical objects apart and reassembling them was a fun pastime, like doing a puzzle. Though sometimes I would get in trouble for taking apart a toaster or other household appliance. OF course, growing up I didn’t know these were engineering interests.
3. Were you a natural math and science wiz or was it something you developed a real interest in during your initial schooling?
I was not a whiz and excelling had a lot to do with inquisitiveness, passion, and a talent for noticing the computational nature of everyday events, etc. The late Seymour Papert was my muse (and later a research mentor at MIT). His essay, “The Gears of My Childhood,” resonated with my experiences of noticing the beauty of computational patterns in nature and mathematics and exploring how and why machines worked.
4. You received your B.S in computer science from Brooklyn College of the City University of NY. When you entered college were you already focused on getting a degree in computer science or did you find that calling while at the college?
I had planned to major in physics and took quite a few physics courses throughout my undergraduate tenure. However, I learned that computer science would give me access to higher paying employment opportunities, so I switched. No regrets and I still love physics.
5. Were there any significant factors or challenges you faced while an undergraduate that impacted your decision to major in computer science?
As an African American undergraduate student my biggest challenge was being underestimated as a learner and having to repeatedly prove myself before being taken seriously. Working in a research lab really helped, especially in lifting my confidence level. In the lab, I was taken seriously and felt like I contributed to the work.
6. What led to your decision to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for graduate school?
I had never heard of MIT. I applied because my research lab director insisted. He was convinced I would be competitive. Once accepted, I went to visit the campus during New Admits Day, and it was amazing. The robots in the AI lab. The ethos of innovation and creativity; that nothing was off limits if you could imagine it. That visit “sealed the deal” and I couldn’t wait to start. To this day, I still say MIT is the only place where I feel completely normal.
7. Once you were accepted, were you initially focused on receiving both a S.M. and Ph.D.?
My intention was to get my PhD, although their program required you to earn your S.M. first and defend your master's research before moving forward to the PhD program.
8. Were there any other females pursuing advanced degrees in your field or were you one of a very select few females.
My first year, there were two of us, African American women. The next year, there was one. I persisted and earned my doctorate, and when I graduated there were three other African American women moving through the program.
9. What was one of the most challenging experiences you faced in obtaining your S.M and Ph.D.?
Again, being taken seriously and overcoming assumptions about my ability to contribute. You must keep pushing. Although there were challenging experiences and obstacles, the graduate deans, financial aid officers, and other administrators worked to neutralize those barriers as they popped up. I’m very grateful to them and most are retired but we still meet for dinners, etc.
10. How did you decide to conduct research in MIT’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab and Media in MIT’s Media Lab? Did you always see a juxtaposition of the two fields?
I started at the AI Lab with a focus on machine learning and natural language processing. During that period, I was a volunteer mentor at an after-school technology center called The Computer Clubhouse. I became more interested in human learning and how technology can enhance the learning experience, particularly outside of the classroom. The Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the Media Lab was focused on this research area, so I joined their group. MIT has mechanisms in place for students affiliated with a particular school (i.e., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) to conduct their research and have a committee chair from a different school (i.e., School of Architecture and Planning). This program flexibility fuels the innovation and creativity that comes from working across intersecting disciplines and exploring novel intersections.
11. Your research includes design and use of computational tools for learning in public spaces as well as frameworks and technologies for supporting scholar activism. Can you provide a small example of how this works?
Computational tools for learning in public spaces vary in accordance with the purpose and use of the space, the learning objectives, the learners, any dynamics inherent that space (i.e., flow patterns), and experiences we want learners to have within that space. For example, designing a learning technology for use at a public bus stop space requires understanding location flow patterns, average time a learner may be in that space, how to motivate engagement with the learning technology (i.e., gamification), and other design constraints. In addition to those waiting at the bus stop, there are people on the arriving bus that you must design for, as well. Of course, the flow patterns and other factors will be different. Your learning technology should be able to serve both groups of learners, albeit, in appropriate ways.
12. What made you decide while you were a lecturer in education at Wellesley College and Assistant Associate Provost for Faculty Equity at MIT to focus more on diversity, inclusion and belonging in your career by joining HKS as the Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging?
I understand the importance of those in leadership positions using their positionality and other resources to transform a student’s experience from one of being an outsider to knowing they belong, whether in the classroom, research lab, residence hall, or in other aspects of their campus experience. My goal is for our students to experience that belonging, and increase their agency and voice, both as scholars and as marginalized studenst, particularly within predominantly White academic environments.
13. What is the most fulfilling thing about your position as Associate Dean?
The authentic connections I enjoy with many members of the HKS community and engaging in open conversations about equity and social justice. I enjoy connecting HKS folks to one another, particularly around this work, and collaboration on DEI efforts. Also, celebrating the great work that was done before my arrival and since is soul-satisfying.
14. What accomplishment are you most proud of so far?
There are a number of those. I’m proud of the collaborations my team and I have been able to establish with different centers and departments across HKS, all in the service of advancing HKS DEI priorities and creating pathways for our community to directly contribute. One example is our ongoing collaboration with Library and Research Services (LRS). Our collaboration began in 2018 and involved working with the library team to establish a DIB Collection in the HKS library. What started as a set of bookshelves in the main library area and some online resources, now boosts a dedicated community room where folks can read, watch films, and engage around topics related to equity and inclusion, and online access to thousands of DEI resources. The library team took the initiative to expand the DIB collection and later create a Library Community Room dedicated to DEI learning and connections. This is what community leadership for DIB looks like in action.
15. You have published several books over the years, which one are you most proud of and why?
The Computer Clubhouse: Constructionism and Creativity in Youth Communities is close to my heart. Some of the work shared within that book was part of my dissertation research and field experiences working with members of various Computer Clubhouses (after-school technology centers for underserved youth). There are now over 100 Computer Clubhouses around the world. When I started my work there, less than 10 Clubhouses existed. This growing network is a critical pathway for young people developing agency and self-efficacy while becoming digital creators and makers, gaining to gain fluency with digital technologies, and ensure they have access to leadership development and academic enrichment activities.
16. Tell us a little about the establishment of the annual Dr. Robbin Chapman Excellence through Adversity Award honoring a MIT senior and MIT graduate student demonstrating excellence in Leadership.
While a MIT graduate student and later as an administrator, I served on numerous institute committees, worked with student groups, had undergraduate researchers working on my research projects, and served as a graduate mentor within the student resident life arena. Above all, whether with faculty, students, or staff, my goal is to promote a quality experience for all students. Additionally, I chaired the Black Graduate Student Association and worked closely with BAMIT (Black Alumni of MIT), both organizations focus on ensuring equitable opportunities and learning experiences for students of color and holding the institution accountable for doing the necessary work. I was at Wellesley College when informed of the establishment of this award. I’m proud of the social justice work that undergraduate and graduate student awardees have engaged in and look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of those change makers who will contribute through their leadership in the future.
17. Is there anything else you would like to share?
How essential resilience, empathy, and inquisitiveness are to engaging in moving forward our social justice agendas. I come from generations of African American activists, survivors, and people with indomitable spirits. I try to honor those ancestors for passing on their wisdom, their examples, their strengths, and bravery to me. My first week as a graduate student at MIT, I wrote a love poem to my ancestors (published in the book, Counternarratives from Women of Color Academics: Bravery, Vulnerability, and Resistance) where I speak of my respect and love for what they endured and the gifts they passed on, and to acknowledge their joyfulness, as well. I continually try to pass that strength and bravery on to my nephew and often include this dedication to him in my writings: “For my nephew Brandon, I remain brave so you will know bravery as your legacy.” I want him to appreciate all that our ancestors have bequeath to him, as well as to me.