Bard Students Establish a ColorStack Chapter to Support Computer Science Students
L-R: Colorstack chapter leaders Nyla Lawrence ’26, Joseph Nartey ’26, and Karla Zarate ’26.
Bard computer science students Nyla Lawrence ’26, Joseph Nartey ’26, and Karla Zarate ’26 have established the newest campus chapter of ColorStack, a national program dedicated to increasing the number of Black and Latinx students graduating with a computer science degree. The program hosts workshops, reviews resumes, and provides a wider support network for students as they pursue their degree. Establishing ColorStack at Bard involved getting a minimum number of students signed up and building the chapter community from scratch. After months of work, the chapter was officially approved in February.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Emma Benser said the chapter is a promising sign and a resource for future students, particularly as it signals engagement with support networks for Black, Latinx, and other underrepresented students in computer science. “The establishment of this new ColorStack chapter is a major step towards equity for students of color in our program, as students can not only experience belonging in this new community on campus but also benefit from the external resources this national organization provides for Black and Latine students in computing,” she said. “The diversity of our students is a great strength of our computational sciences program here at Bard, and watching the students take this initiative to build community has been inspiring for me.”
Post Date: 03-03-2026
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Emma Benser said the chapter is a promising sign and a resource for future students, particularly as it signals engagement with support networks for Black, Latinx, and other underrepresented students in computer science. “The establishment of this new ColorStack chapter is a major step towards equity for students of color in our program, as students can not only experience belonging in this new community on campus but also benefit from the external resources this national organization provides for Black and Latine students in computing,” she said. “The diversity of our students is a great strength of our computational sciences program here at Bard, and watching the students take this initiative to build community has been inspiring for me.”
Post Date: 03-03-2026