Dr. Michel Kinsy, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, was presented with the 2020 Computing Research Associate Widening Participation (CRA-WP) Inaugural Skip Ellis Early Career Award.
The award is named after the first African-American to earn a doctoral degree in computer science and to be elected a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. It will be given annually to an individual who identifies as a member of a group underrepresented in computing, has made significant research contributions in computer science and/or engineering and has contributed to the profession, especially in outreach to underrepresented demographics.
Call me an idealist, but I have always viewed my work first and foremost as an expression of the world as I would like to see it, where embracing the stranger is enriching, a never-ending pursuit of knowledge is emancipating and paying it forward through mentoring is the reward.
Kinsy explained that the meaning of this award truly exemplifies what he desires out of his career – to embrace diversity, intellectual honesty, excellence in his work, social responsibility and personal integrity.
“Call me an idealist, but I have always viewed my work first and foremost as an expression of the world as I would like to see it, where embracing the stranger is enriching, a never-ending pursuit of knowledge is emancipating and paying it forward through mentoring is the reward,” Kinsy said. “Purpose-driven mentoring in academia is hard and precarious. To have the community nodding their heads in acknowledgment of that it is a singularly worthy endeavor. For that I am sincerely grateful to the people who have instilled in me this notion of purpose-driven mentoring.”
Originally from St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Kinsy is eager to provide outreach activities, such as training and mentoring, to students from there. One recent project he has been a part of is to create an annual summer cybersecurity program to introduce students to hardware approaches and cybersecurity. He also brings this passion to Texas A&M and is eager for students to experience the wonder of education, particularly in engineering.
“Education has shown me a larger and culturally richer world,” Kinsy said. “It has provided opportunities and experiences that are simply beyond anything I could have dreamed up – so passing forward this transformative effect is one of the true blessings of my life.”
Kinsy joins the College of Engineering this semester as associate professor in the department and associate director of the Texas A&M Cybersecurity Center.