Our Team
Our team is comprised of dedicated individuals who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to guide our mission of increasing participation of marginalized communities by advocating for diversity in computing. Each member of our team plays a critical role in shaping the direction of our organization and ensuring that we remain committed to our core values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Together, we are dedicated to conducting pioneering research, providing training, and engaging in activities that reduce technological inequality and marginalization in the scientific community. We are proud to have such a talented and passionate group of individuals leading I2DSR, and we look forward to working together to create a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
Board of Directors
Dr. Jamell Dacon
Founder & Executive Director
Dr. Shaylynn Crum
Community Engagement Director
Lakye Thomas
Advocacy & Education Officer
Subhadra Vadlamannati
Diversity & Inclusion Officer
Ibrahim Abdus-Sabur
Chief Technology Officer
Dr. Jamell Dacon
Dr. Jamell Dacon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Morgan State University,
and serves as the PI of the MINDS Lab and Research Lead at QSIDE. Additionally, Dr. Dacon is an Affiliate Faculty member of both the Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems (CEAMLS)
and the Trustworthy AI in Law & Society (TRAILS) Institute. At Michigan State University (MSU) he is acknowledged as "one of a few Black CSE doctoral graduates and first Afro-Caribbean graduate to achieve this milestone" — MSU Today Newsletter titled, Graduate voice: Turning first-generation barriers into historic firsts.
With a background in technology and a commitment to social impact, Dr. Dacon leads I2DSR in pioneering research and DEIA initiatives that reduce both technological marginalization and inequality.
Connect or follow Dr. Jamell Dacon on LinkedIn!
Dr. Shaylynn Crum
Dr. Shaylynn Crum holds a Technology Manager position in the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) within the Department of Energy (DOE),
where she utilizes her knowledge in polymers for energy storage to promote research and development of hydrogen fuel cell technologies.
Additionally, she serves on the Environmental Justice committee within HFTO, where efforts are dedicated to plan and execute community engagement and DEIA activities.
With a background in community advocacy and a passion for equity, she diligently and dutifully ensures that all voices are represented and empowered within I2DSR's initiatives.
Connect or follow Dr. Shaylynn Crum on LinkedIn!
Lakye Thomas
Lakye Thomas leads efforts to promote inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) in middle school education via computing.
With a background in tech operations, Lakye brings a unique perspective to his role, focusing on creating educational opportunities that empower underrepresented groups in the field.
His passion for DEIA in computing is evident in his advocacy work at Success Academy Charter School in New York City (NYC) where he strives
to develop programs and initiatives aiming to bridge the gap between technology and inclusivity, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate and thrive in the digital age.
Connect or follow Lakye Thomas on LinkedIn!
Subhadra Vadlamannati
Subhadra (Subha) Vadlamannati is the youngest on Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Seattle – "Seattle's biggest and brightest young entrepreneurs".
Subha founded Linguistics Justice League (LJL), a nonprofit to provide kids, mainly refugees and immigrants who spoke low resource languages which resulted in a TEDx Talk, advocating for low-resource languages—such as the Bantu languages spoken in most of Africa.
Subha leads initiatives to foster an inclusive environment that embraces diversity in all its forms through strategic planning and programming to ensure that I2DSR is a welcoming space for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in computing.
Connect or follow Subhadra Vadlamannati on LinkedIn!
Ibrahim Abdus-Sabur
Ibrahim (Ibby) Abdus-Sabur is a Senior Software Enginneer at Google NYC with over 10 years of experience, and graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
With a deep expertise in technology and a passion for innovation, Ibby drives our technical strategy to advance student research and training undergraduate and highschool programs.
Moreover, he is committed to leveraging technology to host workshops further amplifying the promotion of DEIA in the scientific community.
Additionally, he is dedicated to forging building strategic alliances that drive positive change and create opportunities for underrepresented groups in technology.
Connect or follow Ibrahim Abdus-Sabur on LinkedIn!