I submitted my first draft and received positive feedback. This week I plan to read Karen's proposal. That is next on my list. I also want to review the comments received from Margaret. Additionally, I want to catch up on my citations, and begin to think about how to attack my chapter 2.

Since I may be up against it in terms of IRB and permission slips and the like I am also thinking about interviewing professionals. While being honored at Texas A&M-Commerce this past week, my former professor connected me with a African American IT professional who is willing to be interviewed and has friends that I could also contact. This may expedite my study if it allows me to avoid the rigors of IRB. This is something I need to think about. Below are comments received from the potential interviewee:

Kai can give me a call anytime. I know several black men in my field. He's right, there are not a lot of us, but more importantly not a lot of us in senior positions (Directors, CIOs, CTOs...) No complaints on my end, just facts. I used to think it had to do with pedigree/polish and would kick myself in the butt for not going to SMU or other schools that wanted me out of EHS. I soon learned that wasn't it either after one of my colleagues that went to Cornell couldn't advance. I'm happy to share my experience. IT is a great start, but more studies need to be done on corporate America general.

Kai

This week was able to contact the counselor's of the students I met during my keynote at Microsoft's Student Minority Day. This is really exciting to me. There was one drawback. If I am unable to have my proposal accepted before may, then I would have to wait until the next school year (september) to interview the students. I am not sure what that would mean in terms of the population that I would have available. Also, this week I corresponded with the authors of the study I found a few weeks ago. I did not gain much from that interaction, but I am least not part of the circle of those who are investigating this problem. And finally, I have something to submit. I have attachec my rough draft of my chapter one for Margaret to review. Congrats to Karen.

Kai

This week I found a new article and I fixed some of my citations. I still need to continue to read and fix my citations. I think I have enough I just need to continue and clean up. I will continue to work on that and improve my delimitations, and definitions and I will be ready to submit. I also heard from Juan Gilbert and Jerlando Jackson. I also emailed some of the contacts I made at Microsoft regarding my study. I MUST complete this chapter this week.

Kai

This week I continued to make progress. I did not get as far as I would have liked, but I moved forward and I am pleased by that. I was able to come up with my first draft of research questions that I think are a good starting point. Also, I wrote my significance of the study section as well as started the definition of terms. I had hoped to submit this week but is still not ready. I will use this week to read and clean up missing citations, transitions, etc. Hopefully, next week I will submit it.

Kai