Playing the Matchmaker: Linking Students and Mentors While Strengthening Academic Open Source Projects

Discover how to effectively connect undergraduate students with mentors in open source projects through this insightful conference talk. Learn about the powerful impact of matchmaking between students seeking practical experience and mentors from academic open source communities. Explore the journey of UC Santa Cruz's Center for Research in Open Source Software (CROSS) as they expanded their mentoring initiatives from Google Summer of Code to the Open Source Research Experience (OSRE). Gain valuable insights into the benefits of these programs for both mentors and students, including increased community diversity, improved project impact, and enhanced sustainability. Uncover practical strategies for playing the matchmaker role and strengthening academic open source projects while fostering talent development in the open source ecosystem.