1. Best Time Ever for Women in Computing
Maria M. Klawe
President
Harvey Mudd College

2. outline Why it’s the best time ever The paradox
Decrease of women majors in CS
What we can do about it

3. Why it’s the best time ever
Industry and academia recognize that women have talent
Almost everyone wants more women
Industry – intense demand for CS grads
Academia – need for CS students

4. Best time ever…
Recognition that attracting and retaining more women requires change
Better work-life balance
Improved CS intro courses
More supportive environments for everyone
Valuing broader range of interests and styles

5. Best time ever…
Can combine computing with almost every other interest (travel, art, politics, languages, theatre, etc.)
Computing is a key tool in addressing the problems facing the world
Healthcare
Education
Environment

6. Example: Digital Study Hall
Randy Wang’s idea for education in the developing world – networks with long latency but huge bandwidth
Hub and spoke schools in India, Bangladesh
Digital green, healthcare

7. The paradox Increasing percentages of women in CS
Faculty
Grad students
Leadership positions
Decreasing numbers of women in CS
Undergrad majors

8. Why numbers are increasing in grad students, faculty, leadership …
Industry, academia, professional organizations providing programs to keep women in the pipeline
In recent years
Female % grad students > % undergrads
Female % assist. profs hired > % Ph.D.s
Techleaders

9. Why numbers are decreasing in undergrad majors…
Myth about IT jobs disappearing
Dot-com crash, media emphasis on outsourcing
Image of computing jobs
No life, no people interactions, boring
Image of CS courses being all about computers
CS classes being cut in high schools

10. What can WE do to attract girls before college…
Outreach to schools, parents, teachers
Focus on the unconverted
Take whatever opportunities are offered
Insert truth about CS as an aside
Go where the girls are
Craft messages for math, bio, chem, art, English, psychology teachers
Awesome CS summer camps
Adjust selective college admissions criteria
Have CS engagement count as a creative or volunteer activity

11. What can WE do to attract females to CS while in college
Fabulous CS intro (and later) courses
Get some CS required, or have a Dean advise all students to take a CS course
Bring frosh to Hopper
Post-frosh summer research experiences
Make it easy to switch into (offer intro CS in summer)
Provide double majors and flexibility
Digital pre-med program

12. What can WE do to change the image…
Have IT companies use their advertising $$$ to “brand CS careers”
Get a CS version of “Numbers”
Get a female idol as the CS spokesperson
Get a hot book written about people in CS careers and publicized on talk shows.
A “CS is cool” month
Use social networking sites somehow…

13. Resources
CRA-W
ACM-W

14. Questions and Comments