Woman in Computing

1. Woman in Computing By: Ana Maria Figueroa

2. Kay McNulty Mauchly Antonelli • Kay McNulty, a recent math graduate from Chestnut Hill College, was employed along with about 75 other young female mathematicians as a "computer" by the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Engineering. • These "computers" were responsible for making calculations for tables of firing and bombs as part of the war effort. The need to perform the calculations more quickly prompted the development of the world's first electronic digital computer, in 1946.

3. Edith Clarke • Edith enrolled as a civil engineering student at the University of Wisconsin. At the end of her first year, she took a summer job as a "Computer Assistant" (skilled mathematician) to AT&T research engineer Dr. George Campbell and was so interested in the computing work that she did not return to her studies, but instead stayed on at AT&T to train and direct a group of computers. • she accepted an EE professorship at the University of Texas, Austin, and became the first woman to teach engineering there. She worked there as a full professor until her second retirement in 1956. • "There is no demand for women engineers, as such, as there are for women doctors; but there's always a demand for anyone who can do a good piece of work." • As a woman who worked in an environment traditionally dominated by men, she demonstrated effectively that women could perform at least as well as men if given the opportunity. Her outstanding achievements provided an inspiring example for the next generation of women with aspirations to become career engineers."

4. Ada Byron King • When inspired Ada could be very focused and a mathematical taskmaster. Ada suggested to Babbage writing a plan for how the engine might calculate Bernoulli numbers. This plan, is now regarded as the first "computer program." A software language developed by the U.S. Department of Defense was named "Ada" in her honor in 1979. • Ada anticipated by more than a century most of what we think is brand-new computing.

5. Evelyn Boyd Granville • Evelyn Boyd Granville, who earned her doctorate in Mathematics in 1949 from Yale University. • Was one of the first African American women to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics. During her career, she developed computer programs that were used for the analysis in the Mercury Project (the first U.S. manned mission in space) and in the Apollo Project (which sent U.S. astronauts to the moon).

6. Erna Schneider Hoover • she invented a computerized switching system for telephone traffic, to replace existing hard-wired, mechanical switching equipment. • For this ground-breaking achievement -- the principles of which are still used today -- she was awarded one of the first software patents ever issued At Bell Labs, she became the first female supervisor of a technical department.

7. Carla Schroder • Sometimes it is difficult being a woman in IT. Even I, even tuff old cranky yet charming me, have encountered some pretty crappy treatment just for the crime of being female. • Ms. Schroder first went on the internet in 1995 with Netscape 1.0 and Pine. She then thought that this was the coolest thing ever to have so many people at you finger tips from all over the world! • Now she lives in a rural area, where I am the only geek for miles, so my online hangouts are vital for my mental health and professional development. I can't be the only geek who gets tired of hearing "ew, computers scare me!" Just have to have folks to talk shop with.

8. Helpful website for woman in technology: WITI • Founded in 1989, WITI's mission is to empower women worldwide to achieve unimagined possibilities and transformations through technology, leadership and economic prosperity.

9. Statistics • Did you know that in 2004, women made the majority of tech purchases, outspending men by $14 billion? Yet the tech industry has yet to understand that the female market is one to be taken seriously. WITI and IDC are conducting a critical new survey to discover how women use and interact with technology. • The good news is all about women-owned businesses. There are some 6 million women-owned businesses in the United States. Every day 400 new ones are started, representing some 55% of new firm startups...

10. Gender imbalance in computer classes A level computer studies results, and a comparison of male and female entrants to computer courses at further education colleges and universities over the same period of time. The investigation found that women were significantly under-represented in the field of computing. There was a significant difference between the entrants for GCSE and A level computing with third level education witnessing a noticeable lowering in female applicants for computer studies courses. An exception from this however, was the part time/evening enrollment at colleges of further education where there was a dramatic rise in female participation.

11. Gender and computing • Although substantially more women than men attend college, only 15-20% of undergraduate computer science majors at leading U.S. departments and only 17% of high school computer science Advanced Placement test takers [College Board, 1998] are female. This is a matter of concern not only for women who may be forgoing opportunities for economic success and personal satisfaction, but also for an industry in the grip of a shortage of skilled workers, and a society deprived of a broader set of perspectives in the design of its increasingly critical information systems.

12. Why are there so few female computer scientist? • Women pursue education and careers in computer science far less frequently than men do. In 1990, only 13% of PhDs in computer science went to women, and only 7.8% of computer science professors were female. Additionally, the percentage of female computer science students appears to be increasing at only a slow rate or even decreasing. Apart from ethical concerns at women's lack of participation in computer science, the demographics of the country are such that the United States will not have enough engineers and scientists unless underrepresented groups increase their participation. This report examines the influences against a woman's pursuing a career in a technical field, particularly computer science. Such factors include the different ways in which boys and girls are raised, the stereotypes of female engineers, subtle biases that females face, problems resulting from working in predominantly male environments, and sexual biases in language. Finally, I discuss effective and ineffective ways to encourage women. A theme of the report is that women's under representation is not primarily due to direct discrimination but to subconscious behavior that tends to perpetuate the status quo.

13. Educational Pipeline Issues for Woman • The Taulbee report shows that the percentage of Ph.D.s in Computer Science going to women has remained relatively steady at 10-12% since 1978. In comparison, the percentage in the physical sciences and mathematics is now at 17% and has been steadily rising. Only engineering is below us with about 8%, although it too has been steadily increasing.

14. References • http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/5695 • http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/tap/past-women-cs.html • http://www.witi.com/