Information

The following information is dedicated to issues relating to women and minorities in computer science.

 

Organizations

  • The Alliance for the Advancement of African American Researchers in Computing (http://www.a4rc.org/)
    • This organization seeks to increase entry paths for African Americans into computing research careers. Virginia Tech is a member of A4RC, and support is available for students interested in joining research pods with local HBCUs. A4RC includes as partner schools North Carolina A&T State University, Norfolk State University, Jackson State University, and other HBCUs. Contact Scott McCrickard (mccricks@cs.vt.edu) for more information about participating in this alliance.
  • Students and Technology in Academia, Research, and Service (STARS) Alliance (http://www.starsalliance.org)
    • This alliance seeks to broaden participation in computing and information technology for traditionally underrepresented student populations, with a focus on encouraging students to consider computer science as an undergraduate major. Virginia Tech is a member of the STARS Alliance, and support is available for outreach projects that help increase undergraduate enrollment and retention in computer science. Contact Scott McCrickard (mccricks@cs.vt.edu) for more information about participating in this alliance.
  • National Center for Women & Information Technology (http://www.ncwit.org/)
    • NCWIT is a coalition of more that 170 companies, agencies, and schools working to increase women's participation in information technology (IT). Virginia Tech is a member of NCWIT, and support is available to attend the many NCWIT sponsored meetings and workshops. Contact Scott McCrickard (mccricks@cs.vt.edu) for more information about participating in this alliance.
  • National Center for Women & Information Technology (http://www.ncwit.org/)
    • NCWIT's overarching goal is parity in the professional information technology (IT) workforce, and our fundamental strategy is to educate, disseminate, and advocate a national, multi-year implementation plan that generates tangible progress within 20 years.
  • Making Strides (http://ehrweb.aaas.org/mge/)
    • This program is working towards increasing the number of African American, Hispanic, and Native American students receiving science, mathematics, and engineering (SME) degrees.
  • ACM's Committee on Women in Computing (http://women.acm.org/)
    • ACM-W is the ACM committee on Women in Computing. It celebrates, informs and supports women in computing, and works with the ACM-W community of computer scientists, educators, employers and policy makers to improve working and learning environments for women.
  • National Coalition of Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups in Engineering and Science (http://www.ncourages.org/)
    • NCOURAGES works with many groups to promote the number of racial and ethnic groups in Engineering and Science. Their goal is to focus and align the individual efforts and activities for the purpose of dramatically increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the nation's science and engineering workforce.
  • ADVANCE (http://www.advance-portal.net)
    • Advance is a program that is set up throughout multiple universities to study how to increase the number of women in engineering. Their goal is to increase the participation of women in the scientific and engineering workforce through increased representation and advancement of women in academic scientific and engineering careers.
  • Society of Women Engineers (http://www.swe.org/)
    • SWE is the society of women in engineering and works to empower women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders.
  • Women's Engineering Society (http://www.wes.org.uk/)
    • WES is the voice of the women engineer. Based in England, they promote education, public awareness, and help sustain contact with women engineers on the career backs and facilities their return to paid employment by keeping them informed of programs within their profession.
  • IEEE Women in Engineering (http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/committee/women/)
    • WIE is the IEEE group that works to recognize, organize, promote, advocate, provide, and administer women in engineering to increase participation and improve the climate for women in IEEE.
  • The Association for Women in Science (http://www.awis.org/)
    • AWIS is the general sciences program that is dedicated to achieving equity and full participation for women in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.
  • Association for Women in Science and Engineering in the UK (http://www.awise.org/)
    • AWiSE is a multi-disciplinary membership organization composed of individuals, businesses, associations, institutions, and other organizations, all of whom share the common goal of advancing the interests of women in science, engineering, and technology.
  • Graduate Women in Science (http://www.gwis.org/)
    • GWS is a fraternal Organization (Sigma Delta Epsilon) to begin an "old girl's club" to give women in science the opportunity to interact in the informal - and powerful - ways that men in science always have. Their goal is to advance the participation and recognition of women in science and to foster research through grants, awards, and fellowships.
  • National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (http://www.noglstp.org/)
    • NOGLSTP is a national organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people (and their advocates) employed or interested in scientific or high technology fields. NOGLSTP's goals include dialogue with professional organizations, disseminating information, improving our member's employment and professional environment, opposing anti-queen discrimination and stereotypes, educating the queer, scientific, and general communities, and fostering inter-city contacts among our members.
  • Committee on Women in Science and Engineering (http://www7.nationalacademies.org/cwse/)
    • CWSE's mandate is to increase the participation of women in science and engineering and is the standing committee of the National Research Council. They are working to coordinate, monitor, and advocate action to increase the participation of women in science and engineering.
  • Women in Technology International (http://www.witi.com/)
    • WITI is a network of two million women that is working to empower women worldwide to achieve unimagined possibilities and transformations through technology, leadership, and economic prosperity.
  • Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates (http://www.wepan.org)
    • WEPAN is an educational organization that attempts to effect a positive change in the engineering infrastructure conducive to the academic and professional development of women and men.
  • Women in Science and Engineering (http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk)
    • WISE has a range of initiatives and publications to give girls and women more information about opportunities and careers in Science, Engineering, and Technology.
  • Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (http://www.anitaborg.org)
    • The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology is a nationally recognized organization that provides platforms allowing women's voices, ideas and spirits to influence technology. The participants in the Anita Borg Institute's programs are an unusual mix of academics and industry, and include many of the technology thought leaders of today. Its impact is significant on the lives and careers of women who both work in the technology field and are affected by technology.
  • African-American Women in Technology ( http://www.aawit.net)
    • The African-American Women in Technology organization (AAWIT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the education, support and advancement of African-American women in the field of Information Technology. AAWIT encourages, promotes and serves the interest(s) of African-American women in Information Technology, striving to help its members advance their careers and enhance their personal development through special resources and networking opportunities. AAWIT.net is an informative, educational, resourceful, online community and is research, quality and community oriented.
  • National consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc. (http://was.nd.edu/gem/gemwebapp/gem_00_000.htm)
    • The GEM Fellowship programs are designed to offer opportunities for underrepresented minority students to obtain MS degrees in engineering and Ph.D. degrees in engineering nd the natural and physical sciences through a program of paid summer internships and graduate financial assistance.
  • The Coalition to Diversify Computing (http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Outreach/CDC/)
    • Major progress in computing technologies over the last decade has been accompanied by vast improvements in computing middleware, hardware and networking. An unexpected consequence of these advancements has been a shortage of a highly trained workforce of scientists and engineers capable of understanding and implementing the resources. The Coalition to Diversify Computing (CDC) seeks to address the shortfall through the development of a diverse community of professionals that can effectively meet the computing demands of an evolving society. CDC projects target students and faculty with the expressed intent of increasing the number of minorities successfully transitioning into computing-based careers in academia, federal labs and industry.
  • Digital Sisters (http://www.digital-sistas.org)
    • Digital Sisters (DS), Inc. is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization created to promote and provide technology education and enrichment for women and children who are traditionally underserved.
  • GraceNet (http://www.gracenet.net/)
    • Their goals is to promote the contribution of women in technology and other fields that use technology, and to leverage women's intellectual and creative capital for the betterment of society. GraceNet is the New Girl's Network bringing inspiration and support to women who work in or with high technology.
  • International Organization of Pakistani Women Engineers (http://www.iopwe.org/)
    • IOPWE began as a group of women engineers of Pakistani backgrounds but have evolved to a dynamic group of individuals from varying backgrounds, countries, and disciplines who are passionate about changing the perception of women in our communities. We strive to become good role models for our future generations and provide whatever is necessary to increase the level of education of our sisters.
  • Wired Woman (http://www.wiredwoman.com)
    • Wired Woman (WW) is a Canadian, registered non-profit society. The society’s mission is to create an open, nurturing, integrity-based environment that encourages women to explore opportunities in technology, science and new media and to build successful careers that will allow them to become a driving force in these growing sectors. Programs and activities support the three core goals of the society: networking, education and mentoring.
  • Women in Global Science and Technology (http://www.wigsat.org/)
    • WIGSAT is an international non-profit organization. Its mission is to promote the contributions women make in science and technology for development, and to help NGOs, governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies and women themselves to understand the gender dimensions of S&T and the implications of this for development policy and practice.

Sites

  • Women in Information Technology (http://www.womeninit.net/)
    • An annotated list of sites about and for women in the fields of library & information science, information technology, and computer science .
  • US Black Engineer Magazine (http://www.blackengineer.com)
    • The Black Community's Technology News and Information.
  • Hispanic Engineering & Technology Week (http://www.henaac.org)
    • This site is dedicated to a year-round leadership program that emphasizes the importance of science literacy of thousands of pre-k to college students and teachers.
  • Iowa State University e-Library for the Archives of Women in Science and Engineering (http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/wise/wise.html)
    • "The Iowa State University Library inaugurated its Archives of Women in Science and Engineering in April 1994. This new archive was born from the need to document the history of women in science and engineering -- their social history as well as the story of their scientific achievements."
  • Carol Frieze's Online Links Library (http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~cfrieze/links.html)
    • This site has sources of Statistics & Data, Organizations, Gender/Minority Sites, and Papers, Books, Book Revies, and Online Publications.
  • GirlsTech (http://girlstech.douglass.rutgers.edu/)
    • GirlsTech explains and demonstrates a framework for use by teachers, parents, and youth group leaders to evaluate electronic resources that will encourage and increase young women's interest and participation on the sciences and technology.
  • National Women's Hall of Fame (http://www.greatwomen.org/ )
    • The National Women's Hall of Fame, founded in 1969, is the oldest national institution dedicated to recognizing and honoring in perpetuity the significant achievements of individual American women. Located in historic Seneca Falls, the site of the first Women's Rights Convention in 1848, the Hall is a not-for-profit educational institution whose programs include inductions of distinguished American women, educational activities, and special exhibits and events. The October 2005 Induction will bring the total of Hall inductees to 217 women. The National Women's Hall of Fame is supported by its members, corporations, foundations and individual benefactors.
  • DigitalEve (http://www.digitaleve.org)
    • DigitalEve is a global, non-profit organization for women in new media and digital technology. As a women-focused and community-based organization, DigitalEve draws upon the collective strength of its rapidly growing worldwide network of local chapters to create a united voice that recognizes and emphasizes the influence of women in the field of new media technology - at all levels of involvement, ages, cultures, and abilities.
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  • National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology & Science (http://www.iwitts.com)
    • IWITTS provides the tools to successfully integrate women into male-dominated careers -- such as technology and law enforcement -- via our training, publications, products, e-strategies, and technical assistance.
    • A4RC includes as partner schools North Carolina A&T State University, Norfolk State University, Jackson State University, and other HBCUs.
  • LinuxChix (http://www.linuxchix.org)
    • LinuxChix is a community for women who like Linux, and for supporting women in computing. The membership ranges from novices to experienced users, and includes professional and amateur programmers, system administrators and technical writers.
  • Video from the Extraordinary Women Engineers Project (http://www.engineeringwomen.org/execsummary.html)
    • This video gives a nice summary to what drives young women and how this figures into their lack of interest in the eingineering discipline.

List Serves

  • Systers Online Community (http://www.systers.org/)
    • Systers is an informal organization for technical women in computing that began in 1987 as a small mailing list for women in "systems", thus the name Systers. It was founded by Anita Borg and there are now over 2800 Systers in 53 countries around the world.
  • Women's Studies Program at Virginia Tech (http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/ws)
    • This is the moderated email discussion list for members of the Women's Studies Program at Virginia Tech.

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