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Women in Computing
Contents
Introduction
The Women in Computing group at Indiana University (WIC@IU) is an organization whose mission is to provide support and information to further enhance the education of women in computing. Women in computing is broadly interpreted to be inclusive of women in all computing disciplines, including Computer Science, School of Informatics, SLIS, and UITS. Members include faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and technical staff.
Goals
To achieve the mission goals, WIC provides:
- A forum for issues pertaining to women in computing.
- Networking and mentoring opportunities.
- Teamwork and leadership opportunities.
- Professional development through education and interaction with industry.
- Community outreach.
History
WIC@IU was founded in Spring 2002 by then graduate student, Katie A. Siek, and two faculty advisors, Kay Connelly and Beth Plale. Katie served as the first president of the organization, during which time she co-created a K-12 outreach program called Just Be. Katie received her Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2006. She is now an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado where she conducts research in medical informatics, human computer interaction, and mobile computing.
Amanda Stephano is the co-creator of Just Be and she served as president in 2005-2006. For 2007-2008, the co-presidents are Adity Mutsuddi and Kristin Hanks.
Educational Opportunities
Graduate and Undergraduate Panels
Each year, WIC sponsors a panel discussion designed to help students navigate the curriculum and get started on a career path. Recent organizers include Professors Minaxi Gupta, Kalpana Shankar and Yuqing (Melanie) Wu.
Brown Bag Lunch Series
Once a month, members gather to hear an informal presentation and share information and experiences. Past topics include "Mentoring and Its Impact", "Applying for internships", and "Undergraduate Research".
Social Events
An orientation breakfast is held at the beginning of each academic year. The officers are introduced and plans for the upcoming months are discussed.
There is usually a pot-luck dinner hosted at a faculty member's home. Other study breaks events, such as pottery workshops and Yoga classes, provide stress-free networking opportunities for the members.
Dissemination: Bring IT On!
"Bring IT On!" is a three-day workshop held in the fall for students from other schools to learn how to create an outreach program similar to Just Be. In 2007, the workshop will focus on students from the seven regional campus of Indiana University, and also Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. For more information, see http://www.cs.indiana.edu/bringiton.
