Computer Engineering and FemProf

Computer Engineering and FemProf (Advancing Females to Professoriate in Compu9ng) Sylmarie Dávila Montero Electrical and Computer Engineering Department University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez February 26, 2014 Myself Studies: •  Elementary School – Inés María Mendoza, Caguas, P.R. •  Middle School – Rafael Quiñones Vidal, Caguas, P.R. •  High School – CROEM, Mayagüez, P.R. •  University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (2009) B.S. Electrical Engineering with emphasis in CommunicaXons and a minor in Applied MathemaXcs OrganizaXons: Research AcXviXes: Family: Computer Engineering •  A discipline that embodies the science and technology of design, construcXon, implementaXon, and maintenance of the soZware and hardware components of modern compuXng systems and computer-­‐controlled equipment. •  Design of compuXng hardware, soZware, networks, and processes. Ques9ons to consider Ø  Do you know that females consXtute approximately half of the world populaXon? Ø  Have you noXced that female professors are significantly less than half of the compuXng faculty? Ø  Should faculty reflect society’s gender distribuXon? FemProf Advancing Females to Professoriate in Compu9ng •  DemonstraXon project of CAHSI (2008) •  CollaboraXve iniXaXve between the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and the University of Houston Downtown •  The short-­‐term objec9ve: Increase the number of female students that conXnue doctoral studies in compuXng. •  The long-­‐term objec9ve: Increase the number of female faculty in compuXng. Femprof StaXsXcs UPRM •  Cohort 1: 13 students, 2 pursuing PhD, 2 finished MS •  Cohort 2: 8 students, 2 pursuing PhD •  Cohort 3: 8 students, 1 pursuing PhD, 1 working on MS •  Cohort 4: 7 students, 2 graduated with BS, others sXll in school •  Cohort 5: 8 students, sXll in school Women in our Program •  Some of the students of our program have gone to do graduate studies in the following insXtuXons: •  Two of our students obtained the presXgious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship grant (Araly Barrera of UHD and Marisel Villafañe of UPR-­‐
Mayagüez). •  Students have the experiences of Summer Research Opportuni9es, Grad School Visits, and Na9onal Conference travels. Ini9a9ves and Challenges •  Career development and research workshops and seminars. •  ExposiXon to empowerment workshops. •  ParXcipaXon in on-­‐campus and off-­‐campus research experiences. •  Assistance in the process of preparing for and applying to graduate school. Ø Challenges: Lack of moXvaXon for applying to graduate studies and pursuing an academic career. AiPFE (Alliance for Increasing the Par9cipa9on of Females in Engineering) •  Alliance between the School of Engineering of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM) and the NaXonal Center for Women in InformaXon Technology (NCWIT). •  To address the low parXcipaXon of females in the Computer, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering programs at UPRM. Our Goal •  Double the percentage of new female students in a five year period. •  Strategies: Roadshow in a box, Facebook Sisters, and PromoXon of CompuXng Conferences. hmp://ece.uprm.edu/programs/undergraduate/icom hmps://www.facebook.com/es.uprm sylmarie.davila@upr.edu