Computer Science Faculty Member Addresses Challenges to Women in STEM

Women today face unique challenges in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields. Assistant Professor Emily Prud’hommeaux of the Computer Science Department is helping to surmount these challenges as one of four faculty collaborators who are organizing an innovative program at Boston College called Women In STEM.

Sponsored by the Boston College Institute for the Liberal Arts, Women In STEM “aims to establish a new program focused on promoting and enhancing women’s successes”, as described on the program's web site. Participants work with undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty in STEM fields at Boston College and beyond. The program sponsors various initiatives, including a year-long speaker series “highlighting recent research on both diversity and inclusion in STEM and the role that gender and racial biases play in shaping scientific questions and technical systems.”

“We hope that the diverse array of events and activities we’re planning as part of this project will foster interest in examining the role of under-represented groups in math and science, particularly as the university plans an expansion of its programs into data engineering,” remarked Prof. Prud’hommeaux.

As part of her activities with Women In STEM, Prof. Prud’hommeaux is hosting the February 7, 2019 talk by UCLA’s Linda Sax, entitled “The Gender Gap in Computing:  How Some Universities are Moving the Needle.” Sax is known for her work on bias and equity in undergraduate computer science education.

“Dr. Sax is collaborating with Dr. Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College, on the BRAID initiative (https://braidresearch.gseis.ucla.edu), whose goal is to increase the number of women and students of color majoring in computer science,” notes Prud’hommeaux. “We look forward to learning more about the most successful strategies for supporting this aim. This will also be a unique opportunity for BC's Women in Computer Science student group to discuss their ideas and experiences with an expert in the field of CS education.”

For further information, see the Women in STEM web site at

https://www.bc.edu/centers/ila/events/women-in-stem.html