Transforming the Culture of Computing: The Carnegie Mellon Experience

Abstract:

Widely cited national statistics indicate that since the mid-90's the pipeline of women in computer science has been shrinking. Additionally, studies indicate that the 'geek' culture of computing turns many bright young potential recruits (men and women) from the field. Since 1999, Carnegie Mellon has seen a substantial increase in the numbers of women entering and completing the undergraduate computer science program (see e.g. the NY Times Circuits article, May 22, 2003, ("Casting a Wider Net to Attract Computing Women"). Perhaps even more significant has been the transformation in the culture of computing at Carnegie Mellon during the past five years. In this talk, I will discuss the nature of these changes and how they came to be.