Professors to research lack of women in computer science, informatics

Doctoral student Katie Moor said she wanted to study computer science because she liked to play with computers when she was growing up. She also wanted to join her family's discussions about computer topics. \nMoor is only one of about 25 percent of female graduate students studying computer science at IU. \nThe proportions is tinier among undergraduates -- about 12 percent of computer science majors are female. The department has the largest percentage of men in the College of Arts and Sciences, said David Zaret, executive associate dean of the college. In informatics, about 16 percent of undergraduates are women. \nFour female IU professors are investigating the gap between the number of women and men in computer science and informatics. Christine Ogan, associate dean for graduate studies for the School of Informatics and a journalism professor, Jean Robinson, dean of women's affairs and a political science professor, Susan Herring, an information science professor, and Manju Ahuja, an information systems professor, are requesting funds from the National Science Foundation to conduct research on the small number of women in these fields. \nBecause women don't regularly see other women in the fields, their confidence is not as high as it could be, Ogan said. Men, on the other hand, are brought up playing video games, helping them know more about programming. Male professors and the many male students in computer classes can intimidate female students, sometimes causing them to want to leave the classes.\nMoor admits she felt insecure in her classes. But that lack of confidence motivated her to work harder, form study groups and find good work partners.\n"When I was an undergrad, I was somewhat intimidated by the men in my department who constantly talked about new technology," Moor said. "However, later on I realized that some of them knew as much as me."\nBroadening entrance criteria, establishing female role models and creating peer groups can also help raise the number of women in computer science and informatics, sources said.\n"By forming and providing a place to gather where females can discuss computer science information, women can realize there is more than there appears to be by studying these particular fields," computer science professor Beth Plale said. "Where there is strength in numbers, women are able to see that the stereotype is broader than they think, and they can see other women who do not match the stereotype."\nThe stereotype of a computer enthusiast tends to be someone who spends most of his or her time writing computer programs or tinkering with software, has poor social skills, is introverted and reads books, Plale said. Women likely don't want to be viewed as the stereotype.\nA 1995 study at Carnegie Mellon University, one of the nation's top computer science schools, suggested broadening entrance criteria could bring more women into the field, Plale said. Before the "Unlocking the Clubhouse" study, about 8 percent of computer science students were women. Five years later, the figure increased to about 40 percent.\nOther solutions include making classes difficult early on to weed out those unsure they want to study the subject and designating role models. But few members -- 6 percent -- of the computer science faculty at IU are women, Ogan said. Only one of them -- Plale -- works full time.\nYet a support group at IU provides several opportunities for women in the field. Women in Computing at IU offers forums, career opportunities and mentoring for female students.\nMoor said the group has allowed her to meet undergraduate women in computer science and makes the women feel more comfortable about entering the department. \nAnd more women need to enter the field, Ogan said.\n"We need their creativity in helping designing computers and features for computers," Ogan said. "Things would be different if women designed a computer. There would be more interest by females in using them since they would be created for them"