MARGARET
ASHIDA
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Over
the past few decades, women business professionals have
been shattering glass ceilings and entering and achieving
success in careers traditionally dominated by men. However,
in some fields, women continue to be underrepresented.
A recent study by the Information Technology Association
of America (ITAA) indicates that the percentage of women
in the IT workforce has declined by 21 percent. This can
be attributed to societal barriers, including stereotypes
that women may not be as skilled in math and sciences as
their male counterparts, a lack of mentoring and role models
in leadership positions, and negative perceptions of the
information technology field.
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I am engaged in reversing this trend. The ITAA has called for
increased corporate outreach and mentoring—stating that women
business executives are in the position to help cultivate the next
generation of female IT business professionals. In order
to remain competitive in a global economy, America must keep its
innovation pipeline fortified with fresh ideas and talent. This
talent stems from our primary and secondary schools, colleges,
and universities. The future is in the hands of young people—including
women—who can bring diverse perspectives to careers as engineers,
developers and researchers.
A critical ingredient in encouraging students to pursue careers
in the information technology field is a stronger commitment from
corporate leadership and stronger partnerships between companies
and universities. It is the responsibility of global industry
leaders to set the precedent for such partnerships by creating
forums that address such relevant issues, and by raising awareness
of the resources available to students throughout their education
and of the myriad opportunities once they enter the workforce.
One example is the successful partnership formed by IBM with
colleges, universities and the Association for Computing Machinery
(ACM) to promote technology across the globe through the International
Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC). The ACM-ICPC provides an
international meeting ground for elite programmers and offers the
opportunity for the next generation of IT talent to sharpen their
computing skills, especially as the high-tech job market becomes
more competitive.
The ACM-ICPC spotlights our best and brightest and encourages
a diverse pool of students in the United States to enter this important
field of study. Over the past nine years, contest participation
has grown seven-fold with a growing number of women participants
. All-female teams from schools such as Bryn Mawr College, Spelman
College and Wellesley College are participating in regional competitions
across the nation. The involvement of women in this pursuit
and others, can and will have a positive impact on the field. But
we’re not there yet.
 For Kshipra Bhawalkar, a sophomore Mathematics and Computer Science
major at Duke University, the ACM-ICPC has provided an opportunity
to develop programming skills in preparation for a future career
in the IT field. Her first passion was mathematics, but she discovered
an appreciation for computer science in high school as a more applied
version of math. This will be Kshipra’s second year competing
in the contest, and her first year advancing to the World Finals.
She enjoys the ACM-ICPC because it gives students a variety of
challenging programming problems to solve and practice working
in a team environment, skills she will need when she enters the
workforce.
We’ll be cheering on all 83 university teams at the 30th
annual ACM-ICPC World Finals in San Antonio, Texas this April,
but be sure to watch the Duke University team closely because Kshipra
Bhawalkar will be the only female contestant representing the U.S.
The energy level will be at an all-time high as the finest collegiate
programmers from all corners of the world tackle a semester’s
worth of curriculum under a grueling five-hour deadline. The team
solving the most problems correctly in the least amount of time
will emerge as ICPC champions, earning scholarships as well as
awards from IBM.
Kshipra has experienced first hand what it’s like to be
one of few females in her major and believes a lack of mentors
and encouragement from the industry are possible reasons for the
decline in the number of women studying computer science and engineering. “It’s
possible that when a female student says she wants to pursue a
career in engineering, she may not be taken as seriously as a male
student in a similar situation,” she explained. “Female
engineering and computer science majors also lose out on the experience
of sharing knowledge in an academic environment because there are
not many people to connect with once they enter the field.” Kshipra
believes that this trend can be reversed if society as a whole
becomes more encouraging and provides the necessary support to
women pursuing careers in information technology.
Women business leaders can also play a role in developing future
technology talent by identifying programs through educational institutions
and being mentors to our successors. Industries committed
to recruiting and retaining a diverse pool of workers will provide
young entrepreneurs with an accomplished group of role models to
look up to and emulate. MentorNet, an innovative solution that
uses the Internet as a vehicle to connect mentors in the industry
to students on campus, not only provides mentoring infrastructure
but also offers research and education about mentoring at the collegiate
level. Backed by an extensive network of some of the world’s
largest companies, top colleges and universities, and professional
societies, MentorNet pairs protégés with mentors
from all 50 U.S. states and 55 countries on 6 continents.
With a shrinking number of female computer science majors on campuses,
there are now more opportunities than ever for students who traditionally
have not considered studying science and technology to realize
that the tech sector is a thriving career opportunity; to discover
and support the role technology plays in securing global communities,
improvements in health care, and positive change in world affairs.
It is important for all college students with a passion for innovation
to understand that technology can be used for the betterment of
humanity.
Business leaders, especially women, should be collaborating with
academia, the private sector, and industry organizations to proactively
encourage young talent to pursue their goals. These partnerships
can help position the U.S. as a key innovation leader and central
figure in 21st century development and ingenuity.
We, as an industry, strive to effectively educate and excite potential
computer science and engineering majors about the information technology
field. We want to demonstrate that technologists shape our
future as a society and that computer science is far from irrelevant.
Women business professionals across the U.S. play an important
role in the career decisions of your potential future employees.
A stronger commitment from corporate leadership now can help pave
the way for women in technology and in the future.
Margaret Ashida is the Director of University Talent Programs
for IBM Corporation.
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