Women Find Inspiration in a Male-Dominated Field
Image by Sirong Lin
11/19/2024
By Brooke Coupal
Computer science junior Melissa Ing says it’s easy to get discouraged as a woman in a male-dominated field.
According to the United States Department of Labor, women make up 24% of workers in computer occupations. So, when Ing saw thousands of female computer scientists at the Grace Hopper Conference in Philadelphia this fall, she was in awe.
“The conference boosted my spirits, because I got to meet all these women in computer science,” Ing says. “It was very empowering and inspired me to keep following this path.”
Ing was one of nine female undergraduates who attended the largest tech conference for women and nonbinary people, which was named after computer science pioneer Grace Hopper. The Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences funded the students’ trip.
Over four days, the students heard from experts in AI, software engineers from major corporations like Uber and founders of technology companies. Actors America Ferrera and Viola Davis also gave keynote talks on being a strong leader and advocating for oneself.
Image by Sirong Lin
“It was very motivating to see so many women striving to make an impact for themselves and, in turn, for each other,” says Wendy Carvalho, a junior computer science major. “It definitely makes me want to work even harder.”
Computer science senior Arthea Valderrama appreciated the networking opportunities.
“There was a career fair and one-on-one networking sessions with women in tech,” she says. “That was really helpful for me in gaining valuable insights into what I want to do for my career.”
Miner School Associate Teaching Professor Sirong Lin accompanied the students to the conference, which she previously attended as a computer science Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech.
“When I was in graduate school, I felt kind of lonely studying in the field and trying to finish my dissertation,” she recalls. “I got a lot of inspiration from the conference and met a lot of women who had done very well in the field.”
Lin says she’s grateful the students at UMass Lowell felt the same inspiration she experienced more than a decade ago.
“This helps give them the confidence to continue learning about computer science and shows them what they can achieve in the near future,” she says.
Meriem Elkoudi, a junior dual major in computer science and mathematics, says the conference helped “refuel my passion for the field of computer science and technology.”
“We are working toward a future where women do not have to be underrepresented,” she says.