The University of Texas at El Paso is partnering with the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) to launch a new strategic plan for recruiting more women into their majors in Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Dr. Ann Gates, Chair of the Department of Computer Science, said the two-year effort will be distinguished by its focus on data analysis. "We appreciate the investment that NCWIT has made in supporting our efforts to increase the recruitment and retention of females in computing. NCWIT's national consulting service has facilitated the discussion and analysis of local and national data with a team of faculty, administrators, and staff at UTEP" she added.
Strategies developed in the project are expected to enhance recruitment and retention of women in all other engineering disciplines at The University of Texas at El Paso, as well.
The university faculty and administrators are excited about improving the recruitment and retention of women in these programs. "We know that diversity drives innovation. Increasing innovation and diversity must include increasing the participation of women in engineering to level equal to their proportion in the general population." said Patricia A. Nava, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering. "The full participation of women in STEM fields will undoubtedly increase the number and quality of technical solutions to society's most challenging issues."
"Encouraging young women's interest in technology careers is critical: our workforce needs their creativity and their innovation," said Lucy Sanders, CEO and Co-founder of NCWIT. "The goal of this launch is to immediately increase the visibility and raw numbers of women in these programs".
The team includes faculty members from the university, including Dr. Ann Gates, Dr. Martine Ceberio, Mr. Gabby Gandara, Dr. Miguel Velez-Reyes, Dr. Patricia Nava, Dean Schoephoerster, and NCWIT Extension Services Consultant, Ms. Michelle Slattery from Peak Research in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
About UTEP College of Engineering:
The College of Engineering is a national leader in engineering education and a leading producer of doctoral, masters and baccalaureate degreed Hispanic engineers. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is the second oldest academic institution of The University of Texas System. Washington Monthly ranks UTEP as No. 7 in the nation in its annual College Guide and Rankings. The magazine's rankings were based on a combination of social mobility, research production, commitment to service and cost-effectiveness of degree completion. For more information visit engineering.utep.edu
About NCWIT:
NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology, a coalition of over 450 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and nonprofits working to increase women's participation in IT. NCWIT's work spans K-12 and higher education through industry and academic careers. Find out more at www.ncwit.org.
