Students explore ways to attract women to technology

by Katie Moffitt

Information technology is a growing field that offers a vast array of career opportunities, but women tend to shy away from exploring areas such as engineering, science, and technology. A group of students in the College of IST recently investigated the root causes for the weak female representation in technological professions. They also devised a set of proposals and prototypes, some of which are currently being implemented, in an effort to spread the message about the opportunities that the College offers to women.

During the spring 2011 semester, students in Dr. Shawn Clark’s IST 440W capstone course developed targeted recruitment and retention strategies and implementation plans that are intended to significantly increase the percentage of women enrolled in the College. The students were assisted by representatives from CSC, a leading information technology services provider based in Falls Church, Va.

Among the students’ key findings, Clark said, was that many females think that the IST field is all about computer programming. The students suggested that the College of IST develop more female-specific targeting on its website and in marketing materials.

“Writing lines of code all day does not usually appeal to women, but problem solving and creativity do,” said LuAnn Kollaja, who works in Principal Strategy Services at CSC.