Did You Know?

Did you know that a prominent article about Carol Bartz’s firing from her role as CEO of Yahoo last week also mentions that she was a “high-school homecoming queen” and a “mother of three”? Although many aver that Bartz was sacked for what the Yahoo board deemed her poor performance, discussions of her professional persona have often included references to her gender. 
Bartz’s departure may have reminded you of research on the phenomenon of the “glass cliff,” a subtle form of gender bias in which women are chosen for leadership positions where they are often “set up to fail.” Researchers have found that when a company traditionally led by men is in trouble, a female candidate is more likely to be selected as the best person to “turn it around.” If the company is flourishing, however, it’s more likely for it to continue the status quo of male leadership. Interestingly,  if the company has a history of female leadership, regardless of whether it’s struggling or floundering, the glass cliff disappears when its leaders are selected. 
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Did you know that President Obama’s proposed American Jobs Act may aid unemployed IT workers? The Act will provide a $4,000 tax credit to companies that hire someone who’s been unemployed for six months, and a $5,600 tax credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans. The President also hopes to “cut the red tape that prevents startups from raising capital and going public,” which would allow for the creation of more tech companies and the growth of IT jobs.
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Did you know that the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) program recently was expanded to recognize any U.S. citizen or permanent resident (rather than just educators) who has done exemplary, measurable mentoring? Administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House, PAESMEM honors individuals or organizations who perform the crucial role of mentoring and encouraging student participation in STEM fields. PAESMEM is accepting applications until October 5, 2011. 
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Did you know that the University of California at San Diego, San Diego State, and the San Diego Supercomputer Center have received nearly $1M in grants to expand computing curricula among high school and college students? The Computing Principles for All Students’ Success or “ComPASS” project seeks to prepare more students from more backgrounds to participate in computing-related fields through increased and improved CS education.
ComPASS is participating in the CS10K initiative, whose goal is to prepare 10,000 well-trained high school teachers to teach advanced placement courses in 10,000 schools by the year 2015. ComPASS will use the new CS Principles Advanced Placement curriculum, work with the local Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) chapter to expand professional development and support for CS educators, bring CS Principles into local high schools and community colleges, and ensure that local colleges and universities provide credits for the AP course.
Did You Know? is a brief round-up of information and news that crossed NCWIT’s radar this week that we think might be of interest to you. Practices or content of the news presented are not vetted or endorsed by NCWIT.