We know from research on entrepreneurship that success often correlates with the strength of one’s network, and that male and female entrepreneurs have differing access to networks; but did you know that this is also true of faculty? New research from an NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) reveals the degree to which the “complex structure” of university interactions influences female faculty’s ability to succeed in their careers.
“The project mined the Internet for information about who at NJIT collaborates with whom, constructing an interactive database containing over 7,200 publications produced between 2000 and 2008 by NJIT faculty. Statistical modeling and visual mapping of this data established a strong correlation between collaboration and career advancement. It also revealed hidden gender patterns, some of them predictable, others surprising. Predictably, male faculty tended to collaborate with other male faculty far more than with female faculty. Surprisingly, for women faculty, network structure –in particular, being connected to well-connected colleagues — was a more reliable predictor of career success than number of publications.”
What do you think? Have you considered the impact that your network has had on your academic career?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Have you heard about the pipeline project in Arizona? “Prime the Pipeline Project (P3): Putting Knowledge to Work” is a program designed to increase the number of high school students who excel and earn degrees in STEM disciplines. Since 2007 the program has been working after-school and during the summer with high school students and teachers across the state, bringing them together at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus to work in “scientific villages” on STEM-related projects. Students who participate in the program have shown higher GPAs, take a greater number of math, science, and technology courses in high school, are more likely to attend college, and are more likely to major in a STEM discipline than the control group. Today, three years after the $1.35M NSF grant was implemented, the P3 program has been funded by the Helios Foundation to expand to middle school students and teachers.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Did you know that some people consider the U.S. on the verge of another tech revolution? Derek Thompson of The Atlantic thinks that technology will lead the U.S. out of its economic doldrums and, specifically, that the convergence of a growing tech sector with the growing service industry will mark the sweet spot of this revolution. To make his case he points to the recent article in The New York Times about young college grads who are starting their own companies, and the fact that many of these companies are providing personal or professional services we didn’t know we needed. “One story that could emerge from the rubble of the recession is a generation of new Web entrepreneurs harnessing the Web’s low-barrier, wide-access potential to create ever cheaper, easier, more efficient ways to participate in the service economy. That means monitoring our money, monitoring our health records, finding an internship or job, communicating with friends, making presentations for work, managing work flow and worker productivity, and the list goes on. Even better, in a global economy, an American edge in Web-based service products could make us tens of billions every year in licensing and service exports overseas.”
What do you think? Will the next tech revolution be borne of the web, and will it have greater sustainability than the last?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Did you ever attend a single-sex school? An article in Slate this week looks at a recent survey of 7,000 students by the South Carolina Department of Education, showing that students participating in single-sex classes report increased self-confidence, motivation, and desire to finish high school. But the article’s real goal is to show that the survey is highly flawed: the survey, it purports, represents only students’ opinions rather than evidence of reduced achievement gaps; it was administered only to students currently enrolled in single-sex education, rather than including a control group; and when asking whether single-sex classes had increased or decreased students’ confidence and motivation, the survey failed to give students the option of selecting “no change.”
The article points out that a 2005 report from the U.S. Department of Education found “little evidence of any difference in outcomes between gender-segregated and coed classrooms or schools. Some studies even report negative effects in single-sex settings, including more stereotyping by gender role, more behavioral problems, and lower academic achievement. Unlike the flawed South Carolina survey, the DoE report restricted its analysis to rigorous, scientifically valid data culled from more than 2,000 independent studies.”
What do you think? Is single-sex education a good option for some subjects or some students, or is it being hyped as a panacea for schools that fail to adequately educate all kinds of students?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Did you mark your calendars yet for the 2011 NCWIT Summit on Women and IT, May 23-25 in New York City? We read this week in Wired magazine about the “white hot” race for tech talent currently heating up in NYC, among both large companies and startups. From Foursquare and Pfizer to Gilt Groupe and Google, NYC companies are searching for tech talent; Mayor Michael Bloomberg has touted NYC as the next tech mecca. Those of you who are based in Silicon Valley or other tech hubs like Redmond, Boston, Denver/Boulder, or the Research Triangle know that clusters like this can breed a culture of innovation, attracting an abundance of new ideas and businesses but also leading to a talent shortage. We’re eager to build some momentum among NYC companies for the idea that engaging women will help them both to fill a talent-pool shortage and gain a competitive edge with increased innovation, and we hope you are planning to join us in May!
- K-12
- K-12
- I Want To
- K-12 Resources
K-12 Resources
Act and advocate for more inclusive computing learning experiences. Encourage and inspire students to explore computing pathways that match their interests and abilities.
- K-12 Programs
K-12 Programs
Inspire and encourage individuals of all backgrounds, equip K-12 and higher education influencers, and foster virtual and in-person communities at local, regional, and national levels.
- K-12 Alliance
K-12 Alliance
Mobilize year-round alongside formal and informal educators and other adult influencers nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Higher Education
- Higher Education
- I Want To
- Higher Ed Resources
Higher Education Resources
Build consensus for action amongst colleagues, leaders, and advisors to create momentum for measurable, sustainable change within computing departments and institutions.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Education Programs
Recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- Higher Ed Alliance
Higher Ed Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside faculty, staff, administrators, department heads, and other mentors nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Workforce
- Workforce
- I Want To
- Workforce Resources
Workforce Resources
Employ strategic approaches that avoid the typical pitfalls of traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion interventions.
- Workforce Programs
Workforce Programs
Volunteer to engage with the next generation of technologists, amplify the bottom-line benefits of diverse technological contributions, and more.
- Workforce Alliance
Workforce Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside corporate seniors, executives, and team leaders nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Resources
- Resources
- Programs
- Programs
- Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing (AiC) provides encouragement, enables persistence, opens doors, and changes lives for women in technology from K-12 through career.
- BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM provides opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to learn the skills of computer science and research methodology within a research university setting.
- Color of Our Future
Color of Our Future
The Color of Our Future focuses on broadening the meaningful participation of underrepresented women and girls of color (Black, Latinx, and Native American).
- Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change is an online thought leadership series that presents research-based recommendations and prompts peer-to-peer discussions to further inclusivity in computing.
- Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing (C4C) offers professional development to school counselors, positioning them to effectively guide ALL students in exploring computing pathways.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed programs recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions foster great potential that otherwise may have gone unrecognized, and foster great ideas that might never have come to fruition.
- Regional Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
NCWIT’s Regional Initiatives bundle research-backed programs and practices to increase the local participation of women and girls in tech fields and careers. To understand local computing ecosystems, and cater content and programming to needs on the ground, NCWIT partners with community stakeholders to build awareness, inspire participation, and connect women to like-minded peers, role models, and opportunities.
- Sit With Me
Sit with Me
Sit With Me uses its iconic red chair to create in-person and virtual spaces where everyone can reflect on the value of diversity and inclusion.
- Tech Inclusion Journey
Tech Inclusion Journey
The Tech Inclusion Journey (TIJ) is a unique, scalable software platform that empowers change leaders to implement systemic, sustainable approaches to the creation of inclusive cultures.
- Aspirations in Computing
- News & Events
- News & Events
- NCWIT Summit
NCWIT Summit
The NCWIT Summit: where conversations lead to change is the world’s largest annual convening of change leaders focused on significantly improving diversity and equity in computing.
- News
News
Check out NCWIT’s latest press releases, press mentions, newsletters, blogs, and articles we are talking about!
- Events
Events
NCWIT offers various in-person and virtual events throughout the year and is also present at many other industry events. Find out about past and upcoming items here.
- re:think Magazine
- NCWIT Summit
- About NCWIT
- About NCWIT
- LOG IN