2016 NCWIT Summit on Women and IT
There is still work to do in order to increase the meaningful participation of girls and women in computing, and the NCWIT Summit is designed to make the hard work ahead more feasible.
The 2016 NCWIT Summit convened hundreds of change leaders from our community of educators, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and social scientists to discuss research, ideas, and action items for narrowing the gap. Creating change for women in tech is not a job for one individual or one organization. Each year, the NCWIT Summit offers an environment for peers to learn, strategize, and celebrate as they work on this very important mission.
“The NCWIT Summit really is the best networking opportunity I have each year. The opportunities to brainstorm, collaborate and connect with peers are just fantastic.”
NCWIT Summit Attendee
Speakers
Lecia Barker, Ph.D.
Lecia Barker is an NCWIT Senior Research Scientist and is...
Daniela Marghitu
Dr. Daniela Marghitu is a professor in the Computer Science...
Avis Yates Rivers
Avis Yates Rivers is the President and CEO of Technology...
Lucy Sanders
Lucy Sanders is CEO and Co-founder of the National Center...
Ruthe Farmer
Ruthe Farmer has focused her efforts on diversity and inclusion...
Wendy DuBow, Ph.D.
Wendy DuBow is a Senior Research Scientist and the Director...
Catherine Ashcraft, Ph.D.
Catherine Ashcraft is a Senior Research Scientist with the National...
Cathy Hawley
Cathy Hawley is a Sr. Director of People Development at...
Dalene King
Dalene King is a Global Diversity & Inclusion Manager at...
Amy Gurley
Amy Gurley is the global program lead for Bank of...
Lee Wills-Irvine
Lee Wills-Irvine leads Global Diversity & Inclusion at Qualcomm. Her...
Sylvia Martinez
Sylvia Martinez is a maker, mom, engineer, and co-author of...
Jane Margolis
Jane Margolis is a Senior Researcher at UCLA Graduate School...
Emmanuel Schanzer
Emmanuel Schanzer is a CS-expat, having spent several years as a...
Jill Denner, Ph.D.
Jill Denner, PhD, is a senior research scientist at Education,...
Linda Ott, PhD
Dr. Linda M. Ott received her PhD in computer science...
Telle Whitney
Dr. Telle Whitney served as President and CEO of ABI...
Scott McCrickard
Scott McCrickard is an Associate Professor in the Department of...
Renee Fall
Renee Fall is project manager of the Commonwealth Alliance for...
Eric Bradford
Eric T. Bradford is the Managing Director of the Information...
Cheryl Swanier, Ph.D.
Dr. Cheryl A. Swanier is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at...
Tracy Camp
Tracy Camp is the Department Head and Professor of Computer...
Sharon Simmons
Sharon Simmons is the Computer Science Department Head at James...
Maureen Biggers, Ph.D.
Dr. Maureen Biggers, Co-founder and Executive Director, of the Indiana...
Bobby Schnabel
Bobby Schnabel is a Professor of Computer Science at University...
Martha Kosa
Martha Kosa has been a faculty member in the Department...
Shalini Kesar
Shalini Kesar is Associate Professor in Information Systems, department of...
Sneha Veeragoudar Harrell
Sneha Veeragoudar Harrell, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist at the...
Elsa Macias
Education: Ph.D. Policy Analysis, Arizona State University Areas of Expertise:...
Sapna Cheryan
Dr. Sapna Cheryan is an associate professor of social psychology...
Enobong (Anna) Branch
Enobong Hannah Branch is the Associate Chancellor for Equity &...
Brenda J. Allen, Ph.D.
Professor Emerita Brenda J. Allen (Ph.D., Howard University) served for...
Deborah Keyek-Franssen
Watch Deborah Keyek-Franssen’s Summit interview here Deborah Keyek-Franssen, Ph.D. is...
Valerie Taylor
Dr. Valerie Taylor is the holder of the Royce E....
Pooja Nath Sankar
Pooja (Nath) Sankar is the founder and CEO of Piazza,...
Kimberly Bryant
Kimberly Bryant is the Founder and Executive Director of Black...
Terry Hogan
Terry Hogan is the President and CTO at NCWIT. Her...
Cameron Wilson
As Director of Public Policy for ACM, Cameron Wilson develops...
Jeffrey Forbes
Jeff Forbes is a Program Director for the Education and...
Wendy Hawkins
Wendy Hawkins is Executive Director of the Intel Foundation. The...
Stacy Smith
Stacy L. Smith’s research focuses on children’s responses to mass...
Patricia Deyton
Patricia H. Deyton is the Director of the Center for...
Michael Lach
Michael Lach is the Director of STEM policy and Strategic...
Maggie Johnson
Maggie Johnson is Director of Education and University Relations for...
Lynette Kvasny
Lynette Kvasny received her Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems from...
David Evans
David Evans has taught two large open courses for Udacity, including...
Carol Dweck
Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., is a leading researcher in the...
Jan Cuny
Since 2004, Jan Cuny has been the Program Officer for...
Mike Younkers
Mike Younkers, Senior Director of Systems Engineering for Cisco’s US...
Eileen Sweeney
Eileen, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led the Motorola...
Ben Eater
Ben Eater is the Lead Exercise Developer at Khan Academy,...
Jean Sammet
Jean E. Sammet is a retired computer scientist and programmer...
Carleen Beste
As manager of Corporate Citizenship, Carleen Beste is responsible for...
Cassidy Williams
Cassidy Williams is a computer science undergraduate at Iowa State University....
Matthew Blakely
Born and raised in and around Chicago, Matt Blakely has...
Cheryl Calhoun, Ph.D.
Cheryl Calhoun currently serves as Dean of Educational Centers and...
Hadi Partovi
Hadi Partovi is the co-founder and president of Code.org. A Harvard...
Tony Hey
As Vice President in Microsoft Research, Tony Hey is responsible...
Paula Golden
As Executive Director of the Broadcom Foundation and Director of...
Alvaro Monge
Dr. Alvaro Monge has earned BS (UC Riverside, 1991), MS,...
Rebecca Dohrman
Education: Ph.D. Organizational Communication, Purdue University Areas of Expertise: Qualitative...
Sheryl Sorby
Sheryl Sorby is Visiting Professor in the Engineering Education and...
David Neal
David is a social and behavioral psychologist specializing in behavior...
Colleen Lewis
Colleen Lewis is the McGregor-Girand Associate Professor of Computer Science...
Tim Faiella
Tim Faiella is the Content Director for the National Center...
Kyla McMullen
Watch Dr. Kyla McMullen’s Summit interview here Dr. Kyla McMullen...
Richard Ladner
Richard E. Ladner is a Professor in the Department of...
Perry Fizzano, Ph.D.
Perry Fizzano earned a B.S. degree in computer science from...
John Paxton
John Paxton received a B.S. degree in computer science from The...
Brad McLain, Ph.D.
Dr. Brad McLain is a social scientist interested in the...
Karen Ashcraft, Ph.D.
Karen Lee Ashcraft is a professor of organizational communication at...
Mo Fong
Mo has been at Google for over 10 years and...
Ann Lorbes
Ann Lorbes serves as the lead for Diversity and Inclusion...
Janice Zdankus
Janice Zdankus is Vice President of Quality in Hewlett Packard...
Cameron Fadjo
Cameron Fadjo, PhD is the Founder and CEO of the...
Alberto I. Roca, PhD
Dr. Alberto I. Roca is Founder and Executive Director of...
Lyn Swackhamer, Ph.D.
Lyn Swackhamer is the Director of Aspirations Evaluation with the...
Ruha Devanesan
Ruha Devanesan specializes in creating access for the disenfranchised through...
Heather Pon-Barry
Heather Pon-Barry is a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of...
Matthew R. Rantanen
As the Director of Technology for the Southern California Tribal...
Melissa Harris-Perry
Melissa Harris-Perry is the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake...
Chris Stephenson
Dr. Chris Stephenson is the Head of Computer Science Education...
Benjamin F. Jones
Benjamin F. Jones is a Professor of Strategy and the...
Matt Wallaert
Matt Wallaert is a Behavioral Scientist working at the intersection...
Mizuko Ito
Mizuko Ito is a Cultural Anthropologist of Technology Use, examining...
Moritz Hardt
Moritz Hardt is a senior research scientist at Google Research....
Kortney Ziegler
Kortney Ziegler, PhD, is the Founder of Trans*H4CK, an organization...
Alicia A. Lebrija Hirschfeld
Alicia A. Lebrija Hirschfeld is Executive President of Fundación Televisa...
Cynthia Solomon
Cynthia Solomon’s focus has been on creating fun-filled, thoughtful, personally...
Gregory M. Walton
Greg Walton is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Stanford...
Madeline Di Nonno
Madeline Di Nonno is the CEO of the Geena Davis...
Patricia Russo
Pat Russo is a technology-industry veteran who has spent her...
Sherri L. Sanders, Ph.D.
Sherri Sanders serves as the Director of Higher Education Initiatives...
Susan M. Armstrong
Susan M. Armstrong started at Qualcomm working on Globalstar and...
Dr. Chris Wood
Dr. Chris Wood is an Associate Professor in the Educational...
Dr. Celine Latulipe
Dr. Celine Latulipe is an Associate Professor in the Department...
Sarah Provencal
Sarah Provencal is a director, teacher, and actor. She earned...
Sarah T. Dunton, M.Ed.
Sarah T. Dunton is the Director of Expanding Computing Education...
Luz M. Gonzalez
Luz M. Gonzalez is Senior Vice President of Solutions Delivery...
Jane Condon
Jane Condon, both a mom and comedian, lives in Greenwich,...
Slides
¿Por qué deberían los jóvenes considerar carreras en computación y tecnología de la información?
Spanish version of Why Should Young People Consider Careers in Computing...
Read More¿Qué camino en computación es el adecuado para mí?
Encuentra el camino más adecuado para tu vocación. Esta tarjeta...
Read More“Changing the Narrative About Aging, Tech, and Innovation” by Janine Vanderburg | Presentation Slides
Additional Resources and References Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and...
Read More10 Actionable Ways to Actually Increase Diversity in Tech
Tech’s diversity problem is not new information, especially to those...
Read More2.0 TECHNOLOchicas Posters – Set of Ten (11″x17″)
Set of ten TECHNOLOchicas 11″x17″ posters.
Read More2014 NCWIT Summit – Workshop Slides by Adrianna Kezar
Slides from Adrianna Kezar’s workshop, “Creating Change and Motivating Others...
Read More2014 NCWIT Summit – Workshop Slides by Anna Giraldo-Kerr
Slides from Anna Giraldo-Kerr’s workshop, “Micro Actions, Macro Impact: Managing...
Read MoreVideos
We also greatly appreciate our Media Partners JupiterReturn, SWIFT, as well as Johnson and Johnson for production and making the 2016 NCWIT Summit livestream possible.
“Conversations for Change” with Lisa D. Cook | Video Playback
Lisa D. Cook is Professor of Economics and International Relations...
2006 NCWIT Innovation and Diversity Town Hall, featuring U.S. Senator Barack Obama
NCWIT held its first-ever Innovation and Diversity Town Hall, co-sponsored...
2013 NCWIT Summit – Flashtalk, “COMPUGIRLS: What We Can Learn” by Courtney Besaw and Daysha Edgerton
[upbeat music] JEFFREY FORBES: Next we’re going to hear from...
2013 NCWIT Summit – Flashtalk, “Empowering Latinos in Computing” by Idit Harel Caperton and Jennifer Aguayo
[upbeat music] JEFFREY FORBES: So, we’re going to go through...
2013 NCWIT Summit – Flashtalk, “How the Media Can Affect Students in STEM” by Allison Collier
[upbeat music] JEFFREY FORBES: So next up we have Allison...
2013 NCWIT Summit – Flashtalk, “Making Technology More Accessible” by Emily Peed-Brown
[upbeat music] JEFF FORBES: We’re here at NCWIT. We couldn’t...
2013 NCWIT Summit – Flashtalk, “Sit With Me” by Avis Yates Rivers
Jeffrey Forbes: We’re very lucky to have Avis Yates Rivers,...
2013 NCWIT Summit – Flashtalk, “Social Media for Change Leaders” by Herb Morreale
[bright music] JEFFREY FORBES: Our last speaker is Herb Morreale...
2013 NCWIT Summit – Jean Sammet Pioneer Award Reception
[upbeat rock music] [audience applause] [enthusiastic applause] ALLISON COLLIER: Jean,...
2013 NCWIT Summit – NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing Ceremony (Arizona)
[upbeat introduction music] RUTHE FARMER: Good evening and welcome to...
2016 NCWIT Summit Program
Download the printed program, containing detailed information about 2016 Community Award recipients, featured new resources, and more.
Download PDF2016 NCWIT Summit - Extension Services Client Showcase Posters
During the 2016 NCWIT Summit on Women and IT, 2015 and 2016 NCWIT Extension Services Transformation (NEXT) award recipients presented posters with high-impact strategies for recruiting and retaining more women students in their undergraduate computing programs. Peruse the posters for the following awardees to learn what they did or are doing that may help you achieve your goals.
- Indiana University
- Michigan State University
- University of California-Berkeley
- University of California-Irvine
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Texas-Austin
- University of Texas-El Paso
- University of Washington
- Virginia Tech
2016 NCWIT Summit Sponsors
We would like to give a huge thanks to 2016 NCWIT Summit Reception Sponsors USAA, Brad Feld and Amy Batchelor, as well as Link Technologies.


Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship Opportunities for the 2021 NCWIT Summit Are Available
Download PDFEmail Us2016 Book Club
It’s NCWIT FlashTalks … in the Shark Tank.
NCWIT continues to leverage members’ ideas in order to create the most useful research, tools, and platforms to support efforts in increasing the meaningful participation of girls and women in computing. Change leaders from the NCWIT community will have five minutes each to give a FlashTalk on something NCWIT should prioritize in the areas of diversity, education, image, innovation, social movements, and more. This is your opportunity to tell us about that item on your wishlist — “I really wish NCWIT had research on this.” or “It’d be awesome if NCWIT ran a campaign focused on this.”
2016 NCWIT Summit FlashTalk Presenters
We heard from Jill Denner, PhD, Senior Research Scientist ETR; Ruha Devanesan, Manager, Global Diversity and Inclusion, Symantec; Daniela Marghitu, Professor, Computer Science and Software Engineering, Auburn University; Alberto Roca, PhD, Founder, DiverseScholar; Emmanuel Schanzer, Founder, Bootstrap; and Jill Wetzler, Director of Engineering, Lyft
Congratulations to the winning Flash Tank presenter, Alberto Roca, who received a Microsoft Surface Book, courtesy of Microsoft. Alberto’s presentation, “NCWIT Summit Student Newsroom to Save Tech Journalism and Diversity,” will be considered for ideation and possible implementation by NCWIT.
What is a FlashTalk?
If you’ve heard of Ignite® or Pecha Kucha or lightning talks, you know what we’re talking about. An NCWIT FlashTalk is a short, thought-provoking PowerPoint presentation, delivered in a fixed format: 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds for a total talk time of 5 minutes.
Check out the 2015 Flash Tank and FlashTalk videos from previous NCWIT Summits. And, be on the lookout for a workshop at the 2016 NCWIT Summit on last year’s Flash Tank winning idea from Dr. Linda Ott.
Two Twists: FlashTalks in the Shark Tank
- A panel of experts will moderate a discussion after each FlashTalk to help expand upon the idea. Convince them that they cannot afford to miss out on capitalizing on your idea.
- At least one innovative idea will be considered for implementation by NCWIT.