Communications of the ACM
Uc Mentors Next Generation of Women in STEM Fields
Credit: ceng.calpoly.edu
Connecting students striving for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees with leading women in industry and academia is the purpose of Women in Technology Sharing Online (WitsOn) a national online mentoring program involving the participation of students and faculty from eight University of California (UC) campuses.
Every week during the program, lead and supporting mentors guide discussions on common themes, such as finding employment and maintaining a work and life balance, affecting women in STEM fields. "I want to get a firsthand, honest opinion of what I should be doing to prepare and learn what paths these women chose to get to where they are," says WitsOn participant and UC Santa Cruz student Monique Windju.
Recent figures from the National Science Board show that women earned about half of all STEM bachelor's degrees in 2009, while men continued to overtake women in earning bachelor's degrees in engineering, computer science, mathematics, and physics. Experts say a lack of high-profile role models and a dearth of self-confidence are factors contributing to women's under-representation in STEM disciplines, and online programs such as WitsOn offer an outlet for classroom pressures and mentor opportunities that are not restricted by physical constraints.
From UC Newsroom
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