Session 5: 4:20 PM – 5:20 PM
Split Session
Location: Royal Palm 4, 5 & 6
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Finding ‘Common Ground’: An Uncommon Approach to Correcting the Underrepresentation of Women in Computing
Panel: Gloria Childress Townsend (DePauw University), Nancy Amato (Texas A&M), Joann Ordille (Avaya Laboratories), Lori Pollock (University of Delaware), Elaine Weyuker (AT&T Labs)
During GHC2004, Computing Research Association’s “Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research” (CRA-W) invited the Association for Computing Machinery’s “Committee on Women in Computing” (ACM-W) to a presentation and discussion event in order to “find common ground” that would advance our organizations’ common goals. We will identify (as we did in 2004) several projects that each organization sponsors. It is important in itself for all members of the targeted audience to learn about the two committees’ projects and their benefits and to use the information in recruitment and retention efforts, after the conference ends. However, after motivating the audience to participate in the two committees’ projects, we will outline how we have interleaved our projects, during the last two years, so that we can illustrate the benefits of cooperation and formation of alliances.
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Family-Friendly Campuses and Strategies for Work/Life Balance
Panel: Pamela C. Cosman (UC San Diego), Susan M. Lord (University of San Diego), Tajana Simunic Rosing (UC San Diego), Kate Quinn (University of Washington), Eve A. Riskin (University of Washington)
The American Council on Education and the Sloan Foundation will award grants to five U.S. universities that they determine to be most family-friendly. We will summarize the aspects of what makes the five winning universities family-friendly with a goal of informing prospective faculty members about what they might look for when interviewing for academic jobs. We will also discuss the differences in childbirth leave at campuses with 9-month versus 12-month appointments, and discuss data on how babies affect faculty careers for men and women. We will offer perspectives on the differences in work-life balance between industry and academia, and will summarize recent research on graduate student perception of work/life balance.
The Technical Career Path
Location: Royal Palm 1, 2 & 3
Panel: Carole Dulong (Google), Debra Bernstein (Intel Corporation), Kathleen Nichols (Pollere LLC), Sharon Perl (Google), Linda Rankin (Intel Corporation), Wendy Rannenberg (Hewlett-Packard)
Panelists will describe their jobs, the type of innovation they do, the sort of problems they are confronted with, and how they approach these problems. The panelist will also describe their careers, and will discuss their experiences in the technical career path.
What is the technical career path? (What it is not, contrast it with the management career path). What should be examples of responsibilities assumed expected from the technical career path? In these positions: sources of satisfaction, and sources of frustration, why we love it, and when do we have to be patient! How to get in this path? How to get out? Examples of path taken by the panelists in their careers and how to get back in the management track.
Invited Technical Speaker: Marissa Mayer
Women and Innovation: Driving Change in Consumer Technology
Location: San Diego
Presenter: Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Products and User Experience, Google
Description coming soon.
The Challenges and Rewards of Mentoring Undergraduate Women: The CREU Projects
Location Towne Conference Room< ?p>
Panel: Rose Shumba (Indiana University of PA), Bags Bhagyavati (TSYS Department of Computer Science), Melissa Karolewski (Indiana University of PA), Ometere Tuté Ehinlaiye (Indiana University of PA)
Successful research projects completed by undergraduate students in Computer Science can improve retention and graduation rates. These students are more motivated than others to pursue graduate school and research-related careers. Although undergraduate research can vary widely, some characteristics appear commonly across successful projects. The panelists will share their experiences involving women in successful undergraduate research projects. We anticipate audience discussion and resource sharing for at least half the time allocated to the presentation. One of the panelists will share her success with the CREU program while another panelist will share a challenging CREU experience. Two other panelists are students currently in the CREU program and will share their experiences from a student perspective. We will provide handouts of the following materials: statement of expectations provided by the students, CREU proposal, progress and status reports provided by the students, and other materials used by faculty and students in project management.
An Intelligent System for Medical Treatment
Location: Dover Conference Room
Panel: Anja Remshagen (University of West Georgia), Katrina Riehl (University of Texas at Dallas), Katherine Moreland (University of Texas at Dallas)
Advances in molecular biology have complicated medical treatment. An intelligent system that aids in the selection of treatment plans must tackle decision problems at the second level of the polynomial hierarchy. A common approach has been to simplify these problems to an NP-complete problem. However, the reduction process may produce inaccurate results which are not acceptable in case of medical treatment. We describe an intelligent system for cancer treatment that applies an exact solution algorithm. The system is composed of two components: (1) the selection of medical tests and treatment plans. The problem requires solving a quantified logic formula. Our approach is based on backtracking search and a learning scheme. (2) Derivation of mathematical models linking the interaction of medication, diseases, symptoms, molecular structures, and possible treatments. This information is extracted as logic explanations from patient data. In addition, normative logic models are used to represent basic relationships.
Another Ride on the Crazy Train: Work/Life “Balance”
Location: Golden West Conference Room
Panel: Suzanne K. Schaefer (UC Irvine), Erin Bradner (Autodesk), Michael Goodrich (UC Irvine), Melanie Martin (California State University, Stanislaus), Andre van der Hoek (UC Irvine), Wendy Carmody (Hewlett-Packard Company)
This panel will involve a discussion of how computer scientists balance the often competing demands of work and “life.” Each panelist will be asked to use the following questions to guide her/his remarks:
This panel will involve a discussion of how computer scientists balance the often competing demands of work and “life.” Each panelist will be asked to use the following questions to guide her/his remarks: How do you balance the demands of a career with the need for a fulfilling life? How do your employer’s policies enable or hinder you in striving for this balance? What creative solutions have you developed to handle these needs and desires? What are some tangible messages that you have received from colleagues about the relative role of your “outside work” life?
Some of the Grace Hopper attendees may be in less-than-ideal environments. Rather than accept the status quo, the panelists may inspire them to take action to improve employers’ accommodations of employee’s; diverse life needs.
