Five Colleges Receive Grants to Boost Recruiting and Retention of Women in Computing Fields

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), in conjunction with Microsoft Research, announced that five colleges and universities will receive NCWIT Academic Alliance Seed Fund grants for initiatives aimed to develop and implement programs for recruiting or retaining women in computing and technology disciplines.

• Claremont Graduate University and the Scripps College Academy will offer workshops for high school, undergraduate and graduate students encouraging them to pursue careers in technology and computing.

• Fisk University’s grant will fund the GUSTO (Girls Using Scientific Tools for Opportunities) project, which encourages and prepares low-income and minority girls for STEM careers.

• Union College will develop a social robotics outreach workshop in which women undergraduates in computing majors serve as mentors for middle and high school girls.

• The University of Central Arkansas will use its grant for recruiting women students and retaining them with opportunities for learning, research, service, and leadership.

• The University of Virginia will recruit computing graduate students from traditionally underrepresented groups.