CRA-W Mentoring Programs Successes and Future Plans

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CRA-W Mentoring ProgramsSuccesses and Future
Plans

• Grace Hopper Celebration of
• Women in Computing
• September 2000

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Overview

• DMP CREW successes future plans (Mary Jean
  Harrold, Sheila Castañeda)
• Breakout sessions
• Sharing Experiences / Mentor Advice (Mary Jean
  Harrold, Sheila Castañeda)
• Scaling the Programs (Anne Condon)
• Diversifying the Mentor Pool (Mary Lou Soffa)
• Increasing the Applicant Pool (Ann Redelfs, Sally
  McKee)
• Summary and questions

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DMP Distributed Mentor Project

• Goal Improve representation of women holding
  high-level positions in industry and academia
• Method Provide research experience for
  undergraduates with female faculty members at
  research university
• Implementation Pair undergraduates (potential
  for graduate-school success) with female faculty
  members (active research programs) for summer of
  research

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DMP Funding

• National Science Foundation under the
  Experimental and Integrated Activities program
  (1994-95, ORourke, 1996-1998, Condon, 1999-2001,
  Harrold, 2002-2004, Amato will submit)
• Computing Research Association Committee on the
  Status of Women in Computing (CRA-W)
• National Science Foundations Partnership for
  Advanced Computational Infrastructure (NPACI)

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DMP 1999 2000

• Funded 18, 19 students respectively from a
  variety of colleges and universities
• Matched two students per mentor where possible
  (matches made by Selection Committee)
• Record of 2000 projects maintained by students
  (inspired by Sara Smolensky, 1999 participant)
• Described in Computing Research News, September
  2000

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Students Supported

• 1999 (18 students)
• Bucknell University, Northwestern University,
  University of Oregon, Rose-Hulman Institute of
  Technology, Dartmouth College, Brown University,
  University of Southern California, University of
  Minnesota, Morris, Harvey Mudd College, Purdue
  University, University of Tulsa, Mississippi
  State University, Williams College, Duke
  University, Rice University, Trinity College,
  Uniersity of Missouri, Brooklyn College

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Mentors Affiliations

• 1999 (14 mentors)
• University of Utah, University of California
  San Diego, Brown University, Duke University,
  Worchester Polytechnic Institute, Rice
  University, Georgia Institute of Technology,
  University of Tulsa, University of Massachusetts,
  Brooklyn College, University of Central Florida

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Students Supported

• 2000 (20 students)
• Columbia University, Marymount College,
  University of Oregon, University of California,
  Polytechnic University, Rutgers University,
  University of Southern California, Mills College,
  Ashland University, Hope College, University of
  Oregon, Transylvania University, Bucknell
  University, Franciscan University, University of
  Pittsburgh, University of Delaware, Santa Clara
  University, Dartmouth University, Purdue
  University

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Mentors Affiliations

• 2000 (15 mentors)
• Polytechnic University, George Mason
  University, Georgia Institute of Technology,
  Rutgers University, Brown University, University
  of Georgia, University of Utah, University of
  Wisconsin, Duke University, University of
  Pittsburgh, University of Delaware, North
  Carolina State University, University of
  Washington

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Students / Mentors
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DMP Successes

• Summer 1999 participants (LEAD Center) CRN
  article, CRA-W web site
• 100 learned/gained more than they had expected
• 100 reported change in attitude about graduate
  school after experience
• 72 were committed to graduate school after
  experience
• Participants with graduate degrees?

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DMP Future Plans

• LEAD Center evaluation
• Summer 2000 evaluation
• Longitudinal evaluation
• Scaling
• Diversification of mentors, institutions
• Broader funding base

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CREW Collaborative Research Experience for
Women in Undergraduate Science and Engineering

• Goals
• Increase the opportunity to do research
• Decrease the isolation that may be experienced in
  doing independent research
• Encourage women scientists and engineers to
  pursue similar work in graduate school

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CREW Funding

• Computing Research Association Committee on the
  Status of Women in Computing (CRA-W)
• National Science Foundations Partnership for
  Advanced Computational Infrastructures
  Education, Outreach and Training program (NPACI)
• 25,000 per year budget

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Projects Supported

• 1998-1999 (20 students, 9 advisors)
• Brooklyn College, CUNY
• Bryn Mar College
• Case Western Reserve University
• Grinnell College
• North Carolina AT State University
• Texas Christian University
• University of Wisconsin, La Crosse

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Projects Supported (contd)

• 1999-2000 (10/27 funded, 22 students, 13
  advisors)
• Columbia University
• Lawrence University
• Marymount University
• Middlebury College
• Northwest Missouri State University
• Rutgers University
• Texas Wesleyan University
• University of the South
• Western Washington University

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Projects Supported (contd)

• 2000-2001 (11/14 funded, 27 students, 14
  advisors)
• Brooklyn College
• College of New Jersey
• James Madison University
• North Carolina AT University
• Northwest Missouri State University
• San Diego State University
• Sonoma State University
• University of Alabama, Huntsville
• University of Alaska, Fairbanks
• University of Montana, Missoula

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Students
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CREW Future Plans

• Expand the program
• Secure additional funding
• Provide additional evaluation of results (pre-
  and post-surveys)

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Sharing Experiences / Mentor Advice

• Goals of Session
• Share experiences and advice about being a good
  mentor
• Develop concrete list of useful information for
  mentors and students
• Publish the information for future participants
  in the program (after conference)

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Areas for Discussion

• What works well and what doesnt?
• What kinds of preparations are needed (e.g.,
  research plans, travel, housing) ?
• How can the research project be structured,
  stay on track, and meet the timeline?
• What can be done if the research isnt
  progressing as you had expected?

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Areas for Discussion

• How can interaction with research group/community
  be fostered?
• What kind of interaction should you expect from
  the supervisor or mentor?
• What can be done if your mentor is not as
  supportive as you expect?
• How can students participate in social activities
  during mentor experience?
• How can we stay in touch with students after they
  participate in a project?

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Scaling the Programs

• Motivation
• Reach more students, including Canadians
• Enhance the DMP experience for students
• Proposed Approach
• Industrial sponsors
• Mentors from industry/national research labs
  which pay for students
• Institutions help pay student stipends (provides
  edge on recruiting students to grad school)

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Diversifying the Mentor Pool

• Develop a group mentoring model with both men and
  women faculty as mentors
• Benefits
• Broader pool of mentors for program
• Opportunity for men to work towards expanding the
  pipeline
• New mentoring structures for students
• Retain current single-mentor format

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Increasing the Applicant Pool Through
Connections/Activities

• Partnerships MentorNet, Institute for Women in
  Technology, GirlGeeks, National Institute for
  Women in Trades, Technology Science
• Funding sources NSF, DARPA, NIH
• Professional associations and their student
  groups
• Minority serving institutions, womens colleges,
  junior colleges
• Conferences
• Articles / press releases / reports