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UMD Women in Tech Gathered at 2024 Grace Hopper Celebration

/ 17 October 2024 /
Kate Atchison speaking in front of a room of people at the Terps in Tech alum event at the Grace Hopper Celebration
People smiling while having a conversation at the Terps in Tech alum event at the Grace Hopper Celebration
People having a conversation at the Terps in Tech alum event at the Grace Hopper Celebration
People listening to speakers at Terps in Tech alum event at the Grace Hopper Celebration
Computer Science Department Chair Matthias Zwicker speaking with a student at the Terps in Tech alum event at the Grace Hopper Celebration
Alyssa Ryan speaking to people at the Terps in Tech alum event at the Grace Hopper Celebration

University of Maryland alums, students, faculty and staff met up at the world’s largest conference for women and nonbinary technologists.

 

In the last 10 years, the number of undergraduate women in computing majors at the University of Maryland climbed from less than 100 to more than 2,400. This growth extends to graduate students, where women now make up 38% of graduate students in computing programs. As these numbers increased, so too has UMD’s community of women in tech.

 

In October 2024, UMD convened that community of alums, students and staff at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC)—a conference that brings the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. The Department of Computer Science has financially supported students attending GHC for the past 20 years.

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Senior information science major Ume Habiba speaking at the Terps in Tech alum event at the Grace Hopper Celebration. Photo Credit: Scott Spitzer.

 

“I attended GHC as a student in 2019 and 2020 with the support of the Maryland Center for Women in Computing and am so grateful to have had that opportunity,” said Jenny Corzo (B.S. ’21, computer science), a software engineer at Bank of America who attended the event. “I was introduced to a world of amazing, inspirational women and leaders in STEM and was inspired to follow in their footsteps.”

 

Sixty-two Terps gathered on October 9 for the Terps in Tech event at Mindspace Wanamaker to network and share their experiences. The event was hosted by the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences; College of Information; A. James Clark School of Engineering; Department of Computer Science; Alumni Association; and Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing (I4C).

 

“We had such a special evening chatting and celebrating how far we’ve come as a university in supporting our women in computing majors,” said I4C Associate Director Kate Atchison, “but we also highlighted the potential for growth. I firmly believe that if we continue to invest in and build up our inclusive computing community at UMD, there will be a ripple effect in the tech industry.”

 

The event kicked off with remarks from Atchison, Computer Science Department Chair Matthias Zwicker, and senior information science major Ume Habiba—who also had the chance to speak at a GHC session earlier that day. Habiba has worked as a software engineer at Microsoft, Cisco, JP Morgan and Estee Lauder and aims to help bridge the gender gap in tech. She has amassed over 80,000 followers on social media since posting regularly about her journey in tech, and her efforts were recognized by Forbes and Business Insider.

 

“I loved listening to Ume speak; she was so inspiring and engaging,” said junior computer science major Nandini Ramachandran. “Her journey navigating the tech world resonated with my experiences.”

 

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Junior computer science major Ayo Ajayi at the Terps in Tech alum event at the Grace Hopper Celebration. Photo Credit: Scott Spitzer.

After hearing from speakers, attendees spent the rest of the evening networking with one another. For students getting closer to graduation, connecting with alums was especially valuable.

 

“Talking to alums who are women in tech is important at this point in my career because I am in a stage where I need to make big decisions for my post-grad career and academic path,” said junior computer science major Ayomiposi Ajayi. “Hearing about their decisions and what made them make such decisions helped open my eyes to the different opportunities out there, as well as how I can access them.”

 

To close out the night, speakers encouraged attendees to stay connected with I4C and the Alumni Association and take an active role in supporting I4C’s mission of creating an inclusive computing community at UMD.

“It’s so important to have a safe space to ask questions and learn from the strong women who have come before us,” Corzo said. “While the number of women in the tech industry is growing, we still often face added pressures to perform and act in certain ways, constantly having to prove our worth in the field. Because of this, my goal is to serve as a role model for those who follow in my footsteps so that we can continue to grow the number of women in the technology industry.”

About the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing

The Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing (I4C) is a supportive, vibrant and inclusive community of students, educators and researchers coming together to increase the involvement—and success—of all individuals from historically marginalized populations in computing.