UCR Newsroom

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) – Research findings on why women are not choosing careers in computing and engineering as well as best practices for increasing and retaining their participation in these fields make up the topic of the upcoming Bourns College of Engineering's "Distinguished Lecture Series.”

Maria Klawe, president of the Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, will talk about how girls and women differ from boys and men in their uses of and attitudes towards computing technology as part of the lecture held Tuesday, Jan. 27 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Engineering Building Unit II Rooms 205/206. A one-hour reception with students, faculty, and members of the community will follow the lecture.

Klawe, who became president of Harvey Mudd College in June of 2006, is a former dean of Princeton University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In addition to research on gender issues in information technology, Klawe has also made significant research contributions in the areas of functional analysis, discrete mathematics, theoretical computer science, and human-computer interactions.

“Although female enrollment at Bourns is above average, we see it as our responsibility to continue to find ways to bring more into the computing and engineering pipeline,” said Dean Reza Abbaschian, Bourns College of Engineering. “President Klawe is not only an expert on the subject, but also an excellent role model.”

“Role modeling is so critical,” added Sharon Walker, assistant professor, chemical and environmental engineering at Bourns. “And, anybody who doubts that must have grown up in an environment where everybody looked like them. When you are addressing the issue of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, you are addressing the issue of any marginalized group in theses areas and pushing for equity in these fields. Everybody benefits.”

The Bourns College of Engineering's "Distinguished Lecture Series" is intended to allow individuals with outstanding credentials and achievements as engineers, researchers, and educators to provide their perspectives on current opportunities and future directions in engineering research and education.

Attendees are asked to R.S.V.P. via e-mail at chappell@engr.ucr.edu or by calling 937-827-2528 no later than Friday, Jan. 23. Additional information on parking can be found at http://www.engr.ucr.edu/eventparking.html

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of over 19,000 is expected to grow to 21,000 students by 2020. The campus is planning a medical school and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.

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