By Telle Whitney
As you read this letter I will be in the Indian Himalayas in an area called Ladakh. Although Ladakh has experienced increased contact with the Western world, thirty years ago they were completely out of touch. As I work in technology, it is always interesting to experience a world where technology is uncommon, and yet the values that I hold dear such as community are still very important. I am very excited about the trip, and promise to tell you more about this adventure when I return.
The last few months at the Institute, my time has been consumed by a new effort we’ve embarked upon called the Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision. The Women of Vision awards recognize three great women who are making significant contribution in the areas of Innovation, Leadership and Social Impact. As you’ve probably seen from our press release we had 63 nominations for these awards and the caliber of these nominations is extraordinary. All of us on the awards committee were humbled when we read through the accomplishments of each of these extraordinary nominees. Choosing the winners was a challenge, but we did it and we at the Institute can’t wait to share their accomplishments with all of you. The Women of Vision awards will be held October 18, 2005 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. The keynote address at this event will be given by John Hennessy, President of Stanford University followed by the awards being presented to the winners of the Innovation, Social Impact and Leadership awards. I’ll be there, and I hope that you will too.
Also in the forefront right now is the bi-annual report to congress compiled by the CEOSE. The last three years, I’ve been proud to serve on the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) at NSF. CEOSE’s charter includes a commitment to deliver a bi-annual report on its entire history since its inception in 1994.
The committee findings:
Broadening participation in STEM remains both important and urgent for the United States.
Since Congress created CEOSE in 1980, participation has broadened measurably, though progress has been modest and uneven across underrepresented groups, across science and engineering fields, and across career paths.
CEOSE commends NSF for actively pursuing the goal of broadening participation in STEM.
The report includes useful data of grants submitted by underrepresented groups. It also highlights mentoring programs from several of our key partners including Mentornet and CRA-W. The report includes a section on recommendations for broadening participation. The report is definitely worth reading.
For me, participation in CEOSE has been a fruitful and informative experience. I’ve learned about broadening participation strategies and activities in areas that are new for me. I know first hand what it is like to be a woman working as a minority, but have learned a great deal more about what it is like to be an African American, a Latino, or an American Indian, each faced with their own challenges. One of the great experiences for me the past year was a visit to two tribal colleges in Montana , first to a college on the Crow reservation, and second to the college on the Cheyenne reservation. Each college is unique and reflects the culture of the community it serves. This is an example of how a program from NSF called TCUP enables colleges to make a significant educational impact in its community. The professors in these colleges make a profound difference with their students every day, without trying to change who they are. It is an important reminder to me that I need to honor and support the diverse cultures we serve.