Assistant Professor Nandita Vijaykumar leads a panel discussion during a February 22 DCSWomen mentorship event for female undergraduate students in computer science. (Photo: Matt Hintsa)
When Professor Faith Ellen joined the University of Toronto in 1986, she was the only female faculty member in the Department of Computer Science. To foster a sense a community and improve the retention of female researchers in the department, she founded DCSWomen in 1992.
More than 30 years since its founding, DCSWomen continues its work to build community among female computer scientists at U of T. Comprising graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty members, the group aims to provide a supportive environment for female students to learn and thrive.
And while women’s representation in computing fields has improved since the group’s early days, only about a quarter of CS students in North America identify as female, according to a 2021 survey by the Computing Research Association.
On February 22, DCSWomen hosted a mentorship event for female undergraduates at the U of T Faculty Club. Although such mentorship events are typically held every year, this was the first time in several years that it was an in-person gathering.
Featuring both a panel discussion and smaller group conversations with faculty, the event provided students with the opportunity to ask questions and hear their mentors speak about academia vs. industry, research vs. teaching, preparing for graduate school, potential career paths and challenges women can face in computing fields.
The panel included U of T computer science professors Nandita Vijaykumar, who moderated the discussion, Faith Ellen, Diane Horton, Carolina Nobre, and Jacqueline Smith.
Assistant Professor Carolina Nobre speaks during the panel discussion, alongside fellow faculty members Diane Horton, Jacqueline Smith and Faith Ellen. (Photo: Matt Hintsa)
During their discussion, panellists shared their thoughts on what it’s like being a woman in computing, imposter syndrome and recognizing and calling out microaggressions women can face in the field — whether in research or industry environments.
They shared advice on being more assertive and realizing they do have a seat at the table. Nobre cited her own prior experience, encouraging students to follow their interests — and make those interests known. Despite being a talented designer who was often asked to take on design-focused tasks in projects, Nobre explained that she learned to speak up and express her interest in technical tasks.
Vijaykumar, who currently leads DCSWomen, said the event offered a first-time experience for many undergraduates to connect directly with faculty, particularly those who are women and who can serve as a point of direct contact going forward.
She heard from students inquiring about applying to grad school, getting involved in research and how to address any shortcomings on their resumes.
“A lot of these students don’t have any kind of mentor or role model, someone who seems like them. So, this can be addressed with these types of forums,” she explained.
Stepping into this role as a junior faculty member, Vijaykumar wants to look at ways to create community which, in turn, could encourage female students to be proactive about reaching out to their peers and support network. Additionally, she says a key component of women-focused mentorship events is providing practical advice about how to navigate careers in computer science.
“I'm particularly interested in addressing this problem where the higher up you go in academia, you see fewer and fewer women as a percentage of the whole,” Vijaykumar explained. “For example, the undergraduate body tends to have a much higher percentage of women than grad school. And especially if you’re going into PhD programs, and then in faculty positions, you'll see the proportion of women trickling down quite significantly. And that’s something I wanted to do something about.”
Looking back on why she founded DCSWomen, Ellen says one of the key priorities is keeping talented female students and researchers engaged and connected.
Ellen added that diversity is important and she wants female students to know there are plenty of role models in computer science.
“There’s a wide variety of different women and there are lots of ways of succeeding,” she said.
She encourages students to take advantage of mentoring opportunities, attend conferences and participate in the U of T student group Women in Computer Science (WiCS).
Ellen, who also serves as the department’s Associate Chair, Graduate Studies, hopes to see women’s representation in computing continue to grow at U of T.
Professor Faith Ellen, who founded DCSWomen in the early 1990s, engages in conversation with students. (Photo: Matt Hintsa)
Reflecting on the February 22 event, fourth-year computer science student Tianyu Zhang believes women-focused mentorship and career events are “more optimistic” for female students looking to learn about future opportunities.
“It’s a totally different experience,” Zhang said. “I think listening to others sharing their experiences can be very helpful.”
Ayesha Tayyiba, a fourth-year student at the University of Toronto Mississauga — who minors in computer science and is the president of the Women in Science & Computing club — says events like these are about having a place to connect and relate to other women who have been in their shoes as students and who may have faced similar challenges.
Turning to other upper-year students, she says, is also a way to see what it’s like to be a woman in STEM and feel supported in times of doubt.
“There’s a very large group of women who have your back,” she said.