Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering

ISSN for PRINT: 1072-8325

For Online Access

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2005, Volume11

Issue 2

94 pages

DOI: 10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v11.i2

Issue price - $42.00

Elizabeth A. Larsen
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Margaret L. Stubbs
Chatham College

Lack of diversity within the computer science field has, thus far, been examined most fully through the lens of gender. This article is based on a follow-on to Margolis and Fisher's (2002) study and includes interviews with 33 Carnegie Mellon University students from the undergraduate senior class of 2002 in the School of Computer Science. We found evidence of similarities among the perceptions of these women and men on definitions of computer science, explanations for the notoriously low proportion of women in the field, characterizations of a typical computer science student, impressions of recent curricular changes, a sense of the atmosphere/culture in the program, views of the Women@SCS campus organization, and suggestions for attracting and retaining well-rounded students in computer science. We conclude that efforts to increase diversity in the computer science field will benefit from a more broad-based approach that considers, but is not limited to, notions of gender difference.

DOI: 10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v11.i2.20 Download article, 139-170 pages

Article price - $35.00

<< Previous article   Next article >>