2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Analyzing the Impact of Multi-Faceted Women in Computing Support Programs on Women Computing Students

Presented at Women in Engineering Division (WIED) Technical Session 1 - Women in Computing

Farmingdale State College (FSC) has taken a multi-faceted approach to tackle the issue of the low number of women students enrolled in its computing degree programs. FSC has only 8-16% women enrolled in its computing degree programs over the past decade despite doubling enrollment in these programs during the same time. Recognizing the gender disparity in computing is well-documented as a global and national issue, the three women in computing initiatives (support programs) instigated at FSC from 2020 are as follows: 1) maintaining a women in computing student club, 2) hosting summer orientation programs for women computing students, and 3) attending women in computing conferences. This study utilizes end of semester surveys as a quantitative tool and aims to understand the combined impact of these women in computing (WiC) initiatives on three areas: i) women students’ experience as they complete their computing degree, ii) women students’ sense of belonging, and iii) women students' academic self-concept. An analysis of the Year 2 (fall’22, spring’23) survey results and their comparison to the previously published Year 1 (fall’21, spring’22) survey results show positive impacts on the women students on the aforementioned areas over a two-year period.

Authors

Dr. Ilknur Aydin Farmingdale State College, SUNY, New York [biography]

Ilknur Aydin is an Associate Professor of Computer Systems at Farmingdale State College, SUNY, New York. Dr. Aydin's research is in the general area of wireless and mobile networks with a focus on transport layer issues including multihoming, SCTP, congestion control, and network coding. Dr. Aydin has mentored undergraduate and high school students on research projects that involve the use of Arduino boxes and Raspberry Pi's in the context of Internet of Things, and the use of public testbeds such as CloudLab and FABRIC for WiFi and cellular networking research. Dr. Aydin has been a vivid supporter of women in computing and increasing diversity in computing. She has been the co-faculty advisor for Women in Computing club at Farmingdale, contributed in Grace Hopper Celebration as a technical committee member and reviewer. Dr. Aydin has published and presented in peer reviewed venues about women in computing and broadening the participation over a decade. Dr. Aydin is the 2023 recipient of the Farmingdale Foundation Excellence Award for faculty service.
Mary V Villani Farmingdale State College, SUNY, New York [biography]

Mary V. Villani is an Associate Professor at Farmingdale State College (FSC) in the Computer Systems Department. She holds a doctoral degree from Pace University, the Ivan G. Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. Her dissertation topic was Keystroke Biometric Identification on Long-Text Input. Publications in this area include peer-reviewed journal articles, and a co-authored book chapter, in Behavioral Biometrics for Human Identification: Intelligent Applications. Dr. Villani has been actively seeking funding internally and externally to address gender disparity and broaden participation in the Computing Programs at FSC. The money raised through campus grants and other funding sources was used to provide Women Student Orientation programs, and to take students to women in computing events. Dr. Villani has been active publishing and presenting these experiences in an effort to share within the research community and to ultimately broaden participation.  Dr. Villani is the co-advisor of the Supporting Women in Computing Club where she has mentored many women students in the program. Dr. Villani is the recipient of the Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence, 2012. Prior to joining FSC, Dr. Villani had a 15 year computer consulting career in the Risk Management and Insurance Industry.
Dr. Lisa Cullington Sacred Heart University [biography]

Lisa Cullington, Ph.D. is an educational researcher with expertise in academic program development, learning outcomes and educational assessment best practices. She focuses on building and evaluating academic programs that promote inclusive excellence for all learners. Currently, Dr. Cullington serves as the Associate Provost of Academic Programs at Sacred Heart University. Previously, she was the Founding Co-Chair of the Honors Program at SUNY Farmingdale and Associate Director of the Research Aligned Mentorship (RAM) Program where she designed, implemented, and evaluated academic programs to engage students from historically minoritized communities in undergraduate research opportunities. She has served as a principal investigator and educational researcher on number grant initiatives, including grants from the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

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