Recent findings about the educational backgrounds of IT workers in the U.S. reveal significant differences between IT and other science and engineering disciplines and occupations. What are the implications of these unique characteristics of the IT workforce for continuing efforts to increase the representation of women in IT? And what are the implications for academic Computer Science departments?
About the Speaker...
Dr. Wardle joined the National Science Foundation in 1990 and has managed a variety of research and educational programmes in the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate. She is currently leading the CISE effort in information technology (IT) workforce and education, with a special emphasis on issues related to women and under-represented minorities.
Dr. Wardle received a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics in 1965 and a Ph.D. in Mathematical Physics in 1970, both from the University of London. Her first faculty appointment was in 1969 at Hunter College of the City University of New York, U.S.A. where she was their first Assistant Professor of Computer Science. After building Hunter's Bachelors Degree program in Computer Science, she moved to Boston University in 1975 where she founded and chaired the Department of Computer Science. While at Boston University, Dr. Wardle was granted a leave in 1980 to join the Wang Institute of Graduate Studies as Associate Dean, and later as Dean of the College of Information Technology. In 1997-1998, Dr. Wardle spent a sabbatical leave at Howard University in Washington, DC where she taught Computer Science courses, including Computer Ethics.
Dr. Wardle's research interests have ranged from computer graphics and programming languages, to software engineering, information systems, and most recently, the IT workforce.