ISI's impressive roster of non-male IT professionals hosted a
delegation from USC's Women in Science and Engineering
(WiSE) organization.
Mary Hall was the ISI host for the January 18 affair, which drew women
not just from ISI but from the nearby USC Institute for
Creative Technology.
The event -- which Hall and others hope to repeat at least
yearly -- grew out of an invitation from WISE program
manager Nicole Hawkes, who works in the office of USC
Provost Max C.L. Nikias.
"WiSE works with Deans and Departments in the USC College
and the Viterbi School of Engineering to increase the number
for women faculty in science and engineering, and to support
their professional development," Hawkes wrote in an
invitation.
"WiSE is also a valuable resource for students seeking paid
research opportunities, faculty mentorship, and subsidies
(for travel to conferences and child care) that enable the
increased representation of women in science and
engineering. In addition, WiSE is actively working to raise
its profile on campus and to raise awareness about the
important role of diversity and gender equity in achieving
academic excellence through the sponsorship of lectures,
affinity groups, and activities on campus.
Since many of the WiSE activities occur on the University
Park Campus, it may be difficult for interested faculty, staff,
and students from ISI and ICT to attend. For this reason,
we wanted to gather a group together in Marina del Rey to
extend the WiSE network and to share information about the
work being done on both campuses. "
The meeting had no formal agenda but "we had a lot of good
talk and shared experiences. I think it was a very positive
event," said Hall.
WiSE women: (l-r) Jacki Morie,
Elaine Chew,
Jean Morrison,
Belinda Lange,
Diane Piepol,
Nicole Hawkes,
Kristina Lerman,
Mary Hall,
Jihie Kim,
Jacqueline Chame,
Judith Hirsch |
