Women and IT

Women who research cutting edge developments in computing technology will gather in Edinburgh on Friday to share their latest work on topics such as internet voting and mathematical modelling of the world-wide web, and to ask how to boost the number of women entrants into computing and IT.

As well as reviewing the latest research in their field, the Scottish Hoppper Colloquium participants will spend time reviewing issues in higher education and how these affect their field of work.

A major theme of the conference will be the strong links those in the organisation have established with industry and professional bodies. Jennifer Chayes, manager of the theory group at Microsoft Research, will address the women during a panel session on leadership, along with Ursula Martin, recently appointed Chair of the Women's Committee of the ACM, the largest professional body in the world for those in Computing.

Over 45 delegates from higher education in Scotland will attend Friday's forum organised by Rosa Michaelson of the University of Dundee. Rosa said: "We are very much looking forward to meeting the recent cohort of post-graduates and renewing our links with more established colleagues. We expect the discussions to be stimulating and creative as in past events."

The Hopper Colloquium started in 1998 to showcase the work of women academics in Scottish departments of Computer Science and Informatics. The membership has grown from around 40, to a potential audience of more than 90, in the last 5 years.

Contact Rosa Michaelson, Fellow in Business Computing, Accountancy and Business Finance, University of Dundee.
Phone: 01382 344 858. E-mail: r.michaelson@dundee.ac.uk
Web site: http://umbriel.dcs.gla.ac.uk/NeSC/general/esi/esi

By Jenny Marra, Press Officer 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk