Pitt Ph.D. student helps diversify her field

Doctoral student Mengmeng Li, studying computer science at Pitt, has always been an academic… Doctoral student Mengmeng Li, studying computer science at Pitt, has always been an academic anomaly.

During her undergraduate career at the Northeastern University in her home country of China, she was one of five women in a class of 30 computer science students. As she achieved high marks that eventually earned her entrance into Pitt’s computer science doctoral program, she couldn’t help but notice that she was of a rare breed — a woman pursuing a degree in the rising field.

“I don’t think there are enough women in the computer science field,” Li said. “In my department, the girls still belong very much in the minority in the classroom.”

In recognition of her success, Microsoft recently named Li a recipient of one of 10 Outstanding Aspiring Women in Computer Science scholarships, granting her $15,000 among other benefits. She won the scholarship after being nominated by computer science faculty at Pitt and beating out a pool of thousands of applicants from across the U.S. and Canada.

In some ways, Li’s accomplishments represent a rarity in the field of computer sciences — a corner of academia typically dominated by men. Here at Pitt, women make up just 11 percent of declared undergraduate computer science majors. That’s 22 students out of 204.

The graduate school has a slightly smaller gender gap, with 15 female students out of 92 total. Women also account for four of the department’s about 30 faculty members.

The disparity extends well beyond the hallways of the Sennott Square building, where much of Pitt’s computer science department is housed and where Li attends classes. According to the nonprofit group National Center for Women & Information Technology, which seeks to correct the gender gap in the field of computer and information sciences, girls represented just 18 percent of Advanced Placement computer science exam-takers in 2009. That’s the lowest female representation of any AP exam, according to the website.

These low figures translate to equally low figures in many graduate and undergraduate computer science programs around the country. The center’s website stated that in 2009, women earned only 18 percent of all degrees in the field.

According to Pitt’s department chair Daniel Mossé, Pitt’s numbers are “pretty good” compared to national averages.

“We are doing well in terms of faculty and graduate students in our computer science program — and we are always looking to increase diversity here,” Mossé said. “Where we could see improvement is in the undergraduate body.”

Computer science professors and students reported a number of factors contributing to the underrepresentation of women in computer science — including cultural expectations, a lack of female role models and lackluster diversity initiatives.

Li and other women and men studying computer science at Pitt said they are well aware of the gender disparity and that it has a significant impact on research and education.

“I think women have a lot of potential in this field that is not tapped,” Li said, echoing many of Mossé’s sentiments. “There is a lot of creativity involved and this is an area where I think girls can excel.”

These issues are what motivated Microsoft to start giving out scholarships to promising students like Li in the first place, Microsoft spokeswoman Rachel Hass said.

Hass declined to answer any specific questions about Li’s selection or the role of women in computer science and companies like Microsoft, referring all queries to the software giant’s website. In a recent statement announcing the winners of the 10 scholarships, Microsoft Research senior research program manager Jane Prey addressed the gender gap.

“Microsoft understands the value of diversity of thought in producing high-quality research,” Prey said in the statement. “We want to be part of the solution that brings more gender diversity to the community. Enabling early-career graduate women to focus on research earlier can not only benefit them, but benefit all of us.”

Back on campus, Li said she has put a lot of thought into shrinking the gender gap in computer science. She believes that increasing the number of successful women professors and faculty could motivate younger female students to pursue degrees in the field.

“I’ve had a few wonderful [female] professors who showed me that it’s possible to succeed in this field and gain prestige,” she said.

Li, who earned her undergraduate degree in information security, has not conclusively settled on an area of study for her doctorateå. She expects to settle into a path soon, and will likely conduct research on computer architecture or information security — particularly involving mobile devices like cell phones and laptops.

Another motivation for Li is fellow graduate student Wen Xu, who will graduate from the computer science program at the end of this semester to take up a job with Microsoft. Like Li, Xu reported sometimes feeling keenly aware of the gender gap in computer science programs.

“I do feel the gender gap in the CS field,” Xu said. “I have been in two undergraduate courses at Pitt where I was the only woman there besides the instructor … I felt a little uncomfortable when attending the class.”

Still, Li and others in the computer science department said that awards like the Microsoft scholarship are a great way to introduce women to the great opportunities of complex computing.

“The computer is a mysterious and fantastic thing that has allowed us to make such incredible progress,” Li said. “I enjoy being a part of that.”