The Inaugural Women in Tech Symposium:
Recognizing Leaders, Inspiring the Next Generation

Gender diversity among leadership teams and the broader workforce offers demonstrated advantages for innovative thinking, job satisfaction, and corporate bottom lines. Yet the percentage of women in computing jobs has actually declined over the last 25 years, and now stands at roughly 25% in both industry and academia.

Causes for this gap remain unclear. Tech companies and other employers have tried offering flexible work hours and generous family leave; some universities allow women to stop the tenure clock to care for young children.

Are such policies sufficient to bring women into parity with men, both in numbers and in pay, or are other nuances hindering full participation of women in the tech workforce? What incentives have inspired those women who have persisted in these fields? And what unique perspectives do women bring to a range of domains that make technology solutions more creative, robust, and equitable?

At this public event, leaders and champions of women in technology will offer their thoughts on challenges to achieving gender diversity at all organizational levels of industry, academia, and the public sector. We will also present the first CITRIS Athena Awards, to honor inspiring women and organizations making outstanding technical contributions and supporting the next generation of women and girls.