July 10, 2002

NSF Grant Supports Study on Women and IT Careers

Dr. Vouk

Dr. Mladen A. Vouk, professor of computer science and technical director of the Center for Advanced Computing and Communications at NC State, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for $500,027 to fund the project “Women and Information Technology: A Comparative Study of Young Women from Middle Grades through High School and into College.” Dr. Sarah B. Berenson, professor of mathematics education and director of the Center for Research in Math and Science Education at NC State, and Dr. Joan J. Michael, professor of psychology, are the co-principal investigators.

The purpose of this research is to address the current low participation of young women in information technology (IT) careers that require an electrical engineering, computer science or computer engineering degree. The researchers will develop and test a model of the factors associated with young women's decisions to persist in advanced mathematics and computer science courses so as to prepare themselves for, or help them make a decision to enter into, an IT career.

The project will run from August 15, 2002, through July 31, 2005.

Vouk and Berenson are currently completing the Girls on Track (GoT) project, which is a joint effort among NC State, Meredith College, Wake County Public Schools and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The new project will continue the data collection and analyses begun in the GoT project.

Vouk's research interests include software engineering, scientific computing, computer-based education and high-speed networks, and he is a senior technical advisor to the vice-provost for Information Technology at NC State. He received his B.S. in physics and his Ph.D. in solid state physics and scientific computing from the University of London, Kings College, in 1972 and 1976, respectively.

-- rudd --

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