UMD Women in Tech Gather at 2024 Grace Hopper Celebration
University of Maryland (UMD) alumni, students, faculty, and staff converged at the 2024 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC), the world’s largest conference for women and nonbinary technologists. The event underscored UMD’s significant strides in fostering a thriving community for women in technology.
Over the past decade, UMD has witnessed a remarkable surge in undergraduate women pursuing computing majors, growing from under 100 to over 2,400. This growth extends to the graduate level, with women now comprising 38% of graduate students in computing programs. This burgeoning student community has fueled a robust network of UMD women, providing them with invaluable opportunities for connection and collaboration.
in October 2024, the UMD community of alumni and students gathered for the “Terps in Tech” event, hosted at Mindspace Wanamaker, to network and share experiences. This event was a highlight of the GHC, which showcases the research and career interests of women in the field.
The Department of Computer Science has been a long-time supporter of students attending GHC, providing financial assistance for the past 20 years.
Jenny Corzo (B.S. ’21, computer science), now a software engineer at Bank of America, shared her positive experience attending the conference. “I attended GHC as a student in 2019 and 2020 with the support of the Maryland Center for Women in Computing and am so grateful to have had that opportunity,” she said. “I was introduced to a world of amazing, inspirational women and leaders in STEM and was inspired to follow in their footsteps.”
The Terps in Tech event, held on October 9th, drew sixty-two attendees who participated a networking session with UMD alums. The event was organized by the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences; College of Information; A. James Clark School of Engineering; Department of Computer Science; the Alumni Association; and the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing (I4C).
Kate Atchison, Associate Director of I4C, expressed her enthusiasm for the event, stating, “We had such a special evening chatting and celebrating how far we’ve come as a university in supporting our women in computing majors, but we also highlighted the potential for growth. I firmly believe that if we continue to invest in and build up our inclusive computing community at UMD, there will be a ripple effect in the tech industry.”
The event commenced with opening remarks from Atchison, Computer Science Department Chair Matthias Zwicker, and senior information science major Ume Habiba. Habiba also spoke at a GHC session earlier that day. With a background in software engineering at renowned companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, JP Morgan, and Estee Lauder, Habiba is actively working to address the gender gap in tech. Her influence extends across social media, where she has over 80,000 followers. Her contributions have garnered recognition from Forbes and Business Insider.
Nandini Ramachandran, a junior computer science major, was inspired by Habiba’s engaging and insightful presentation. “I loved listening to Ume speak; she was so inspiring and engaging,” she said. “Her journey navigating the tech world resonated with my experiences.”
Throughout the evening, attendees had the opportunity to network with one another. The event proved especially valuable for computing students nearing graduation. Junior computer science major Ayomiposi Ajayi noted the importance of connecting with alumni. “Talking to alums who are women in tech is important at this point in my career because I am in a stage where I need to make big decisions for my post-grad career and academic path,” she said. “Hearing about their decisions and what made them make such decisions helped open my eyes to the different opportunities out there, as well as how I can access them.”
The closing remarks encouraged attendees to remain connected with I4C and the Alumni Association, advocating sustained involvement in support of I4C’s mission. Corzo emphasized the significance of support: “It’s so important to have a safe space to ask questions and learn from the strong women who have come before us,” she said. “While the number of women in the tech industry is growing, we still often face added pressures to perform and act in certain ways, constantly having to prove our worth in the field. Because of this, my goal is to serve as a role model for those who follow in my footsteps so that we can continue to grow the number of women in the technology industry.”
