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Diversifying the D.C. Region’s Tech Ecosystem
The Arlington Campus is growing to accommodate new research and teaching with the School of Computing. Photo by Ron Aira
George Mason University received a grant from Break Through Tech to propel more students who identify as women, transgender, and nonbinary into tech education—and ultimately tech careers—through curriculum innovation, career access, and community building. The goal of the grant is to increase the number of these students graduating with a Mason tech degree 12.5 percent by 2026. “Computer science is a growing and lucrative field, yet less than 20 percent of computer science degrees in this country are awarded to women,” Mason president Gregory Washington says. “George Mason is the largest producer of tech talent in Virginia, and this partnership with Break Through Tech will provide additional opportunities for women to excel in computer science, broadening the capabilities of the digital workforce.” George Mason University and the University of Maryland, College Park, will be joining Break Through Tech as it expands from its hubs in New York City and Chicago to Washington, D.C. This expansion was made possible through the Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities initiative. Mason’s Break Through Tech program will be administered by the College of Engineering and Computing, the School of Computing, and the departments of Computer Science and Information Sciences and Technology. Mason’s Break Through Tech program includes A summer program for rising freshmen designed to ignite interest in tech by teaching them how to code real-world applications that are mission-driven;
A new, innovative introductory sequence of computing courses; A paid, three-week mini-internship program called a Sprinternship® that gives freshmen and sophomores a resume credential and real-world experience to make them more competitive when applying for a paid summer tech internship; and The development of a networked cohort of individuals who identify as women and nonbinary—both peer-to-peer and student-to-professional—in the Washington, D.C., area to support, engage, and motivate one another. Huzefa Rangwala, professor in the Department of Computer Science and principal investigator for the grant, says, “Using data analytics to ensure college student success has been the cornerstone of my research for the past six years. I am thrilled to collaborate on this grant with several colleagues at Mason to narrow the gender gap in computing by innovating across the curriculum, establishing career pathways, and building an inclusive environment.”
—Martha Bushong
