In honor of Women’s History Month, the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) has pulled together a list of resources for empowering women in technology, including on-campus groups, nationwide organizations and books that focus on women in STEM. We also highlight current leaders in tech and introduce you to some faculty members leading the way in expanding ICS education.

The realms of the liberal arts and sciences are often thought of as being at odds with one another, but the truth is that we need and use both disciplines every day. Take it from Joseph Wong, a fourth-year UCI student studying computer science and violin performance.

“I’m originally from the Bay Area, and I went to a STEM-focused high school. I took two programming classes in high school (an Intro to Java class and AP [Computer Science A]), and I really enjoyed both of those courses,” says Wong, who was admitted to UCI as a computer science major.

The short BuzzFeed documentary “My Unlikely Path to Becoming the 1% at Google” opens with Anthony Mays lamenting that “fear is the chief export of Compton.” Mays, who moved to Compton at age 4 and spent time in foster care before a couple he knew took in him and his two brothers, views Compton as a “rose bush of beauty and pain.” He talks of struggle but also resilience, and while many of his peers felt that “sports, rap music or drugs” were their only options, Mays exemplified a different path.

If you think STEM majors are awkward and geeky, just wait until you hear the stories that Arroyo Vista resident advisor and fifth-year computer science major Alex Meng has to tell about her residents who love filmography and knitting.

“My residents are great — they’re really lively people,” says Meng. “It’s interesting to see how one major connects people even though they are different in so many ways. Seeing that spectrum of people is the best part [of being a resident advisor].”

Last year, in honor of Black History Month, the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) highlighted pioneers in science and technology (see Part I and Part II of the post). This year, we’ve pulled together a list of resources, including on-campus groups here at UCI. We also list some nationwide organizations and books that focus on diversity and race in technology, as well as spotlight some Black leaders in computer science and engineering, both on and off campus.

ICS Professors Daniel Epstein, Mohsen Imani and Tianchen Qian discuss their research and the technological developments they expect in the coming year.

The new year starts with healthcare front and center, as COVID-19 continues to impact people’s daily lives. Throughout the pandemic, the fields of computer science, informatics and statistics have all played an important role in helping people move their lives online, stay connected, and analyze vast amounts of data for informed decision making. How will these fields continue to advance virtual and augmented spaces, find new ways to bring people together, and improve healthcare analytics and interventions in the coming year?