Burge Discusses Women in Tech

Janet Burge, associate professor of computer science, spoke to the news site Silicon Angle about the tech industry’s dismal record of employing women. According to the article, the problem starts early on, with too few women choosing to pursue STEM fields in college. Burge says this is due, in part, to a lack of confidence.

“One of my best students stopped by my office early last year to chat,” she said. “I suggested she apply to Google but she never did; she just didn’t feel confident enough in her skills for the interview and took a job elsewhere, never applying to Google at all even though she felt it was her ‘dream company.’” Burge added that the student, “wasn’t just my best female student in the class she took from me — she was the best student of all of them, by far!”

Burge also expressed concern that publicity around big tech companies’ lack of gender diversity might further discourage young women from pursuing tech careers.