Our Story

On Friday October 11, 2019, I attended an engaging and informative theater performance on unconscious and implicit bias awareness at UCI’s CalIT auditorium. This event was part of the “Squash the Biases” series. Shortly after, I had the pleasure of speaking with Gwen Kuhns Black, the Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. During our conversation, I shared several ideas regarding the creation of a woman in technology organization at UCI. I had pondered these ideas while serving on the systemwide committee for Women in Tech and was thrilled to hear her support for this vision.

During the event, I also connected with Debra Richardson, an emeritus faculty member and founding Dean of the Bren School of Information & Computer Science. A similar sense of excitement prevailed as we discussed challenges that women in technology face. These lively conversations validated the need for greater representation, advancement, and retention of women in technology at UCI. Furthermore, the discussions propelled me to take action and work toward transforming my initial ideas into tangible solutions. I continued to hone my thoughts about spearheading a UCI faculty-staff Women in Technology organization (WiT UCI). Debra joined this effort as an inaugural member of a diverse advisory board along with Max Garrick, Angela Han, Jennifer Lane, April Sather, Jason Valdry, Jennifer Wong-Ma, and Julie Youm, all of whom shared a similar passion for accelerating this vision. As the founding chair, I was honored to work with this incredible group of ambitious individuals who were eager to make a difference. WiT UCI officially launched in August 2020.

We met on a monthly basis to establish our charge, mission, values, and objectives. Shortly after launching our WiT UCI initiative, the COVID-19 pandemic ensued. Those in IT, including the WiT members,  were called to quickly shift their daily focus to support UCI’s transition to a remote environment in response to the global pandemic. Soon after, we witnessed the appalling issues of racism, injustice, and structural violence. The global movement toward diversity and inclusion galvanized us to action despite the pressures associated with major work and life changes and our momentum prevailed.  Amidst the pandemic and global uncertainties, WiT UCI took off and reaffirmed the significance and timeliness of our efforts.

Our slogan is to advance, inspire, empower, and act. WiT UCI is an organization that will work tirelessly to make a positive difference by focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion. The organization’s vision extends across all areas of technology at UCI and our goal is to initiate change that advances, inspires, and empowers women.

I am thrilled to be a part of this exceptional community and honored to be serving UCI’s mission of inclusive excellence for women and minorities in technology. I extend an immense level of gratitude to all those who have eagerly supported this effort since its conception. This journey has been made possible thanks to the participation, encouragement, and support from all those who believe in our mission and work hard to enable the success of WiT UCI.

To share your thoughts about how our initiative can generate the greatest impact at UCI, please reach out to me or via WomenInTechnology-Advisory@uci.edu.