August 2021 marked Women in Technology’s first anniversary-the very start of our journey to initiate change that advances, inspires, and empowers women across all areas of technology at UCI. Since our official launch, we have worked tirelessly as a team to carry out our mission and have been met with immense positivity and support from our campus community. Two of the WiT@UCI Advisory Board’s key accomplishments were our February 24, 2021 Allyship that Makes an Impact event and the launch of the Applause program.
Our Allyship that Makes an Impact event with guest speaker Karen Catlin received 447 invites and 331 attendees, kickstarting important discussions on how allies can support minorities and women in technology. These conversations inspired the development of the Better Allies Book Club, a program sponsored by the Office of Information Technology (OIT) to practice and support the creation of an inclusive workplace through everyday actions.
While we bring awareness to gender inequalities surrounding women in technology, it is equally important to bring recognition to agents of change. In Spring 2021, we launched Applause, an annual peer recognition program spotlighting women who are building a culture of inclusion, equity, and empowerment in their workplace.
During this past year, we have been able to make remarkable progress shedding light on the inequalities working women have and continue to experience. The impact our organization holds is one we do not take lightly, and we will continue to use our platform to create the inclusive and diverse workplace that women deserve.
In everything we do, it is crucial that our ideas align with our mission, vision, and objectives. This is only the beginning of our journey, and as we navigate through uncharted territory, we strive for constant improvement. If you are embarking on a similar journey to create an impact, WiT @ UCI can provide a few lessons around building an organizational structure. It is important to understand how your group fits into the overall university structure as it will determine connections with key stakeholders, an advisory board, campus strategic partners, and executive sponsorships. When creating a leadership structure or advisory board, maintain a focus on diversity within gender, campus departments, faculty/staff/student status’, and roles.
For those who visited our website, joined our mailing list, attended any of our events, or watched our recordings, thank you for being a part of WiT @ UCI’s journey over this past year. We could not have done it without your support of our mission to advance, inspire, empower, and act. For those interested in participating, it is never too late to support our cause by joining our mailing list to be notified of helpful resources and access to our future events.
I asked the inaugural members to share their reflections and salute this brave group of change makers who helped create UCI’s first Women in Tech Affinity Group:
- “I joined WiT because I wanted to be a better ally. Over the past year I’ve learned from our speakers and the community about the challenges women face in IT — and the important role that ‘men in technology’ play in advancing, inspiring, and empowering women. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to serve on the WiT Advisory Board and watch it grow into the diverse and supportive community that it is today.“-Max Garrick, Assistant Director, Executive Applications
- “As a woman in an IT field, I have often felt alone in my struggles and challenges. WIT has created a supportive and inspiring community with an overarching goal of removing this feeling. As an advisory board member, it has been an inspirational experience to work together to build, support, and advocate for women peers.” – Jennifer Wong-Ma, Associate Professor of Teaching
- “What excites me most about being part of WIT@UCI is its action-orientation. Being part of a team focused on tackling an enduring challenge in innovative ways inspires and energizes me. I look forward to witnessing the impact that WIT@UCI, and its growing community, make in the years ahead.” -April Sather, Assistant Chief Information Security Officer
- “It’s nice to finally have a group where I’m the majority rather than the minority! I did not want to become part of another group where it was all men, or women, so I’m encouraged that our group started off with a good balance of people on the leadership team. This gives me hope that we can make a difference for future generations to come.“ –Jennifer Lane, Director of Computing
- “It has been amazing to be part of a group that recognizes the challenges around gender inequity in our field and also takes the actions to drive change. I recognize that change does not happen overnight, but the support from WIT makes me feel confident that the needle will move.“ –Julie Youm, Assistant Dean, Education Compliance and Quality; Director, Educational Technology
We believe that as our program develops and grows, our cause will continue to make a difference on the campus despite the circumstances we have faced from the Covid-19 health crises, political and racial divides, and the uncertainties of the pandemic affecting many lives, especially women and underrepresented minorities. I am so proud of what our team has been able to accomplish over this past year, and I look forward to seeing WiT@UCI create an even greater impact in the upcoming years.
Shohreh Bozorgmehri
Women in Technology @ UCI