Pace University's School of Computer Science and Information Systems partners with GE Capital to create new initiative to empower young women to pursue STEMC education and professions

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Societal and cultural shifts and strong support systems and resources are necessary to increase women's participation in STEMC education and careers.

With support from GE Capital, Pace University's Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems is working to overcome longstanding gender disparities in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computing, through a new initiative called Women in Technology @ Pace (WIT@Pace). To facilitate a strong start to this initiative, in the 2015-2016 academic year, the Seidenberg School is introducing STEMC to high school girls and other underserved and underrepresented populations in Westchester County.   

"The Seidenberg School has consistently advanced and supported STEMC education for women and minorities since its inception," said Susan Merritt, Ph.D., Founding Dean of the School. "We continue to encourage awareness and increase access for women and minorities in technology through new programs and activities in computer literacy."

For the Fall 2015 semester, WIT@Pace is proud to launch the STEM Women Achieve Greatness (SWAG) program for high school girls, which will run from October 3 to December 12. SWAG is tuition-free and will provide a pre-college experience utilizing academic and hands-on application of the technology and computing disciplines. The program is designed for female students in their sophomore or junior years, who are seeking to learn more about the technology and computing fields. SWAG participants will meet on nine Saturdays for three-hour morning sessions on Pace's Pleasantville campus.

Approximately thirty high school girls will be actively engaged with Pace faculty through instruction and hands-on applications around central themes of creative design and problem solving through computing and technology tools. Sessions will empower participants to work in teams and develop digital solutions to a given set of challenges, ranging from solving everyday needs to strategizing inventive solutions in new areas. Participants will sharpen their STEMC skill set in a series of exercises, from fashion accessories that maximize usability and security to devising underwater robotic innovations that apply engineering concepts, data logging and analysis, and technical trends. To showcase the achievement of SWAG participants and raise community support for STEMC education, Pace will host a STEMC Awareness Day on December 12, the last day of the program in Pleasantville, that is free and open to the public.

"GE Capital is proud to partner with the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems on the important initiative of improving the access of young women to STEMC academic studies and careers," said Thomas Gentile, President and COO of GE Capital. "Seidenberg has been a leader in promoting STEMC studies, and this partnership will help pave the way for future leaders to enter these important fields."

Visit Pace's Women in Technology website: http://www.pace.edu/seidenberg/wit.

Contact: Nancy Treuer, Program Coordinator, Phone: 914-773-3542, Email: [email protected].

About Pace University: Since 1906, Pace University has educated thinking professionals by providing high quality education for the professions on a firm base of liberal learning amid the advantages of the New York metropolitan area. A private university, Pace has campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York, enrolling nearly 13,000 students in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in its Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Lubin School of Business, College of Health Professions, School of Education, School of Law, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. Visit www.pace.edu.

SOURCE Pace University

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http://www.pace.edu

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