UC Davis Joins Initiative to Strengthen U.S. Science and Technology Workforce

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Advancing Women in Technology (CAWIT) announced that the University of California, Davis, has joined the Technology Pathways Initiative (TPI), which aims to increase the number of U.S. college women graduating with computing and interdisciplinary computing degrees and pathways to digital age careers.

These women are expanding and enriching the ranks of graduates with knowledge and skills to fill an estimated 1.1 million computing jobs in the U.S. by the year 2024.

UC Davis will develop a new interdisciplinary major in Quantitative Biology and improve an existing interdisciplinary Cognitive Science major, making computing education more accessible to a diverse and underrepresented population of students that includes women. 

Belle Wei, CAWIT Board Chair: "We welcome UC Davis, renowned for its biological and neural science programs, into the alliance of universities and industry partners driving TPI forward to benefit current and future generations of students who will expand the frontiers of science and technology." Dr. Wei is Carolyn Guidry Chair, Engineering Education and Innovative Learning, and former Dean, College of Engineering, San José State University.

Nina Amenta, Tim Bucher Chair and Professor of Computer Science, UC Davis:  "When we make computer technology part of a degree program that includes genomics, or brain science, students see how the technology contributes right from the start, and it becomes an integral part of the learning experience. These programs will equip graduates with a broad range of skills appropriate for today's job markets." 

Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, Dean, UC Davis College of Engineering:  "UC Davis is thrilled to be a member of the alliance of universities behind the Technology Pathways Initiative. We understand that purposeful action is required to increase the number of women in computing jobs. The interdisciplinary initiatives we undertake in partnership with CAWIT will lead to such an increase."

TPI universities include San Francisco State University, San José State University, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis. TPI university pilot programs are made possible by a $3 Million commitment from TPI industry partners including Intel Corporation, KLA-Tencor Foundation, and Salesforce, which also provide mentoring and internships for participating students.

cawit.org/universities 
cawit.org/industry-partners

Founded in 2014, CAWIT is a Silicon Valley nonprofit organization providing a collaboration platform for university, industry, and government leaders to create new pathways for advancing women in technology, from campus to career. cawit.org.

SOURCE Center for Advancing Women in Technology

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http://www.cawit.org