Students
Heather Metcalf
I grew up in western Pennsylvania, where I got my BS in Applied Mathematics
and Computer Science with a minor in English from Clarion University. Next,
I pursued my interests in Computer Science and Gender Studies at the
University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I did my master's thesis in human
computer interaction (HCI). For
those of you who are unfamiliar with HCI, it is basically the
interdisciplinary study (drawing on sociology, psychology, cognitive
science, ergonomics, and more) of how to make computer interfaces more
usable. I believe
that computer science, particularly the field of HCI because of its interdisciplinarity,
is situated in a place where bridging the contentions between feminism and science is
possible. However, this takes more than just relying on typical recruitment and retention
efforts, which are often thick with stereotypes, dichotomies, and models that view diversity
as a numbers game. In an effort to shape a computer culture that welcomes difference,
at UIUC, my thesis focused on the design of computer tools to facilitate creativity in
design and how to avoid gender bias in such interfaces. I also worked with
Women in Computer
Science and ChicTech to help educate young women about computing, math, and technology while
challenging stereotypes related to people within and outside of those fields. Here at UA,
my thesis focuses on uncovering the underlying values, assumptions, models, and goals within
recruitment and retention (R&R) research, policies, and practices as well as looking at how
such R&R work influences research universities, computer science departments, and graduate
students within those departments.