TCU students reshape the narrative for aspiring female technologists

By Ella Schamberger, Staff Writer

Published Mar 3, 2024

Guest speakers at the Fall in Love with Tech event. (Ella Schamberger/Staff Writer)

In the heart of TCU, women break through traditional barriers in the realm of computer science.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, 82 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer and information science majors. Out of these 82 students, 78% were male and only 22% were female. While TCU’s computer science department is witnessing a rise in female students, there still remains a dominant presence of men in the major.

Women in computer science

TCU provides a wide range of clubs dedicated to women in technology. These include Women in Science and Engineering, Society of Women Engineers, Women in Computer Science and Association of Computing Machinery.

Students attending the Fall in Love with Tech event hosted by ACM and WICS (Photo courtesy of Aliya Suri)

On Feb. 7, TCU Women in Computer Science hosted a panel of successful females who shared their journeys in the technology industry.

The guest speakers included software engineer Gretel Rajamoney, network operation center technician Ayomide Ayowole-Obi, information security project manager Katie Barsch and deputy city manager Krishna Namburi.

These women shared their advice on navigating through this competitive business with current TCU students. In addition, they recalled personal barriers they faced as the minority in the industry.

Words of Wisdom

Namburi recounted her experiences as an engineering student. She attended school in India with 7,000 boys. She was one of only 100 girls.

“It kind of taught me how to fight for some things and how to handle some of the things you face every day as a woman,” she said.

Namburi, who fell in love with programming in 1995, inspired students at the presentation with her extensive background in information technology. Although she faced hardships in the industry, she created a successful path for herself.

Aliya Suri, a junior computer science major who previously served as secretary of Women in Computer Science club, now serves as the club president. She underscored the importance of creating an environment where all students, irrespective of gender, can excel in computer science.

“It seems to be a habit that women shy away from a computer science major because of it being male dominated,” Suri said. “But for me, to be in charge of a club that can help support these women and empower them to do great things is an awesome thing.”

Suri worked closely with Association of Computing Machinery club to bring the guest speakers to TCU in hopes of inspiring computer science majors.