Purdue News
Purdue News
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September 2, 1999
Group to design technologies with women in mindWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Soon, women no longer may be able to say in frustration, "It must have been designed by a man."Purdue University students and faculty have joined forces with eight academic and industrial partners in an effort aimed at developing new technologies that are inspired by and useful to women. The partnership, headed by The Institute for Women and Technology, includes 150 students, faculty and engineers from Purdue, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Santa Clara University, Texas A&M, Hewlett-Packard Co., Xerox Corp., Sun Microsystems and Compaq. As one of the four university partners, Purdue will participate in the institute's new Virtual Development Center, an effort designed to find out what new types of technologies women need and want, and then develop solutions to match their needs. "We are very excited to be a founding partner of the Virtual Development Center," said Harry Morrision, dean of Purdue's School of Science. "Purdue leads the country in producing technologically oriented graduates. We recognize the challenge of making such careers known to, and attractive to, female students, and we hope to accomplish this by providing opportunities for women to participate in such programs." As part of this effort, Purdue will host a series of programs and pursue studies to understand the needs of women. The first event, two brainstorming sessions designed to elicit ideas from Greater Lafayette-area women and girls, will be Tuesday and Wednesday (9/7-8). Participants were selected by the Purdue project's leadership team. The program holds high promise for bringing new developments to the market and for attracting women to the field, said Barbara Clark, director of Purdue's Women in Science Programs, noting that events held earlier this year yielded ideas such as an integrated home inventory and communication system, washing machines that sense wash instructions, and a family computer for multiple, simultaneous users. The Institute for Women and Technology is a nonprofit research and advanced development organization in Palo Alto, Calif., founded and directed by computer pioneer Anita Borg to increase the number of women impacting all aspects of technology. Borg, a member of the research staff at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center, was appointed by President Clinton to the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science. Borg will discuss ways women can revolutionize the future of technology and the products it brings to market during a Brown Bag luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday (9/8) in Room G212, Civil Engineering Building. This event is open to the public, although seating is limited to 50 people.
Source: Barbara Clark, (765) 494-1771; clark@science.purdue.edu
Writer: Susan Gaidos, (765) 494-2081; susan_gaidos@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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