HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) – Michigan Technological University (MTU) on Wednesday launched a three-day conference on how computing is helping solve global challenges.
Michigan Technological University professor Linda Ott says the number of women in technology is gradually increasing.
“It’s a little bit easier when you’re in a field where there are a lot of women around you,” Ott says. “For example, in the field we use much more gender-neutral language than when I first started. We’re also more accommodating to different lifestyles and things like that.”
Ott says more women are now involved in solving technology problems.
“We’re starting to do things like design voice recognition systems that recognize all kinds of voices, not just male voices or white male voices,” Ott said.
On the first day of the Women in Tech panel, four panelists spoke about their experiences in the technology industry, Ott said. Lianna Miller is an MTU graduate who works as a sustainability manager in the technology industry.
She says the tech industry is still male-dominated, but women like her are trying to inspire other young women to change that.
“I would say things are really improving,” Miller said. “We’re seeing a lot more women professionals and a lot more women in positions of power than we’ve ever seen before. We’ve just seen better representation.”
Miller also said there are endless opportunities for high-paying computing careers for women to consider.
This showcase highlights how computing is helping address climate change adaptation, data privacy, healthcare innovation, autonomous systems, and more.
Organizers say topics for Thursday and Friday’s showcase will include research on AI and ChatGPT.
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