Universidad Mayor de Santiago to host ChileWiC 2024, the most important event for women in computing in the country
October, 2024.- "There is a need to broaden women's access to technology and challenge the patriarchal history of science and technology, which has viewed these disciplines as inherently male."
This is the vision that drove Thelma Estrin, an American computer scientist who pioneered the application of computer technology in the fields of health and medicine, and who, throughout her life, actively promoted the participation of women in computing.
It is precisely because of her key role and influence in the fight for gender equity in STEM that the Chile Women in Computing Meeting ChileWiC 2024 will honor Thelma Estrin in its twelfth version, to be held this year in Santiago.
XII ChileWiC 2024 will be held on Friday, November 29 at the Universidad Mayor, in the Manuel Montt Auditorium of this university, located at Manuel Montt, 367, Providencia.
For regular information about the program, dates and other topics, we invite you to follow ChileWiC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chile.wic
As every year, the meeting will feature a competition segment for students, plus presentations and forums with academics, professionals and innovators in the field of technology. Apply to participate in the student competition at this link until October 11.
ChileWiC is organized by academics from various universities in Chile, including the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Universidad de Los Andes, Universidad de la Frontera, Universidad Mayor, and Universidad Autónoma de Chile. The event is also supported by NIC Chile, the Instituto de Sistemas Complejos de Ingeniería (ISCI), the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial (Cenia) and the Millennium Institute Foundational Research on Data (IMFD).
Thelma Estrin: A computer science pioneer and advocate for women in STEM
Thelma Estrin, born in 1924, left an indelible mark both in biomedical engineering and computing applied to medicine, and in the promotion of gender equality in these fields.
Estrin began her career at a time when women were a rarity in engineering. After earning her Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1951, she joined her husband in creating Israel's first supercomputer, the WEIZAC, in 1954. Later, at UCLA, she headed the data processing laboratory of the Brain Research Institute, where she revolutionized the application of computer science in the medical field and neuroscience, with major advances in the digitization of brain signals.
(Thelma Estrin teaching. Source: Courtesy Engineering and Technology History Wiki)
In the 1970s, Thelma realized that women in engineering and science were a minority in scientific workspaces and conferences, becoming an active advocate for women in STEM. In 1982, she was the first woman elected as vice president of the prestigious Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and founded multiple programs at UCLA to discuss the challenges facing women in these areas. Estrin strongly believed that women could excel as well as men in technical fields, and she organized workshops and conferences to encourage the inclusion of women in the sciences.
Her legacy is preserved through awards such as the Grace Hopper Conference's Pioneer in Computing Award, and her work continues to be a beacon of inspiration for women around the world.
Estrin's famous quote: "Talent is not gendered," a principle that guided her work to break down gender barriers in technology.
To learn more about Thelma Estrin, we recommend the following links:
Source: ChileWiC