Carol Frieze facts for kids
Carol Frieze is a special person who works at Carnegie Mellon University. She helps make sure that computer science is a welcoming place for everyone, especially women. She leads two important groups called Women@SCS and SCS4ALL.
Carol Frieze also helped write a book about how Carnegie Mellon successfully brought more women into computer science. In fact, in 2018, half of the new students studying computer science there were women! Because of her amazing work, she has received awards like the A. Nico Habermann Award.
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Her Journey in Computer Science
Carol Frieze first studied English literature at the University of London. Later, she moved to Carnegie Mellon University to study cultural studies. She earned her Ph.D. there, focusing on how culture and environment help women join computer science. Her research showed how important it is to create a supportive place for everyone.
Before working in the School of Computer Science, she taught in England and at Carnegie Mellon. Now, she focuses on making computer science fair and open.
Helping Women in Tech
One of the main groups Carol Frieze leads is Women@SCS. This group works to make sure women have the same chances as men in computer science. This includes opportunities for making friends, finding mentors, and getting professional help.
She also works on a program called BiasBusters@CMU. This program helps people understand and reduce "unconscious bias." Unconscious bias is when we have hidden feelings or ideas about people without even realizing it. This program helps make the campus a fairer place for everyone.
Sharing Her Knowledge
Carol Frieze co-wrote a book with Jeria Quesenberry called Kicking Butt in Computer Science: Women in Computing at Carnegie Mellon University. This book, published in 2015, shares the secrets of Carnegie Mellon's success.
The book explains that the university didn't just change its computer science classes. Instead, it focused on changing the culture of computing. This means making the environment more friendly and supportive for women, which helped attract and keep more female students.
Awards and Achievements
In 2017, Carol Frieze received the A. Nico Habermann Award from the Computing Research Association. This award is a big honor!
She was recognized for working for almost 20 years to make computing more diverse and welcoming. The award also praised her important research. Her efforts helped increase the number of women studying computer science at Carnegie Mellon to nearly 50%, which is much higher than the national average.
About Carol Frieze
Carol Frieze grew up in a small village in England where people worked in coal mines. She was the first person in her family to go to college, which is a great achievement! She is married to a mathematician named Alan M. Frieze. They have two grown-up children and four grandchildren.
