At the University of Washington, diversity, equity, and inclusion are many of the defining values that allow students to form deeper connections and relationships. The University of Washington’s School of Information is just one of the advocates for diversity and inclusion, creating an environment that fosters appreciation, mutual respect, and engagement. Through the form of events, organization, and research, the iSchool combats expressions of racism, sexism, ableism, and instances of bias against marginalized groups. One such registered student organization, Women in Informatics (WINFO), strives to empower women to drive change and innovation in the technology industry, combating the inherent misogyny present in the field.
This past week, I had the opportunity to speak with WINFO’s Co-Presidents, Melina Perraut and Roshni Srikanth, to learn more about the organization, what they stand for, and how they’re empowering women in Informatics.
Why was WINFO founded at UW? What do you stand for?
“Women in Informatics (WINFO) was founded in 2012 by a group of women in the University of Washington Informatics program. Their aim was to attract and inspire female students in the tech industry to connect with each other and lead others to achieve and aspire. However, since then, we have grown. Our organization is dedicated to empowering women and other minority groups to thrive as producers of technology, as well as to help build a sense of community within the iSchool population. We establish and maintain a network of women and minorities that offer encouragement, support, and ongoing knowledge that promotes success, both academically and professionally. As an RSO, we aim to attract and inspire everyone to explore opportunities in information technology, to connect them with others of passion in the realm of technology, and to utilize unique perspectives to lead technological innovation.”
Why do you think it’s important to empower women in Informatics, specifically?
“Many of the core values of the iSchool center around the idea of equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Unfortunately, stereotypes and prejudices about underrepresented populations still exist within the larger tech world. As the only undergraduate diversity organization within the iSchool, we believe that it is our duty to combat these stereotypes and build a more supportive iSchool community by supporting historically underrepresented groups within the tech field. Our goal is to help everyone feel more connected to their iSchool community and more confident as technology professionals.”
What are some initiatives WINFO has taken to help women thrive in the industry?
“As an RSO, WINFO has a number of events aimed to help women and minorities thrive in the tech industry. We focus our events on students at a variety of levels, including those for high school students, like the Fearless, Tech More hackathon, and Hack for Social Good. By hosting these events, we hope to encourage more students to apply to the iSchool, and give them an interest in technology, which they may not have been exposed to before. At the college level, we are incredibly proud of hosting the annual WINFO hackathon for students who are interested in starting their tech journey. This hackathon is meant to introduce UW students to hackathons and give them the confidence to participate in more hackathons in the future. Aside from these hackathons, we also hold a variety of events, both to build community in the iSchool, and to help iSchool students build their professional skills and networks. Some examples of these events include industry panels from WINFO alum, LinkedIn photoshoots, and resume workshops!”
How can students at the UW get more involved with WINFO?
“The best way to get involved with WINFO is to come to our events! We post our events on Instagram and on Facebook. Our events are open to everyone, and we would love to see you all there!”
What are your hopes for the future of WINFO?
“Ultimately, we hope for WINFO to continue the legacy of supporting and enabling underrepresented minorities in tech to thrive during their college career and beyond. As Co-Presidents who have been part of WINFO throughout our college careers, we have seen this organization and the entire iSchool grow rapidly to support an ever-expanding student body. WINFO has been an integral part of our college journey both personally and professionally, providing us with a sense of community and support as well as leaders to look up to. We hope to see the next generation of WINFO officers build on our successes and learn from our setbacks to reach more people!”
What advice to you have for young women who may be considering a career in the tech industry?
“For anyone who is considering a career in the tech industry, the advice we have would be to trust yourself and ask for help! Feeling imposter syndrome as a minority in tech is incredibly common, but you need to trust in yourself and build confidence in your own skills. There are a lot of people who are willing to support you, all you have to do is ask!”
If you’re a student at the University of Washington looking to learn more about what it means to be a woman in Informatics, you can support their Instagram (@uwwinfo) and learn more about the organization on their website!