Celebrating the Amazing Women of NOVA

Today’s topic is Women’s History Month.

One of the central goals of Women’s History Month is to celebrate the contributions and recognize the achievements of women, so I thought I would look at women’s achievements in higher education.

In the 1960s, about 40% of all U.S. college students were women; today, women make up the majority of U.S. college students: over 59% of all undergraduate enrollment and 58% of all community college students. (Hence, the national discussion about the “missing males” in higher education.) At NOVA, the margin of difference between enrollment by women and men is smaller — only about two points. And by a similarly small majority, women have outnumbered men among NOVA graduates in recent years. This near parity is a positive sign and reflects decades of work to increase women’s access to and success in higher education.

But a look beyond these numbers suggests that, though women are enrolling and graduating in higher numbers than men, women’s degree pathways are not always mapped to economic opportunity. 

For example, we know that Northern Virginia, home to Amazon HQ2 and so many other IT companies, is a technology hub. Yet, according to OSI data, in 2020, only 19% of engineering grads, 26% of IT grads and 17% of computer science grads were women. To be sure, these data reflect national trends: women constitute 16% of CIS bachelor’s graduates and 21% of engineering/engineering tech graduates. But they also reflect a disconnect from a high-wage, tech-driven economy in which growth is significant. (The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts jobs in tech-related industries to outpace most sectors other than healthcare.)

One of NOVA’s goals for Inspiring Excellence is increasing the number of students who earn credentials in the highest-earning pathways, and this year’s Women’s History Month offers a wonderful opportunity to highlight the stories of amazing women in tech. From Ada Lovelace to Annie Easley, Mary Golda Ross to Radia Perlman, and amazing NOVA colleagues like Paula Ford, Shelly Ryan and so many outstanding faculty and staff, our students can see themselves represented in discoveries, innovations, research, teaching and leadership in tech pathways. 

Alisha Ramos, a tech/media entrepreneur who began her career in visual, interactive and mobile app design, once observed, “It’s not enough to be aware of the possibilities. You have to believe that your goals are attainable. First, can you see yourself, picture yourself as an engineer? I strongly believe that belief in yourself stems from belief in your role models.”

I thank all the amazing role models at NOVA who are encouraging women students to find their paths in tech and everyone at our College who helps all of our students believe in themselves and their dreams. Your accomplishments and mentoring are helping NOVA students see themselves in futures shaped by previously unimaginable goals. Years from now, many will be the scientists and technologists we hold up during Women’s History Month and every month as models to follow.