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Information Theory Society Outreach Effort. Muriel Medard. Recapitulation.
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Information Theory Society Outreach Effort Muriel Medard
Recapitulation • At the meeting in Porto, the BoG voted to have a concerted effort from our Society aimed at enhancing women’s participation in a way that is inclusive and beneficial to all members in the Society (led by Bob Gray, Muriel Medard and all interested) • Concrete steps: • The Society approved a request for an initial $3 K from the Society for such efforts • Balancing career and family for members of our Society (planning such an event at ISIT 2008)
Community specific efforts – successful approaches • ICASSP has run a successful women’s lunch networking event for several years • Networking and communications has a successful N^2 Women (networking networking women) initiative http://www.comsoc.org/N2Women/ • Main components of success: • Events at main conferences (lunch/breakfast workshop), co-organized by a student (who is given a small travel award) and by a more senior member of the community, happening early in the conference • A mailing list with very few but useful e-mails (the event at ISIT has already been sent to the N^2 Women list) • A visible web site hosted by the relevant society
Role of women in the IT Society • Very few senior (50+) members and Fellows (counted 7 in the last 8 years, many of them not through our Society) • Limited participation in TPCs: • ISIT 2008 3/63 • ISIT 2007 6/56 (and 2/4 TPC co-chairs) • ISIT 2006 1/55 • ISIT 2005 3/58 • Better participation on BoG 3/20
Going forward • We would like to continue meetings at ISIT and some of our main events (IT Summer School, some ITWs): • organized by students/postdocs in conjunction with senior members • support from the Society for travel grants and event • emphasis on networking, mentorship development and career skills, open to all • Connect the outreach website to the IT Society website as an integral part of our Society’s services to its members