About Women in Computer Science

group photo of conference attendees, in front of a sign that reads Grace Hopper Celebration

Women in Computer Science (WiCS) is dedicated to promoting gender equity in computing by advocating for and supporting women, trans, gender-fluid, gender-queer, and non-binary students enrolled in computer science and related computing programs at the University of Waterloo.

WiCS initiatives and events foster community, empowerment, and mentorship. Specifically, WiCS:

  • provides forums for discussing issues of diversity and inclusion in computing
  • promotes an inclusive teaching and working environment
  • promotes networking and mentorship among women students 
  • organizes workshops and events (some technical, some professional development, some just for fun!) to enhance skills and build community

WiCS Committee 

group of five people is a semicircle, smiling at the camera with their arms extended into the middle flexing

WiCS is a committee of faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduates drawn from the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science. The committee works to build an environment in the School of Computer Science where women are supported in their work and studies. Its initiatives aim to ensure that young women entering university see computer science as an option and to reduce gender-based obstacles to women’s success in their studies and their careers.

The members of the 2022-2023 Committee are:

  • Jo Atlee (Director)
  • Stacey Watson (Co-chair)
  • Tammy Vucicevich (Financial Co-ordinator)
  • Hillary Matt (Outreach Coordinator)
  • Lori Case
  • Prabhakar Ragde
  • Jeff Avery
  • Zille Huma Kamal
  • Xie He
  • Mina Tahmasbi Arashioo
  • Nancy Day

WiCS Undergraduate Committee

WiCS has a very active undergraduate committee (warmly called "Little WiCS") that is student-run. They offer a number of events throughout the year, including the Big CSters Mentoring program, technical workshops, a speaker series, and panels and discussions about diversity in computer science and STEM.

Visit the Little WiCS office in MC 3029, or click here to visit the Little WiCS website.