Microsoft funds center for women in engineering

by Karen Skolfield, special to the Chronicle

he College of Engineering will open and dedicate the Microsoft Center for Women in Engineering and Science on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. in 34 Marston Hall.

     The center is funded with a $38,000 gift from Microsoft Corporation.

     "Microsoft recognizes the role corporate America needs to play in addressing the under-representation of women in engineering and science," said Vanessa Rivera, dean of Student Affairs for the college and director of the Wo-men in Engineering Program. "The center is testimony to this effort."

     Women make up just a fraction of the workforce in technical fields, said Rivera. "The number of women in engineering and the sciences at UMass is improving, and having this room is a signifier of the University's dedication to increasing its percentage of female students," she added.

     Scott Williams, program manager of university relations for Microsoft Research, said "We are excited by the prospect that women interested in technology will have a gathering place at UMass."

     The multipurpose room, renovated through matching funds from the College of Engineering, will be used for tutoring, meetings, and lectures, and includes five computer stations, a lounge area, and a professional development library. "The first meetings have been scheduled, and we're busy hiring tutors," Rivera said. "The students are working on the center; they're very excited about it."