VIRTUAL WiSTEMM Series | When We Support a Girl | Presented by Burns & McDonnell

It’s no secret that there continues to be a lack of women in STEM fields. In the technology field, in particular, only 24% of computer scientists are women. With computer technology impacting so many aspects of our world and our daily life, this abysmally low percentage works to the detriment of us all.
To further examine this gender disparity, Ruby Rios will review the history of women in computer science that has led us to this point, as well as her own personal story as a girl growing into a STEM career, and she will offer possible solutions to help bridge the gaps in the pipeline between school and the workplace.
Her goals with this presentation are to both inspire and offer ideas for how participants can encourage girls to pursue STEM careers and to help women feel more comfortable staying in these careers. As someone who followed a unique path toward her career with a variety of interesting STEM experiences along the way, Ruby has advocated for girls for many years. She is excited to share her perspective along with research, statistics, and resources to assist you better supporting women and to serve as an example of what can happen when you support a girl.
Join us to learn:

• The history of women in computing
• A personal story of a recent graduate in computer science
• Action items for you to help support other women, particularly women in STEM

WiSTEMM Series Presented By:

Ruby Rios is a 2021 graduate of UMKC with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and minors in Business Administration and Mathematics. As a UMKC Trustee’s Scholar, she completed her degree in three years and was named the Outstanding Senior in Computer Science. Ruby has worked to create STEM-related educational opportunities for girls, including establishing local Girls Who Code clubs and co-founding KC STEMinists. She’s a volunteer with FIRST Robotics, mentoring a FIRST Lego League team and serving as Master of Ceremonies at robotics competitions. Ruby has also been a featured conference speaker at KCDC, BSidesKC, the PLTW Summit, SXSW EDU, and other events, and she has given three TEDx talks about her experiences as a student in STEM. Ruby is a national winner of the "Aspirations in Computing" award sponsored by NCWIT, one of Central Exchange's 2021 STEMMy Award winners, and in 2017 she was featured by Ink Magazine as one of Kansas City's "30 Under 30". She is currently working as a Specialist Solution Engineer with VMware.