Recent News

Co-Chairs Joint End of Year Message and Holiday Greetings!

Celebrating Milestones and Gratitude: ACM-W’s Remarkable 2024 Journey

As we say goodbye to 2024,  we want to take this moment to reflect on the remarkable journey we’ve shared.  We want to show our deep gratitude for the leadership and vision of our past chair, Ruth Lennon. Thank you, Ruth, for all your work to keep inspiring and encouraging women in computing! We will carry the torch you have passed on to us and continue supporting women in our field. We would also like to thank Jodi Tims for her continued mentorship and  guidance. Both of your dedication and guidance continue to inspire us immensely and have been the foundation of our committee’s success.

It’s wonderful to reflect on the past year and see how far we’ve come. This year has been full of significant achievements, including welcoming new members to our groups, working committees, and standing committees.  Our community has grown in strength and numbers thanks to your unwavering commitment and passion. Together, we’ve celebrated numerous milestones:

Book – Rendering History: The Women of ACM-W

This year, ACM-W’s 30th anniversary is celebrated with the publishing of Rendering History: The Women of ACM-W, a book edited by Gloria Childress Townsend, a dedicated member of the ACM Women’s Council for 17 years, covering the evolution of ACM-W. Rendering History is more than just a historical account; it is also a collection of personal stories of the women of ACM-W that capture the essence of ACM-W’s journey.  Through their stories, we see their motivations, challenges, and triumphs as they worked to transform the computing world for women and young girls.

Regional Activities and Celebrations

Our regional committees are the heart and soul of our mission, driving our efforts forward and embodying the spirit of ACM-W in every corner of the world. Over the past months, ACM-W around the globe have been celebrating the achievements of women in different regions. ACM-W North America, ACM-W Europe and ACM-W India have shown the incredible work women are doing in computing and have helped bring our global community closer together. Celebrations, grand cohorts, chapter summits, hackathons, virtual talks, and more are just a few of the activities organized by our regions. We’d like to thank the chairs—Lindsay Jamieson (ACM-W North America Chair), Dorota Filipczuk (ACM-W Europe Chair), and Rutvi Shah  (ACM-W India Chair)—for making this possible and for continuing to inspire people through the events they organize.

Our Regional Activities Committee Chairs, Arati Dixit and Nutan Limaye, have been working hard to expand ACM-W and increase its worldwide visibility.  We are working closely with the committees to develop a new guideline for ACM-W Celebrations. This guideline aims to make organizing events more practical and efficient while enhancing ACM-W’s visibility and impact globally. With the help of Arati and Nutan, we will soon be launching extensive ACM-W activities in the Asia Pacific Region as well. 

Rekindled ACM-W Professional Chapters Committee

The ACM-W Professional Chapters initiative has been reinvigorated with a new committee led by Chair Bettina Bair. Members include Wendy Chen, Laura Dillon, and Asegul Hulus, who bring diverse expertise to enhance ACM-W’s mission of supporting women in computing. The committee aims to establish best practices for professional chapters, foster global collaboration, and encourage professional development. This team is committed to creating impactful opportunities and resources for ACM-W members worldwide. 

Scholarship

We believe that our scholarship program, which supports undergraduate and graduate students in computer science to attend leading research conferences, plays an important role in encouraging more women to enter the field. These scholarships not only provide financial assistance but also create opportunities for students to connect with experts, present their work, and be inspired by role models. This year’s scholarship recipients came from many different regions, as shown on the map, highlighting our commitment to supporting students from around the world in computer science research. If you’re interested in applying in the future, please keep an eye on our website for upcoming opportunities. Congratulations once again to our 2024 scholarship winners!

Figure 1. Global Reach of Our 2024 Scholarship Recipients

Volunteers

We care about our volunteers a lot because each of you brings unique skills, ideas, and passion that help us create extraordinary events, build strong communities, and inspire the next generation of women in computing. We truly appreciate your contributions to this journey. We’re always excited to welcome new volunteers into our family. Volunteering isn’t just about helping others; it’s also about being part of a supportive community where you can learn, connect, and make lifelong friends.  If you’re passionate about empowering women in computing, we’d love for you to join us. Please reach out to us at <[email protected]>

As we step into 2025, we want to thank each of you from the bottom of our hearts. A big thank you to our executive committee members: Chunlei Tang (Treasurer), My T. Thai (Standing Committees Chair), Çiğdem Şengül and Adriana Wilde (Communications Committee co-Chairs), Arati Dixit and Nutan Limaye (Regional Activities Committee co-Chairs) for all the incredible work they have been doing. The success of ACM-W wouldn’t be possible without their dedication and efforts. Your passion, hard work, and strength inspire us every day. Together, we will continue to make our mark in the world of computing. May the upcoming year offer us all grace, resilience, new adventures, and endless reasons to smile, dream, and grow. Happy New Year to our lovely ACM-W family! 

Rukiye Altin & Bushra Anjum

ACM-W Global Co-Chairs

Our Mission

ACM-W’s core mission is to celebrate, inform, and support women in computing.

Corporate Supporters

We are very grateful for the support and generosity of our corporate sponsors. At present, ACM-W has funding from Oracle (through Oracle Academy), Microsoft Research, and Google for our scholarships, from Two Sigma for the Athena Lecturer Award, and continuing support from Microsoft Research for the celebrations and for community college-related activities.