This is an interview conducted by one of our Writers, Lily Sun. She interviewed Vanessa Chen, a rising sophomore at Duke University. Vanessa is majoring in computer science and Lily's goal for this interview was to learn about Vanessa's perspective as a female student in a gender imbalanced field. Here's what Vanessa has to say.
Lily: Hi Vanessa! It’s so great to be able to talk with you today! Would you mind telling us a bit about yourself?
Vanessa: Yes of course! My name is Vanessa Chen and I’m currently a rising sophomore at Duke University. I am studying computer science with a minor in psychology and a certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship. I’m particularly passionate about using technology to transform education and issues in the environment.
Lily: Awesome! What does a typical day in college look like for you at Duke? (non-coronavirus)
Vanessa: Well, my days are pretty varied. It really differs from day to day. Usually, I have, on average, around three classes a day. On most days, I’ll go to work as well. One of my work studies is working in Duke’s Colab. There are three separate makerspaces on the campus, where I’ll help maintain 4D/3D printers, some laser cutters, CMC mills… etc, and I’ll teach people how to use the tools and assist them with design projects. Usually, after work, I’ll have various club meetings, which include Duke Impact Investing Group, where we do due diligence and invest in small startups with a focus on social impact with our fund of $100,000. I also really enjoy teaching! I teach data structures and algorithms where I co-run a discussion section with around 20-ish people, hold office hours, and help grade assignments.
Lily: Wow, sounds like you’ve got your hands pretty full! I can’t even imagine how tough it would be to maintain all those activities and still keep up with classes. Speaking of classes, I wanted to ask, what are the gender proportions like in Duke’s STEM subjects?
Vanessa: It’s actually pretty interesting. In introductory courses, the proportion is almost even. But the higher up you go into classes, the fewer females you see. For example, in CS 101 and CS 201, it’s relatively even, maybe split around 50% or 40%. It’s a little bit hard to tell because not everyone goes to lectures, but based on what I’ve seen, it’s around even. Then around the next level, CS 250, where you start to get less introductory and more specialized, it is definitely not split even. From what I’ve heard, as classes progress in difficulty, there are fewer and fewer females that have stayed.
Lily: Ok interesting! What do you think should be done to level out the imbalance between gender roles in STEM fields?
Vanessa: Oh wow. That’s a deep question. I would say forming programs targeting women in STEM is good, but it’s mostly helping people who are younger and starting off. There are many younger girls who are starting computers earlier now, but still not many who continue through with the field. I think a lot of it is more about connecting with people who have experience with it, I guess. So maybe programs that connect more underrepresented people in STEM together? I’m not exactly sure because it’s a really loaded question. I think current things that are promoting diversity in STEM are on the right track, but it’s hard to say what the exact answer is. If I knew, I would probably be doing it right now.
Lily: So for you specifically, were you always interested in STEM? When did you realize you wanted to pursue a STEM subject?
Vanessa: Before high school, I knew I wanted to pursue STEM but I didn’t know which subject in STEM I wanted to pursue. It wasn’t until I took an introductory programming course in 9th grade when I knew I wanted to do something related to technology in the future.
Lily: Yeah, high school seems like a time where everyone begins to narrow down on their potential field of study a bit and find out which subjects they may eventually want to pursue. Are there any projects you are currently working on or have finished that you are particularly excited or passionate about?
Vanessa: Aside from the clubs I’ve already mentioned, I do have a few projects I’m pretty excited about. I’m working on a student startup called Vector Rideshare which seeks to create safe rideshare for students and connect people between colleges. I’m one of the founding members at the Duke team. This startup was actually started at UNC, but UNC has a lot of connections at Duke and they are currently trying to grow and expand the company. I’m on the UX Redesign team, so I basically work on recreating the app and helping it grow. I was also a part of a project called NOVID which was created to help combat COVID-19. We originally started the project at Duke and built an app that keeps track of whether you have come in contact with someone who has contracted the coronavirus. However, we felt it would be best to collaborate and merge with NOVID, which was originally developed by a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Aside from that, I’m also co-president of a club that focuses on diversity in STEM.
Lily: That sounds like a lot! It’s amazing that you're able to balance so many projects with your studies. With so many projects, I’m sure you must really enjoy what you do. What do you enjoy most about computer science?
Vanessa: First of all, I really love the versatility of CS and how it can be applied to almost every field. You can see what area you think you’re most passionate about and use technology to address problems in almost all sectors of society. Second, computer science is something that’s constantly changing and you're always constantly learning. And I would be someone who would enjoy learning new things even when I’m really old.
Lily: While we’re on the subject of growing old, where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
Vanessa: My dream goal is to start a startup before ten years have passed. I see myself going into tech first, most likely working in software. Hopefully afterward, I will be able to start a startup.
Lily: What are some things you wish you knew before starting out in CS?
Vanessa: So two different things. One, I would say, never assume you know enough about something because there’s always so much more to learn and experience. I think that’s really important in this field. Second, I think I have learned and grown a lot after trying new things in college, but I wish I had known earlier in my life to try out more things. Trying out new subjects and activities in high school is really important and I wish I had done more before entering college.
Lily: That sounds like great advice! I think it’s something all high schoolers and even younger children can implement into their lives now. Thank you so much for giving us a glimpse into the life of a female STEM student!
Vanessa: No problem! It’s always great to chat with you! Thanks for having me!
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