The INSPIRE Conference 2017 is hosted by the School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire and the ACM-W UK Professional Chapter. The aim is to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in STEM employment and research in Higher Education. This one-day conference will provide a gateway to hear from world-leading speakers from academia and industries, showcase good practice, learn new skills and form networks of like-minded colleagues.

Conference Chair: Dr Martina A. Doolan, University of Hertfordshire

Programme Chairs: Dr Martina A. Doolan, University of Hertfordshire and Dr Poonam Yadav, Chair of the ACM-W UK Professional Chapter

Welcome!

Dr Martina A. Doolan : Principal Lecturer of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire.

Welcome to the 2nd INSPIRE Conference at the School of Computer Science. I am Dr Martina A. Doolan and I work as a Principal Lecturer in the School. I am involved in various research projects and engage with colleagues from across the Higher Education sector as a UK National Teaching Fellow. Internationally, I am a Visiting Professor and Scholar at various universities.

I began study in the field in the early 90s as the single parent of two beautiful boys who were three years and 6 months old. I was born into an Irish family of eleven and am the only one to have gone to university. My career began as a means of acquiring financial security, yet resulted in a discovered love of learning and an ability to teach others. Since 2014 I have led the School of Computer Science Athena SWAN equality agenda in achieving the Bronze award. This has provided an opportunity to pass on my own experience, and to nurture and encourage others to make best use of their talents and to help meet their full potential. The INSPIRE 2017 conference has enabled me once again to indulge my passion.

I hope that you enjoy the day and become inspired to do at least one thing differently! Please do share your experience at m.a.doolan@herts.ac.uk.

Dr Poonam Yadav : Computing Researcher, University of Cambridge and Chair of the ACM-W UK Professional Chapter.

Poonam is a Computing Researcher at the University of Cambridge and also Chair of the ACM-W UK Professional Chapter. She has ten years R&D experience in System Design and Integration, especially Cyber-physical Systems, Sensor Networks, Internet of Things (IoT), Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Cloud Computing.

Poonam also has hands-on experience with various AI techniques - Pattern Recognition, Data Mining, Machine Learning, and Signal Processing. As well, Poonam has applied AI techniques in solving various complex problems in Sensor Networks, Distributed Computing and Cloud Computing related projects. She has also published 25+ research papers and posters in various IEEE and ACM Conferences and Journals.

Speaker biographies

Professor Cecilia Mascolo : Professor of Mobile Systems, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge.

Cecilia Mascolo is the mother of a teenage daughter and an eight-year-old cat named Alfie. She is also a Professor of Mobile Systems, a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge and a Faculty Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute for Data Science in London. Her research interests are in human mobility modelling, mobile and sensor systems and networking and spatio-temporal data analysis.

Most of Cecilia’s research has been multidisciplinary. She has published in a number of top tier conferences and journals in the area and her investigator experience spans projects funded by Research Councils and industry. She has received numerous best paper awards and in 2016 was listed in “10 Women in Networking/ Communications You Should Know”. She has served as organising and programme committee member of mobile, sensor systems, networking, data science conferences and workshops. She sits on the editorial boards of IEEE Pervasive Computing, IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, ACM Transactions on Sensor Networks and ACM Transactions on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies.

Keynote talk: Computer Science as Enabler for Multidisciplinary Research

In this talk, I intend to debunk the geeky and stereotypical nature of computer science as a subject. I do this by giving examples of my recent research, which is highly multidisciplinary in nature and touches areas including animal behaviour, urban planning, land economy, psychology, neuroscience and medicine. The talk will touch on my experience in building workable multi-disciplinary collaborations and will illustrate some results of this research.

Professor Ruth Aylett : Professor of Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University.

Ruth came into computing with the UK computer company ICL in the later 1970s after a degree in mathematical economics. She made her way into academia via University computer support in the early days of micros and a lecturing post at the Sheffield Polytechnic (now Hallam University).

Following work as a knowledge engineer at Edinburgh University and then in the UK National Robotics Research Centre, Ruth joined Salford University and after seven years became a Professor there in the Centre for Virtual Environments. In 2004 she moved to Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh where she researches intelligent graphical characters, affective systems, human-robot interaction and interactive narrative. She has led a succession of international research projects in these fields and has more than 250 refereed publications. Along the way she had four children and a lot of fun.

Keynote talk: Where’s the fun?

Careers are often thought of as serious things. In this talk I will argue that having fun may well be a better motivator in academic life as well as a way of avoiding well-known obstacles that differentially impact women such as the imposter syndrome. I will reflect on the unplanned nature of my own career and the need for women to avoid the trap of being a bit too conscientious.

Gen Ashley : Director of Women Who Code, Lead at Google WomenTechMakers London

Gen Ashley is the Director of Women Who Code London and is a very active leader in the Tech community in London. Aside from her involvement with Women Who Code, she is a Lead for the following - Google Women Techmakers, NASA Space Apps Challenge, Twitter Developer Community London.

Gen is also part of the leadership committee for Ada's List (a network for women in technology). She is co-organiser of OpenTechSchool London, COED:CODE (a group about systems programming) and London Game Developers. She was the Head of Developer Outreach at Skills Matter and a former VP / Business Development Manager / Project Manager at Citigroup. Last year, she led and helped the Anita Borg Institute London and was instrumental in delivering the very first 1-Day Grace Hopper Conference in Europe, which was held in London.

Title of talk: Women in technology

In this talk, I will be looking at the history and current landscape where women in technology is concerned.

Programme

09:00 – 09:40 : Registration & Refreshments, exhibition displays incl. posters

09:40 – 09:50 : Welcome: Professor William Clocksin, University of Hertfordshire

09:50 – 10:00 : Introduction: Dr Martina A. Doolan, University of Hertfordshire

10:00 - 10:10 : ACM-W UK introduction: Dr Poonam Yadav, University of Cambridge

10:10 – 10:30 : Breaking the Ice: Bring along a jar containing 3 items that form your identity

10:30 – 11:10 : Opening Keynote talk: Computer Science as enabler for multidisciplinary research by Professor Cecilia Mascolo, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge

11:10 – 11:30 : Coffee Break, Networking and Posters

11:30 – 11:50 : Women in Technology by Gen Ashley, Director of Women Who Code, London

11:50 - 13:00 : Student Presentations

13:00 – 14:10 : Lunch, Group photo, Networking, Mentoring and Posters

13:30 - 14:00 : ( Optional ) Researcher Development Workshop

14:10 – 15:00 : Keynote talk: Where's the fun? - by Professor Ruth Aylett, Heriot-Watt University

15:00 – 16:00 : Panel Discussion: "Negotiating Identity"

- Gen Ashley, Director of Women Who Code, Lead at Google WomenTechMakers London

- Professor Ruth Aylett, Heriot-Watt University

- Dr Theo Gilbert, University of Hertfordshire

- Zoë Boucher-Nogher, BSc final year student

16:00 - 16:30 : Awards, Next Steps & Close.