The Women in Computing and Information Technology Oral History Project includes oral history interviews with women faculty, alumnae, and students in the Department of Computer Science as well as IT professionals at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The interviews capture a diversity of experiences of women involved in various facets of computing – from network engineering and computational phylogenomics to multimedia and tele-immersive systems. These interviews were conducted by Bethany Anderson for the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)-grant funded project “From Margin to Center: Reframing the History of Women in Computing and Information Technology through Oral Histories” (2017-2018).
Born in Hayward, California, Ambika Dubey is an undergraduate student in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (B.S., 2018). In this this interview, Dubey describes her childhood growing up in California and India, experience as a Computer Science student, involvement in student groups and the local SWE (Society of Women Engineers) chapter, among other student groups, as well as her intellectual path that led her to want to pursue a career in computing.
Raised in Carbondale, Illinois, Debbie Fligor received her bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1991. During her time as a student, Fligor joined the Network Design Office in the Computing Services Office (formerly CITES and now Technology Services) and also worked in network administration for the School of Life Sciences. She continued working for the CSO/CCSO/CITES/Tech Services, and is currently Lead Network Engineer in Tech Services. In this this interview, Fligor describes her childhood and education, as well as her professional path that led her to network engineering.
Klara Nahrstedt is the Ralph M. and Catherine V. Fisher Professor as well as the Director of the Coordinated Science Laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. She joined the Computer Sciences Department in 1995, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with her Ph.D. in Computer and Information Sciences. Nahrstedt has received a number of awards and accolades for her many accomplishments in the field. She is both an IEEE and ACM Fellow. <strong>
Klara Nahrstedt is the Ralph M. and Catherine V. Fisher Professor as well as the Director of the Coordinated Science Laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. She joined the Computer Sciences Department in 1995, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with her Ph.D. in Computer and Information Sciences. Nahrstedt has received a number of awards and accolades for her many accomplishments in the field. She is both an IEEE and ACM Fellow. <strong>
Born and raised in Decatur, Illinois, Ramona (Russell) Pogue Borders received her bachelor of science degree in marketing and management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1948. Following graduation, Borders worked in the Bureau of Economics and Business Research as a statistician. From 1952 through 1984, she worked as one of the first operators for ILLIAC I (located in 165A Engineering Research Laboratory). She was promoted to computer supervisor and when the Digital Computer Laboratory (DCL) opened in 1958. Borders became the administrative aide in 1968, and when the Computing Services Office (CSO) formed in separation from the Department of Computer Science in 1970, she became one of the first employees of CSO. She retired from the University of Illinois in 1984. In this interview, Borders describes her childhood and education, as well as her experiences as a woman working in this unique computing environment.
Born and raised in Decatur, Illinois, Ramona (Russell) Pogue Borders received her bachelor of science degree in marketing and management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1948. Following graduation, Borders worked in the Bureau of Economics and Business Research as a statistician. From 1952 through 1984, she worked as one of the first operators for ILLIAC I (located in 165A Engineering Research Laboratory). She was promoted to computer supervisor and when the Digital Computer Laboratory (DCL) opened in 1958. Borders became the administrative aide in 1968, and when the Computing Services Office (CSO) formed in separation from the Department of Computer Science in 1970, she became one of the first employees of CSO. She retired from the University of Illinois in 1984. In this interview, Borders describes her childhood and education, as well as her experiences as a woman working in this unique computing environment.
Tandy Warnow received her bachelor of science and PhD degrees in mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1984 and 1991, respectively. Warnow is currently the Founder Professor and Associate Head of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this interview, Warnow describes her childhood, education, prior work at the University of Southern California and University of Texas at Austin, among other institutions, her research in computational phylogenetics and historical linguistics, as well as her professional path that led her to a career computing and as an educator. <strong>
