This document summarizes a panel discussion on engaging women in robotics. The panelists discussed how efforts to promote women in STEM fields through programs like camps and scholarships have had limited success. They questioned how many women are currently in robotics roles across academia, government and industry. The panelists were interested in better understanding the experiences of women in robotics careers, including when they enter the field, if/when they leave, and strategies for effective engagement and retention. They also discussed the need for metrics to track progress and potential changes to educational curricula. Examples of efforts to promote women in robotics, like a girls-focused robotics competition at ICRA 2015, were provided. The panel concluded with a

1. Panel:
Engaging Women in Robotics
Lynne Parker (NSF)
Julie Adams (Vanderbilt)
Nancy Amato (Texas A&M)
George Kantor (CMU)

2. Globally, we pay lots of attention to under-
represented groups (esp. girls/women)
n Summer camps
n Special scholarships
n Special classes
n Outreach
n Lots of $$$

3. Has it gotten us to where we
want to be?
% Women majoring in CS in American universities

4. You had questions…
So do we!
n How many women are in robotics? Who are they?
n What is the distribution of women in academia,
government and industrial robotics?
n When did women enter robotics?
n Do women enter robotics and then leave? Why? When?
n What methods engage girls and women in robotics?
n What metrics are useful for tracking progress in recruiting
and retaining women at all levels?
n Do graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 curriculums need to
change in order to attract females to robotics?
n How many girls participate in K-12 robotics competitions?

5. Patricia
Ambler
Fothergill
1970s
1980s
1990
–
1995
Disclaimer: Preliminary and
Incomplete list

6. 1996
–
2000
2001
–
2005

7. We tried an experiment…
n George Lee (Purdue) had an idea…

8. ICRA 2015: Celebrating the diversity
of robots, roboticists, and robot users

9. ICRA 2015
Organizing
Committee

10. Senior Program Committee
Ruzena Bajcsy (Univ. of California, Berkeley)
Alicia Casals (Technical University of Catalonia)
Bernardine Dias (Carnegie Mellon University)
Maria Gini (University of Minnesota)
Yi Guo (Stevens Institute of Technology)
Ayanna Howard (Georgia Tech)
Lydia Kavraki (Rice University)
Jana Kosecka (George Mason University)
Dani Kragic (Royal Institute of Tech., KTH)
Ming Lin (Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Robin Murphy (Texas A&M University)
Radhika Nagpal (Harvard University)
Allison Okamura (Stanford University)
Katia Sycara (Carnegie Mellon University)
Dawn Tilbury (University of Michigan)
Carme Torras (Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica
Industrial, CSIC-UPC)
Manuela Veloso (Carnegie Mellon University)
Jing Xiao (Univ. of North Carolina, Charlotte)
Yuru Zhang (Beihang University)
• SPC meeting held at Texas A&M,
Jan. 23-24
• Preceded by Robotics Symposium
given by SPC members

11. Plenary Speakers – Live Webcast
Daniela Rus
MIT
One Robot for
Every Task
Helen Greiner
CyPhy Works
Robotics Innovation
Startup Style
Dean Kamen
DEKA R&D Corp
Innovation: Past,
Present, and Future
Wednesday
Friday
Thursday

12. 12 Keynote
Speakers
n Alessandro de Luca, Sapienza U. di Roma
n Danny Halperin, Tel Aviv Univ.
n Peter Hart, SRI, retired
n Danica Kragic, Royal Inst. of Technology
n Ayorkor Korsah, Ashesi Univ. College
n James Kuffner, Google Research
n Zexiang Li, Hong Kong U. Sci and Tech
n Radhika Nagpal, Harvard Univ.
n Satoshi Tadokoro, Tohoku Univ.
n Carme Torras, Inst. De Robotica i Info. Ind.
n Jing Xiao, Univ. of North Carolina, Charlotte
n Yuru Zhang, Beihang Univ.

13. Innovation! Go, Girl, Go!
n Co-Organized by ICRA 2015
and Washington FIRST
n Brings together girls ages
6-18 with undergrad and
grad students, established
robotics researchers and
professionals
n Plenary talks
n Career paths
n FIRST league demos
n Networking time
n 400+ girls registered!

14. Lessons from ICRA 2015
n Lots of positive feedback
n An appreciation that we just “did it”, rather
than being “in your face”
n Conference was incredibly successful
n Showed that women (most with minimal
experience organizing large meetings)
could do a fantastic job

15. What is longer term impact?

16. Some short anecdotes…
1) Finding new faculty leader for women in
EECS student group
2) Others…

17. What about unconscious bias?

18. What is stereotype threat?

19. This is not just a “female” problem!
n It’s not about blaming men
n But we need (and welcome!) more male
advocates
n How do we build up more male advocates?
n What’s the difference between a mentor
and an advocate?

20. NCWIT: Top 10 Ways to be a Male
Advocate for Technical Women
1) Listen to women’s stories
2) Talk to other men
3) Seek out ways to recruit women
4) Increase the number and visibility of
female leaders
5) Mentor and sponsor women

21. NCWIT: Top 10 Ways to be a Male
Advocate for Technical Women (con’t)
6) Notice and correct instances of
micro-inequities or unconscious bias
7) Establish accountability metrics
8) Model alternative work/life strategies
9) Make discussions of gender less “risky”
10) Reach out to formal and informal
women’s groups

22. (george’s slides)

23. Take-home messages
n In many ways, the state of women in the
workplace has improved
n But the “problem” of female representation
is not a “female only” problem
n It’s a problem of too few male advocates
n Let’s figure out productive ways to build up
male advocates in this effort!

24. Your Action Items
n When you’re involved in workshop/conference
organization, remember to include women!
n When you’re thinking of new leaders for
professional societies, think of women!
n When you’re thinking of individuals to nominate for
awards/recognition, think of women!
n When doing outreach, engage K-12 girls!
n When you need a representative for a diversity
activity, volunteer yourself!
n When you’re in a professional setting, invite the
women to join in the social networking!

25. Resources
n http://cra.org/cra-w/resources-for-the-
engaging-women-in-robotics-panel-
at-2015-nri-pi-meeting/

26. K-­‐3
4-­‐8
7-­‐9
9-­‐12
CMU’s
Girls
of
Steel
Robo;cs
Ini;a;ve
a
pipeline
of
programs
for
K-­‐12
girls
• 88%
year-­‐to-­‐year
reten;on
rate
• 89%
of
graduates
go
on
to
study
STEM
in
college