306 Levine Hall, 3330 Walnut Street
215-898-0051 (voice), 215-898-0587 (fax)
rpowell@cis.upenn.edu

Current Initiatives

NSF Broadening the Participation of Computing Grant: the Penn CompACT--A Cascading Mentoing Model through Service Learning

National Center for Women & IT (NCWIT) Extension Services to assist universities to increase undergraduate women's participation in computing. 

Papers

Lessons Learned from a PLTL-CS Program SIGCSE '11, March 9-12, Dallas, Texas--Describes the Emerging Scholars Program, a peer led team learning workshop for first year women in computing at Columbia University  

Advancing Women in Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania - CRA Expanding the Pipeline, September 2010

Improving the Persistence of First-Year Women in Computer Science  SIGCSE '08, March 12-15, 2008, Portland, Oregon.

Past Work

Sundials in the Shade: A Study of Women’s Persistence in the First Year of a Computer Science Program in a Selective University
A Dissertation in Higher Education Management

CIS Activities

Google CS4HS - teachers encourage girls and underrepresented minorities in computing - View my slides

Women in Computer Science High School Day '11 -- View Agenda, Photos, Video

Guidance Counselors and Teachers Day '10 --View this event

Women in Computing Month, November 2005--view poster

Resources for Women in CIS

CISters- an informal social group for women postdocs and graduate students

WICS   Women in Computer Science undergraduate organization

National Society of Black Engineers

Notable Conferences

Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing

ACM SIGCSE (Special Interest Group for Computer Science Education)

My daughter, Nora Powell, graduated from American University in 2009 with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a concentration in Biology. Nora teaches 5th grade at Franklin Towne School.
My son, Kip Powell, is a senior in Penn Nursing.
My husband, Ken Powell, is a Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge.

View family photos