Professor Ita Richardson is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Limerick’s Department of Computer Science and Information Systems and a Co-Principal Investigator at Lero. Her research examines software processes in various environments and domains, including global software engineering and connected health. Since joining the University of Limerick in 1992, Prof. Richardson has developed and maintained an interest in women’s issues, particularly women working in computing and engineering disciplines. Prof. Richardson’s works have been published extensively.

Celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science allows us the opportunity to consider the importance of diversity in STEM, Prof. Richardson believes. 

“Computing is changing our world and having girls and women choose computing as a career allows us to play an essential role in that change.  

“There were so few women in classes like computing, engineering, maths, and science when I was in university. I developed an interest very quickly in supporting women studying and working in these disciplines. Lero has an outreach programme supporting women in computer science.

“I’m the leader on a project with Johnson & Johnson that financially supports female undergraduates who develop projects around women’s issues in engineering and computing and how they can be solved. I run various school talks about computing and software engineering careers, particularly in second-level education. With Women in Technology and Science, I’ve taken part in ‘role model days’ where schoolgirls hear about women working in STEM careers,” she outlined.

You can read more about Ita’s work around the importance of diversity in the Irish Examiner: Encouraging women into STEM not just another ‘equality’ fad