Have you considered a career in technology?

Did you know that studies have shown that girls are 5 times less likely to consider a technology related career?

The INcreasing Student Participation In REsearch Development (INSPIRED) Program is designed to increase the participation of women and minorities in computing. The program targets female and minority computer science (CS) undergraduate students, but also includes some outreach components for middle and high school students. The goal is to demonstrate that engaging underrepresented students in the INSPIRE program can 1)retain more of these students; 2)help transition them into advanced study in computer science or computing careers; and 3)attract more females and minorities to the field.

INSPIRED students are paid to perform research and participate in mentoring and outreach functions for an average of fifteen hours per week. They work in teams under the direction of Computer Science faculty members who serve as mentors and role models. The teams include students from all levels, freshmen through seniors.

The program helps prepare new computer scientists for participation in the global workforce by having them work in teams that are very diverse, including both men and women from different ethnic backgrounds. It enhances Lamar's infrastructure for research and education by providing for a dedicated research lab that will be used for INSPIRED research and related classes. It benefits society by enabling women and minorities to attain fulfilling careers in computer science, which in turn strengthens the discipline by the infusion of their diverse ideas and perspectives.

For more information about the INSPIRED program visit http://cs.lamar.edu/inspire/Content/inspired.htm