Debra Richardson Defies Gender Stereotypes and Diversifies Computing

As a math major at UC San Diego in the 1970s, Debra Richardson was often one of only two women in her advanced math classes. “Many of my instructors doubted I would be able to keep up, but I often got the highest scores in the class,” says Richardson, who later discovered a passion for computer science. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Massachusetts—Amherst, where, of the approximately 150 students in the program when she began, only six were women. When she joined UC Irvine’s faculty in the Department of Information and Computer Science (ICS) in the late 1980s, she was one of only two female professors. “I’ve spent a lot of time being one of only a few women in the classroom or workplace,” she says. “We women always had to prove ourselves.”

Time and time again, Richardson proved herself, exceeding expectations. “When I was appointed chair of ICS, there were certainly colleagues who didn’t expect much from me,” she says. Yet within two and a half years, ICS had become a full-fledged school, with Richardson serving as its founding dean. Here, she talks about those early days of ICS, how she helped build the school into a top-tier interdisciplinary program, and her continued efforts to diversify the field of computing.

As the founding dean of ICS, what was your main priority?

My main priority was to maintain an interdisciplinary program. We had faculty whose research ranged from hardware to social issues and most everything in between. We had strong programs in theory and algorithms, computer architecture and embedded systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, bioinformatics, software engineering, human-computer interaction, and “computers, organizations, policy and society” (CORPS), among others.

When ICS was still a free-standing department, we had to choose between becoming an independent school, joining another school, or splitting up into other departments and schools. We didn’t want to split up, and joining another school wasn’t an option, as some of our faculty fit best in engineering, while others could reside in physical sciences, social sciences, biological sciences, business, and even arts or humanities. To maintain and grow the interdisciplinary nature of our academic unit, we decided to become the School of Information and Computer Science(s), establishing two departments — Computer Science and Informatics. The “s” was added when the newly formed Department of Statistics joined the school a year after it was founded.

What motivated you to start the Women in ICS organization at UC Irvine?

As a professor, I saw the dearth of women in ICS classes. One day in the mid ‘90s, I walked into the first lecture for a class of about 130 students, and I had to search high and low to find any women — there was barely a handful. I decided then and there to do something about it. That led to the foundation of Women in ICS (WICS), which has thrived over the years, helping ICS students of all genders and meaningfully impacting the persistence of women in ICS.

What about your work with the National Center for Women & Information Technology?

I participated in the very first meeting envisioning what an institution like NCWIT would tackle and achieve. We hoped to change the face of computing within 20 years through evidence-based practices. Although we haven’t yet achieved parity, NCWIT and other related efforts have certainly had significant impact.

When NCWIT got its first funding from the National Science Foundation in 2004, UCI was one of the hubs, with our focus being on undergraduate computing education. One thing we explored was the impact of pair programming, which we found improves programming skills of all students and helps them stay in computer science, especially women. Pair programming, or a variant of it, is now common practice in most computing classes and software development workplaces.

ICS won the NCWIT award for demonstrated excellence in recruiting and retaining women in computing in 2016, and since 2012, we have been sponsoring the regional Aspirations in Computing program, which recognizes high school students for their computing-related achievements.

What are some of your current concerns, and how can they be addressed?

My biggest concern right now is the pushback on efforts to support diversity, equity and inclusion and how that will impact the progress that’s been made. I continue to work to introduce young kids to the basic principles of computer science before they lose interest. We are also developing culturally relevant curriculum and inclusive computing environments, free of biased cues, and increasing the prevalence and visibility of diverse computing role models and mentors. These efforts are largely in collaboration with UCI’s School of Education and other organizations, such as CS for California as well as NCWIT.

You have said that innovations by women are “critical to ensuring that technology is made for everyone.”

I’m not the only one who has expressed this sentiment that innovations developed solely by men target men’s needs. A classic example from the auto industry is that seat belts, air bags and crash-test dummies are based on the average man’s size and weight, making it more likely for a woman to be injured in a car crash than a man.

Gender-biased products in the computing industry include the smartphone, which is sized for men’s hands, and AI-based systems with algorithmic and data biases that amplify gender and racial inequalities. While “gender-blind” technology sounds good, it really means that gender isn’t considered in the design process. Diverse and inclusive teams bring together a wider range of perspectives, leading to innovative products that serve different markets and consumers.

Any role models you’d like to spotlight for Women’s History Month?

My mother, a teacher, encouraged me to explore whatever fields I was interested in, regardless of discouragement from others. I wanted to follow in her footsteps and become an educator. My favorite high school math teacher, Judy Donaldson, inspired my love of mathematics, and Lori Clarke, my dissertation advisor, introduced me to software engineering and led me to becoming a researcher and professor. When I became dean, Sue Bryant, then Dean of Biological Sciences at UCI, was an important mentor and role model.

Inspirational women in computing I’ve met over the years include Fran Allen, the first woman to become an IBM Fellow and win the Turing Award, and Barbara Liskov, also a Turing Award winner whose research influenced my own. Other contemporary women I admire include Megan Smith, Joy Buomanwini, Fran Berman, and Shafi Goldwasser.

Any final words of advice for today’s students in ICS?

I encourage ICS students to explore the many influential women in computer science, including Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, Katherine Johnson and Annie Easley. You’re bound to find one or more who inspire you to support female computer scientists in your own circle. If we can all work collectively towards improving diversity in the technology sector, we’ll strengthen the workforce of the future.

ICS is establishing the Debra J. Richardson Student Support Fund to continue her lifelong mission of making computer science education accessible and equitable to all. Scholarships from this fund will support students from diverse backgrounds, empowering them to pursue degrees in computer science and informatics at UC Irvine. For more information or to donate to the fund, contact Kristin Huerth Coyer at khuerth@ics.uci.edu.

— Shani Murray