Lost Women of Science

Opening Doors to Computer Science

Sep 25, 2025
Carla Brodley, a computer scientist and founding executive director of the Center for Inclusive Computing at Northeastern University, shares her journey from a high school where she was sidelined in computer science to becoming an advocate for inclusivity in tech. She discusses how her groundbreaking Align master’s program helps non-traditional students thrive. Carla also dives into the significance of reshaping curricula to reduce intimidation, the importance of interdisciplinary studies, and exciting new initiatives integrating AI into early education.
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ANECDOTE

High School Exclusion Sparks Delayed Discovery

  • Carla Brodley was blocked from using computers in her ninth-grade class and wrote and debugged programs by hand.
  • That discouraging experience delayed her path into computing until college when she discovered Fortran and Newton's Method and was hooked.
ANECDOTE

Roommate's Push Led To A Major Change

  • A metallurgical engineering roommate threw punch cards on the table and pushed Carla to try computer science.
  • After taking Fortran, Carla changed her major and began getting straight A's.
INSIGHT

Separate Intro Sections Reduce Intimidation

  • Mixing students with varying prior CS experience creates intimidation and harms persistence.
  • Offering separate CS1 sections for true beginners removes social stress while teaching the same material.
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