responses (29%, 9/31)included gaining more knowledge. Such answers included statements like: “I hope to gain abetter idea of possibilities after undergrad,” “I am hoping to gain more knowledge” and “I hopeto gain a lot of insight of other women’s career paths and how they reached their goals.”What Students Gleaned from Attending ConferenceTable 4 below shows responses from attendees on what they gained from attending theconference in post-conference survey. Students rated gaining soft skills in sessions focused onareas outside of technology and on burnout/mental health in the industry/academia morefavorably. While 62% (18/29) indicated that they strongly agreed they learned from industryleaders, only 24% (7/29) strongly agreed that they gained
UTAs aware of non-technicalteaching aspects and the dynamics of the classroom environment. The course covers fundamentalaspects such as FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) basics, Cybersecurity, andKognito, a practice-based digital learning tool to improve mental health and well-being ineducational settings [11]. Emphasizing the importance of soft skills, the training equips UTAswith social abilities for interacting effectively with students and recognizing potential challengesstudents may face. This is crucial given that UTAs often engage with students in their age group.Professors are actively involved in preparing UTAs, holding weekly meetings to ensure readinessfor leading lab sessions, and imparting skills to manage the
largely accomplished. Figure 3: Race/Ethnicity of Post Survey Respondents (N=29) SA Agree Neutral SD Disagree N/ALearned from industry leaders about tech topics 64% 32% 4% 0% 0% 0%Gained technical skills from workshops 36% 32% 12% 0% 12% 8%Gained soft skills from workshops 40% 44% 8% 0% 4% 4%Learned about grad. school paths 36% 32% 4% 0% 4% 24%Learned about job opportunities 48% 36% 4% 0% 4% 8%Networked w/ leaders and peers in field 60% 32% 4
the group, enhances effective communication,and develops soft skills. These elements sensitize group members (whether students oremployees), and the possibility and opportunity to maximize the presence and participation ofwomen exist, thus generating a more inclusive environment. In addition, participants mentionedthe importance of holding workshops and awareness-raising talks on gender and inclusion issues.Innovate educational strategies. Participants from the Group of students and faculty membersindependently agreed on the need for students to have field experience as part of their training sothat when they graduate, they will be more confident in their knowledge and skills and will notsimply be entering an environment that is alien and