Newcomb Institute's Technology Initiatives promote feminist leadership in technology-centered communities through student programming and digital scholarship. Each year, students sponsored by Newcomb Institute attend Grace Hopper Celebration and work on technology projects as Digital Research Interns, Information Technology Interns, and Gender and STEM grantees. At the end of the academic year, these students host the Technology Showcase at Newcomb Institute, where they show-off their projects and newly acquired tech skills. This site represents the work they would have presented in person at the Technology Showcase.
"I genuinely don't believe I would feel as included and comfortable in the tech community without the programs from Newcomb Tech Initiatives. They've given me confidence in my abilities to work on teams and be a leader among my peers too. I really cannot overstate the value these programs have given me during my undergraduate time here at Tulane!" - Rosalind Kidwell
DIGITAL RESEARCH INTERNS
"I am incredibly grateful for the Newcomb Tech programs. They are the reason why I have found a job post-grad that allows me to do what I enjoy and what I am good at. These programs have given me the opportunity to lead in a way I never would have imagined for myself and they have given me access to innumerable resources/jobs/professionals/etc." - Addie Jasica, Senior
Read Addie Jasica's ('20) article, "Our Program and its Impact" at the Newcomb: Tech in Mind zine.
Do you have an idea for a digital scholarship project? Faculty, Staff, Graduate Students and Community members can apply to have the Digital Research Interns bring their digital scholarship projects to life!
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INTERNS
Danielle Walder presents her project "Jewish Women in Technology."
This year, Danielle Walder helped to manage Newcomb's computer inventory and student worker lab, worked with other interns on developing an IT manual, and curated the Newcomb Student Worker Map and content for the Sophie Lab website.
GRACE HOPPER CELEBRATION GRANTEES
Each year, Newcomb Institute provides grants for undergraduates to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration. Funding includes airfare, registration, and housing. This annual conference is the largest meeting of women in technology in the world, and offers students the opportunity to hear from some of the most prominent women in the field. The undergraduates who attend have an active interest in promoting gender equity in technology and seek a job or internship in the technology industry.
"I highly recommend that any [student] interested in technology attend the Grace Hopper Celebration. It was a transformative week both personally and professionally. The network and internship opportunities that arose from attending were incredible." - Riley Juenemann, Junior
GENDER AND STEM GRANTEE
Keira Rosner ('20) used her HASTAC grant to produce a documentary feature about the representation of female characters in student films at Tulane, specifically emphasizing what percentage of them pass the Bechdel Test. The process included applying for this grant, a research phase, arranging interviews with students and faculty at Tulane, filming and conducting the interviews, editing together the footage, and receiving permission from students to incorporate archival footage from their capstone projects. Keira received her HASTAC Scholar distinction during the end of the Fall 2018 semester and is ecstatic for Film, Feminism, & Freret to appear this summer.
Becoming a HASTAC Scholar was one of the highlights of my time at Tulane because it provided me with the resources to make my independent project a reality. In proposing an original idea for a documentary project about the Bechdel Test at it applies to student films at Tulane, I had no idea the journey that I would be taken on or the lessons I would learn. Creating Film, Feminism, & Freret allowed me to not only learn about the experiences of many of my female peers and mentors in the film industry, but also to take on the challenge of producing my first full-length nonfiction piece, which is a huge step towards my long-term goal of becoming a documentary filmmaker. There were many mistakes along the way, but now I know that those aren't mistakes I will make again going forward into the world beyond academia. Next time I take on a project, I can make new, more advanced mistakes! Receiving a grant from NI allowed me to finance higher-quality equipment, hire a Tulane graduate to edit the sound, and cover a plethora of smaller miscellaneous expenses, so I would not have been able to have this incredible experience without it.
Get Involved!
Join a Newcomb STEM Student Group.
Learn more about issues related to Gender and STEM at the new Sophie Lab.
Visit Newcomb Institute's Technology Initiatives webpage for more information on our STEM and Digital Humanities programs and applications.
Submit a Proposal to have your digital scholarship project sponsored by Newcomb Institute's Digital Research Internship Program.
Contact Dr. Jacquelyne Thoni Howard, Administrative Assistant Professor of Technology and Women's History.
The Technology Showcase was designed by Sarah Fox, Information Technology Intern and Jacquelyne Thoni Howard, Ph.D.