Ray Obenza
Carnegie Mellon University /SEI Senior Technical Staff; GLENDA Board; Pittsburgh Cares Board

Over the decades, America has made great progress in building more diverse workplaces and communities. In the family, gender roles are changing -- husbands cook and change diapers; wives bring home bigger paychecks. Still, we have a long way to go before all people are regarded as equals. Why wait for our civic or industry leaders to generate advancements when all of us, acting individually or collectively, can create change through means both subtle and bold. 

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Vicki S. Helgeson
Associate Professor of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University

This presentation will examine issues that may influence women's levels of achievement, with a particular focus on self-esteem, self-confidence, and responsiveness to feedback. Implications for how to enhance women's levels of achievement will be discussed. 

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M. Bernardine Dias
Graduate (Ph. D.) Student, The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

Many people don't think about technology and activism as complimentary topics. Here, at Carnegie Mellon, many women have a range of ideas on how technology can play a key role in changing the world. In this session I will start by sharing some lessons I've learned in my continuing evolution in the worlds of technology and activism. I will then focus on the merits of mixing the ingredients of technology, passion, and activism to accomplish meaningful change in the world. The second half of the session will consist of a panel of women, ranging from Undergraduate, to Graduate, to Faculty, from the School of Computer Science who will share their experiences and thoughts on the topic of technology and activism. 

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Francesca Cantarini
Western PA Field Director, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL- PA)
Holly Opatick
Education Specialist for Schools and Community, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape
Julie Evans
Education Specialist Supervisor, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape
Bernice Martin
Executive Director, Pittsburgh Cares

What does activism in Pittsburgh look like? What can you get involved in today to make a difference? Representatives from local Pittsburgh organizations will talk about how they benefit the community at large, what the climate is for women and women's issues in Pittsburgh, and how we can get involved locally with these and other organizations. 

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Shauna L. Shames
Research Director, The White House Project

In 2000, The White House Project conducted a nationwide study of young people's attitudes about political participation and especially running for office. Our findings reveal that young people believe it is difficult for people other than white males to get elected, but also think that women and people of color have a valuable perspective to bring. This presentation will give an overview of the research and invite participation on ways to involve more young women in politics, particularly electoral office. If we are ever to have a woman President, the goal of The White House Project, we need to fill the pipeline to the Presidency with women! 

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Regina Birchem, Ph.D.
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Vice President, Liaison with Africa WILPF, Co-editor of international Publications

Regina Birchem of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) will describe her experience with women activists around the world (Sierra Leone, Burundi, Colombia, China, Europe and elsewhere) who struggle for a world in which just and equitable social systems lay the foundation for a sustainable peace and a healthy environment. The League was founded by international women suffragists and social workers during WWI who saw that the war was destroying all the ideals they had been working towards. The members of this workshop will explore the amazing history and thread of activism over nearly 90 years until today. Emphasis will be given to the present- day activism of women -- and like-minded men: a voice in resistance to racism, economic globalization, environmental degradation and the militarization of society. 

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Kathy M. Newman
Assistant Professor of English, Carnegie Mellon University

The problems of work, wages, and gender inequity at Carnegie Mellon, from the lowest paid workers to the highest, will be discussed in this session. The presenter will argue that pay inequity is a feminist issue, and that women from all pay scales need to be concerned about the system as a whole. Students are encouraged to share some of their own observations about work and gender at Carnegie Mellon.

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Diane Walter
Chapter Leader, Pittsburgh Webgrrls www.webgrrls.com/pittburgh

As the workplace becomes increasingly technical, continuing education will separate you from the crowd. Learn how to use the Web to improve your current job situation - to learn new skills - or to transition to exciting new opportunities. An interactive presentation where discussion is encouraged - come equipped with your own career concerns. 

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Dr. Kacey G. Marra, Research Scientist
Institute for Complex Engineered Systems, Carnegie Mellon University

As one of the few female faculty members in the College of Engineering at CMU, this scientist will describe her experiences in a field that is both male-dominated, and on the cutting edge of biomedical research: Tissue Engineering. Time Magazine rated "tissue engineering" as the hottest job of the century in it's May 15, 2000 issue. It is our responsibility to train and educate students in this area. She will also discuss her outreach experiences with young elementary, junior high and high school females to introduce them to engineering, as well as her teaching and research experiences with female undergraduate and graduate students. 

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Stephanie Donne
Clearinghouse Coordinator, National Women's Health Network

This session will cover a brief history of the National Women's Health Network, which was founded 27 years ago by a group of activist women who felt that women needed a voice in D.C. to advocate for their health needs. It will discuss how they work today, using current health issues to highlight the way that they do policy/advocacy work and provide women with health information. 

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Theresa Kaijage
Graduate Student, University of Pittsburgh

Women are by far the most affected by the AIDS epidemic in terms of HIV transmission, and children are by far the most displaced by the epidemic in terms of social and economic marginalization resulting from losing parents due to AIDS. WAMATA fights both to keep parents alive for as long as possible and to support children through illness and death of the parents. It is a daunting task when resources cannot be made available for AIDS intervention in Africa without challenging the global economic system in unprecedented ways so that allocation of resources can be fairly distributed according to "need" rather than "want". 

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