SC&I student organization Women in ITI (Information Technology and Informatics) has been named the recipient of the Revolutionary Award, presented by Rutgers University-New Brunswick. They will receive the award at the 6th Annual Chancellor’s Student Leadership Gala held virtually on May 4, 2021. According to Rutgers, the Revolutionary Award “recognizes a student leader or organization that demonstrates creativity, originality, ingenuity, and/or resourcefulness in addressing local and global issues.”

“We’d like to thank everyone who supported us and helped make our organization what it is today,” said Women in ITI Co-President Dhruvi Sheth. “We are so grateful for this recognition and will continue to advocate for and empower women in the technology!”

This is not the first award Women in ITI has won as an organization. Following the organization’s founding in May 2014, Women in ITI won the Outstanding New Student Organization Award for the 2014-2015 academic year.

The organization offers a variety of programs throughout the academic year aimed at personal and professional development. This includes networking events with Rutgers alumni and industry professionals, workshops, as well as game night and movie nights for students to connect with other women in the ITI major.

In October 2020, the organization held the Women Empowerment Fair, which Women in ITI Co-President Sandra Alex said was “the first fair at Rutgers University aimed toward female students in order to provide them with the resources to succeed in the workforce as well as offer mentorship opportunities with professionals in the field.” The event featured industry professionals from Google, Deloitte, Verizon, iCIMS, Capital One, and Bloomberg.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sheth said many students were left with limited opportunities and resources during the summer of 2020. As a result, Women in ITI’s executive board decided to lead a fully-virtual summer workshop series from June through August. They held 11 workshops which Women in ITI Co-Vice President Katelyn Yin said covered “various technical and non-technical topics including: Alternative to Internships, Tech-Based Research, Cybersecurity, Tableau, Adobe Photoshop, Python, Personal Branding, HTML, UI/UX, Career Fair Preparation, and Navigating ITI+BAIT+CS Majors.”

“We were able to use the ongoing situation to provide students with an opportunity to use this time to grow both personally and professionally,” Sheth said.

According to Alex, Women in ITI strives to:

• Educate: Educate students and enforce contributions on the topic of women in technology through events, panels, and discussions
• Encourage: Encourage students of all backgrounds to take part in networking, leadership, and internship opportunities
• Connect: Provide connections, resources, and opportunities to students in the field of technology
• Reduce Stereotypes: Identify and eliminate misconceptions of women in the technology sector
• Foster Growth: Provide professional growth through networking opportunities in a professional manner
• Inspire: Inspire and support women in the field of technology

Women in ITI was nominated for the Revolutionary Award by Associate Professor and Faculty Advisor Rebecca Reynolds, Assistant Dean for Student Services Kevin Ewell, Student Involvement Advisor Karima Woodyard, and several of the organization’s executive board members.

“Going forward, this award will impact our organization by driving us to foster an environment of originality, ingenuity, and resourcefulness,” Yin said. “We strive to continue empowering women to succeed in technology while building a life-long community.”

To discover more about Women in ITI or to join, see their Facebook page, Instagram profile, or member GroupMe.

To learn more about the Information Technology and Informatics major, visit the SC&I website.

Image: Rutgers University