WASHINGTON, DC -- President George W. Bush today awarded the Computing Research Association's Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W) the 2003 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) for "significant achievements in mentoring women across educational levels."

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John H. Marburger, III, presented CRA-W representative Dr. Jan Cuny and CRA-W Co-Chair Dr. Mary Jean Harrold with the citation at a noon ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. CRA-W was one of just eight institutional winners of the annual award, given to those organizations identified as "exemplars" and leaders in the national effort to more fully develop the Nation's human resources in science, mathematics and engineering.

The award cites CRA-W's work providing "hands-on research experiences, mentoring, role models and information exchange to women pursuing careers in [the] field." CRA-W programs seek to increase the number of

In a message from the President read by Marburger at the ceremony, Bush noted that new technology was redefining the American workplace and that, "in order to stay on the leading edge we must insure the participation of people from diverse backgrounds and experiences."

"The programs recognized today will serve as role models [in that process]," the President's message said.

"I'm incredibly pleased that the long-term work of CRA-W has received this recognition," Harrold said. "CRA-W's success is owed to a long progression of women in computing who gave - and give - of their time and effort to share their knowledge and experiences with the next generation. As the President noted, the country will be well-served by continuing to increase the participation of underrepresented groups."

"The problem is particularly acute in computing," Cuny said. "Five of the 10 fastest growing occupations in the next decade will be computer related, but women make up less than a third of the IT workforce and an even smaller percentage of the academic pipeline. This underrepresentation represents a loss of talent and creativity that we will need shaping the future role of technology in society."

In addition to the Presidential Citation, the award also includes $10,000 to be used by CRA-W to further its efforts. In addition to the eight institutional awards, the President also named nine individual awards for 2003.

CRA-W Co-Chairs:

• CRA-W Co-Chairs 2003-2006
  Carla Ellis, Duke University
  Mary Jean Harrold, Georgia Institute of Technology
  
  
• CRA-W Co-Chairs 2000-2003
  Anne Condon, University of British Columbia
  Mary Lou Soffa, University of Pittsburgh
  
  
• CRA-W Co-chairs 1997-2000
  Jan Cuny, University of Oregon
  Leah Jamieson, Purdue University
  
  
• CRA-W Co-chairs 1994-1997
  Francine Berman, UC San Diego
  Mary Jane Irwin, Pennsylvania State University
  
  
• CRA-W Co-chairs 1991-1994
  Maria Klawe, Princeton University
  Nancy Leveson, MIT
  

Current CRA-W Members:

• Fran Allen
  IBM Fellow Emerita
  
• Nancy Amato
  Texas A&M University
• Carla Brodley
  Purdue University
• Sheila Castañeda
  Clarke College
• Lori A. Clarke
  University of Massachusetts
• Anne Condon
  University of Massachusetts
• Jan Cuny
  University of Oregon
  
• Faith E. Fich
  University of Toronto
  
• Kathleen Fisher
  AT&T Labs Research
  
• Joan Francioni
  Winona State University
  
• Jessica Hodgins
  Carnegie Mellon University
  
• Mary Jane Irwin
  Penn State University
  
• Leah Jamieson
  Purdue University
  
• Susan Landau
  Sun Microsystems Laboratories
  
• Nancy G. Leveson
  MIT
  
• Renée J. Miller
  University of Toronto
  
• Joann Ordille
  Avaya Labs
  
• Lori Pollock
  University of Delaware
  
• Ann Redelfs
  San Diego Supercomputer Center
• Mary Lou Soffa
  University of Pittsburgh
  
• Telle Whitney
  Institute for Women in Technology