Baby Loading, Please Wait: Pregnancy, Graduate School,
& Computing
Laurian Vega, Mara Silva
Center for Human-Computer Interaction, Virginia Tech
2202 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060
{Laurian, Mara}@vt.edu
ABSTRACT
Past research has shown that babies do matter in terms of
time to graduate and future careers in academia and
industry. Not only does bias play a part, but also having to
deal with new responsibilities on top of work-life balance
presents an entirely new set of challenges in the generally
laissez faire climate of graduate school. In this panel we
hope to address questions and provoke thoughtful
discussion about a) whether graduate school is a ‘good’
time to become pregnant, and b) what should future
graduate student mothers know before and after becoming
pregnant? Our goal is to create a semi-informal discussion
about these issues and raise awareness about best practices.
BACKGROUND
Women are currently receiving about half of all awarded
Ph.D.s [1]. The number of women reported receiving their
Ph.D. in computer science, however, is twenty-one percent
[2]. Part of the reason why this number is so low is the
leaky pipeline: the challenge of retaining women who move
through the educational pipeline from high school to
undergraduate to graduate education and then to a career in
computing. Somewhere along the way, women seem to be
leaking out of the area of computing and taking with them
thousands of study hours that are usually funded by state
and federal taxes. Even with the increasing push for more
women in science and engineering from the NSF (e.g., [3])
and other government organizations, people have ignored
the “elephant in the room” – motherhood [4].
One of the major reasons why women leave is work and
family balance–, as reported by 7 out of 10 women in a 450
person survey [2]. Part of work-life balance is trying to plan
a family. It can appear as though a woman has to choose
between having a family and having a career within higher
education. Indeed, it can seem daunting to think about years
in graduate school with a small salary, long hours in the lab,
and the rigors of publish or perish while trying to balance
pregnancy, a new born infant, and then early motherhood.
Even in post-1970’s women’s right movement, women still
are found to be the ones doing the majority of home
management, thereby taking hours away from busy
academic careers [4].
In this panel we hope to address these concerns by looking
at the issue of pregnancy while enrolled graduate school.
For some, having a baby in graduate school might actually
1
be a beneficial time. After all, not only is a biological clock
ticking, but as reported by Mason and Goulden, “only one
in three women who takes a fast-track university job before
having a child ever becomes a mother” [5]. Having a child
before having to apply for tenure, can be a positive time
overall to start a family. After all, a mother can add an
additional semester to her graduation date, but not all
universities have a program to stop-the-clock. We recognize
and acknowledge that there are pros and cons for having a
child during graduate school; many people feel strongly that
having a child after the tenure is the best time. However, for
some would-be mothers, waiting is not an option.
There appears to be a large interest in this topic at the Grace
Hopper Conference. Via personal correspondence with
Gilda Garreton, who presented a BoF at the 2009 Grace
Hopper on maternity and returning to work, Gilda reported
that her panel on a similar topic had more than forty
attendants. She writes, “The majority of them were students
not knowing if maternity could be an obstacle during grad
studies and the discussion was great. Actually we were
kicked out of the room because we ran out of time.”
PLAN OF ACTION
For this panel we would like to have one moderator and up
to five panelists. Brief biographies of proposed panelists
and their experiences as a mother in graduate school are
below. The panelists were selected to provide a broad range
of experiences and background ranging from a brand new
mother, who can provide very current lay-of-the-land
experience, to a mother many years out of graduate school,
who can put in perspective how this topic has changed.
Additionally, at least one of our panel members would have
had a child both in graduate school and another child out of
graduate school.
In the first part of the panel we want to introduce each of
the panelists and their experiences (2 minute per panelist).
We will then give a brief presentation on why this issue is
important, as covered in the previous section of this
proposal (8 minutes). Next we will open the floor to
questions from the audience, to allow them to ask questions
that specifically address their personal needs. If necessary,
the moderation will also have questions to panelist
members, to ensure that most for the important topics are
discussed. The total time will be one hour.
As additional material, we will provide a handout with
citations to literature on the topic and a list of questions for
possible new mothers to consider themselves.
OUTCOME
After this panel is over we would like the audience to leave
with the knowledge that pregnancy in graduate school does
have hurdles, but that it also has benefits. Weighing the
pros and cons of pregnancy in graduate school is our central
goal. Additionally, while there are no ‘right’ answers to
those questions posed below, creating a voice for this topic
can raise awareness and provide promise to future mothers.
The following are questions used to stimulate conversation:
• Does having a child add time to how long it takes to
graduate?
• When should one talk to an advisor or committee
members about plans for a family?
• Is there a ‘best’ time to be pregnant while receiving an
advance degree?
• What are some best practices about pregnancy and
graduate school?
• How can work change after having a child or children?
Do career outlooks change after having a child?
• What resources should one ask about (e.g., childcare,
lactation rooms, etc.)?
• Are there any differences in pregnancy experience
during graduate school versus post-graduate school?
• Do pregnancy strain existing relationships between you
and colleagues, friends, or a spouse?
• (Final question) What is one piece of advice you would
give about having a child in graduate school?
BIOGRAPHIES
Laurian Vega, Moderator
Laurian is a Ph.D. candidate in Human-Computer
Interaction at Virginia Tech and mummy of semi-planned
Cameron (7 months). She researches trust in the design of
software, and is a member of the Association for Women in
Computing and Systers. She is now working full time with
Cameron in daycare.
Mirkeya Capellan, Panel Member
Mirkeya is a DPS candidate in Professional Studies in
Computing at Pace University, an adjunct professor at
Pace’s Technology Systems Department, and a fulltime IT
Senior Consultant at Sogeti USA. She specializes in
Internet development, graphic design, and quality assurance
testing. She is a member of several professional
associations/groups like Systers, WomenTech, Latinas in
Computing, Load & Performance Testing, and others. She
has an AA in Liberal Arts from Hostos C. College, a BA in
Computer Science from Hunter College, and a MS in
Information Systems from Pace University. In addition, she
is the mother of three children ages 4, 12, and 16.
Deborah Tatar, Ph.D., Panel Member
Deborah Tatar (Ph.D. Stanford, Psychology) is currently a
tenured Associate Professor of Computer Science and
Psychology at Virginia Tech. She is also a member of the
Center for Human-Computer Interaction and an associate of
the Women and Gender Studies program. She has been a
denizen of the halls of Harvard, M.I.T., Digital Equipment
Corporation, Xerox PARC, Stanford, and SRI International.
While in graduate school, she and her husband had two
sons, who are now 16 and 13 years old.
Mara Silva, Panel Member
Mara is a PhD candidate in Computer Science at Virginia
Tech after working in Brazil. She researches body-based
interaction techniques for desktop games. Mara received a
Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from
UNICAMP, Brazil in 2000. Mara is a member of Latinas in
Computing, The Association for Women in Computing, and
Systers. Her first child is expected to arrive in a few weeks
(April 2009).
Other panelists
We are in the process of inviting and confirming the
participation of two other members for this panel. Both
invited panelists had at least one child while a graduate
student, and other child before or after her graduate studies.
We are sure that their experiences will bring richness to the
discussions on this panel.
REFERENCES
1. Williams, J.C. and D.L. Norton, Building Acaemic
Excellence through Gender Equity. American Academic,
2008. 4.
2. Rosser, S.V. and M.Z. Taylor (2008) Expanding Women's
Participation in US Science. Harvard International
Review 30.
3. ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and
Advancement of Women in Academic Science and
Engineering Careers (ADVANCE). 2008 [cited 2008
February 24th, 2009]; Available from:
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=53
83.
4. Monosson, E., ed. Motherhood, The Elephant in the
Laboratory. 1 ed. 2008, Cornell University Press: Cornell
University. 219.
5. Mason, M.A. and M. Goulden, Do Babies Matter (Part
II)? Closing the Baby Gap. Academe, 2004(November-
December).