Alumna Co-Chairs Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing

By Scottie Barsotti sbarsotti(through)cmu.edu

Carnegie Mellon University alumna Lani Fraizer is co-chair of the 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference, Sept. 26-28.

Lani Fraizer Fraizer, who graduated from CMU's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy with a master's degree in information technology management in 2002, said the conference has played an enormous role in her life, both professionally and personally.

"GHC is a celebration of diversity and inclusion for women in technology. It's a community in which we come together to learn cutting-edge content in areas like AI, robotics, products, product development, educational technology, leadership and career development, and where women can support each other as they evolve into their careers," Fraizer said. "Young women need to be exposed to a community of practice where they can learn and get to know other people and role models, or eventually have a mentor. Some of these things typically happen in a more informal setting, but having an external community that you can be a part of consistently is an important part of growth and development. When you're in school, you have a community, but when you get beyond that it's so important to have a space like GHC."

In a recent Q and A, she discussed the ongoing impact of the GHC, what co-chairing the conference means to her and the need for diverse perspectives in technology.