Expanding Diversity and Gender Equity in Tech Initiative
Despite significant efforts to increase the enrollment and graduation rate of women and other under-included identities in STEM disciplines, the high attrition rate of female and BIPOC engineers in industry is a looming threat to the future of the U.S. economy. Negative workplace experiences have been found to be the most significant reason for leaving engineering careers. Our goal is to strive for a world in which women and all identities in technical fields are proportionately represented and equitably compensated throughout the professional ranks in industry, academia, and the public sector.
In 2017, CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and the UC Berkeley College of Engineering came together to launch the Women in Tech Initiative at the University of California building on the prior efforts of Tsu-Jae King Liu and Camille Crittenden, both of UC Berkeley. In March 2021, the program changed its name to the Expanding Diversity and Gender Equity in Tech Initiative (EDGE in Tech) to better reflect efforts to address intersectionality and more nuanced barriers to equitable participation in tech.
The EDGE in Tech Initiative at the University of California (EDGE in Tech) is committed to addressing the challenges faced by women and other under-included identities in engineering and computer science fields by serving as a trusted center and resource that integrates research with action.