Ms. Zoe Metzger and Mr. Russ Moriarty from the cybersecurity team of the global financial services firm Morgan Stanley joined over 40 Upper School students on Friday, December 6, to talk about their study and career paths in computer science, what they do as cybersecurity engineers, and the status of women in the computer science field. They shared insights and answered questions about their work in the technology department of a large financial corporation. Cybersecurity underpins the financial and health systems of the nation, the team stressed, noting that breaches have resulted in extreme impacts including harmful disruptions to everything from stock trading to surgery scheduling.

Women are needed in this critical field, they emphasized. Women make up only 25% of the STEM tech workforce, and women’s representation in cybersecurity jobs has been at a stagnant 20% for the past five years. Ms. Metzger and Mr. Moriarty encouraged students who don’t intend to pursue a tech-related major to build some computer science skills, explaining that they are broadly relevant. “You don’t have to be in an engineering position to understand the basics and how they are used,” said Ms. Metzger, emphasizing that “you will grow your career” through a working knowledge of what computer scientists are able to do, and “understanding how you can use technology in your role.”

Their tips for all students included learning about:

• Data visualization and storytelling: “A good graph goes a long way”
• Databases: “Understand Excel sheets and how data can be managed”
• Intro to programming: “Just know the basics; you can have a conversation with a programmer, you can describe what you need"
• Quantitative research: “It will be relevant in all your fields”

They recommended online resources including Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and YouTube for easy, free ways to learn. The X Block session included students from Computer Science classes, the Computer Science club, the Real World Finance club, the Robotics team, the Student Diversity Leadership Council, and current and past Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) students. Our guests spent a second hour working with the AP Computer Science Principles class, diving into coding. Their visit, timed for Computer Science Education Week, was coordinated by computer science teacher Melvin Smith, WISE academic coordinator Whei Moriarty, and James Center Director/Dean of Special Programs Andrea Perry. The program is part of a year-long celebration of “20 Years of WISE,” which launched in 2005 and has placed students with researchers in engineering, science, and social science, where they’ve built knowledge and skills connected to computer science, data science, applied mathematics, AI, machine learning, and more.

From ComputerScience.org
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects computer science research jobs will grow 19% by 2026. Yet, women only earn 18% of computer science bachelor's degrees in the United States. Despite the high job demand, computer science remains a male-dominated field in the United States. In response, many top colleges are making efforts to recruit female computer science students, making it an ideal time for women to pursue computer science degrees.