Computer science lecturer introduces young women to programming at Explorathon 2012

DETROIT (May 17, 2012) - As technology becomes an increasingly important part of our lives, efforts to encourage young women to work and study in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) have also increased. Grace Metri, Wayne State University lecturer of computer science and Ph.D. candidate, was recently given the opportunity to do this by taking part in Explorathon 2012. Organized by the American Association of University Women, the one-day Explorathon 2012 event featured interactive workshops with female scientists, engineers, mathematicians and health professionals.

	Grace Metri

The event took place April 4 at Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Mich. Metri, along with Monika Witoslawski, a former Wayne State computer science lecturer, conducted three workshops on "Alice," a 3D programming software used to create animation for telling a story.

The event was attended by approximately 500 students and, according to Metri, was a success. "I loved working with Alice," one student wrote in her evaluation of Metri and Witoslawski's workshop. "I can't wait to show my friends what I did."

For Metri, the ability to get young students excited about programming is highly rewarding.

"It is very important for me to be part of events such as Explorathon because students get exposed to what can be possible through programming," Metri said. "Inspiring others and helping them find their path is one of the best gifts because it can potentially have a great impact on their lives."

Metri, who just finished her first year as a lecturer, was inspired by her professors to go into programming and to pursue a Ph.D.

"When I started attending college, I thought studying computer science was so boring," Metri said. "A professor convinced me to take a programming course and it completely changed my perception of computer science. It showed me that programming was fun and creative. So, I switched my major and my life has changed ever since."