The <1%: Black women obtaining phds in computing

Abstract

In 2016, 49 Black women in the United States and Canada were enrolled in computer science PhD programs. This is less than one percent of total enrollment. In the same year, only 8 Black women earned the PhD. Additionally, Black women achieving tenured and tenure-track positions are sorely lacking in computer science, computer engineering and informatics departments. In 2016, 3 black females were full professors, 14 were associate professors, and 11 were assistant professors. In comparison, white female faculty numbers included 219 full professors, 144 associate professors, and 118 assistant professors. This research studies two main factors that deter black women from pursuing and achieving PhDs in computer science through understanding and uncovering the statistics provided by the Computing Research Association's annual Taulbee survey. Additionally, we explore the misrepresentation of the "unknowns" in the statistics. The next phase of this work will include a more in-depth analysis of the personal experiences of Black and Brown women in doctoral programs in the computer sciences.