Name:
Maria Klawe
Title:
Dean of Science and Professor of Computer Science
Company:
University of British Columbia (UBC)
How I arrived at my present job (academic and other influences): Since getting my Ph.D. 22 years ago I've spent time in both universities (U. Toronto and UBC) and industry (IBM Research). I like both, but ended up preferring being in a university because I love working with students. I also like administration because of the opportunity it provides for making things better. I came to UBC as the Head of the Computer Science department in 1988, then spent 3.5 years as a senior VP (1995-1998), before becoming Dean of Science.
How I organize my day: I get up around 5 a.m., do email for a couple of hours, exercise for an hour, and get into work between 8:30 and 10 a.m. I'm in meetings all day until 5 or 6 p.m., and then go home. I spend the evenings with my kids (now 14 and 17) and husband (also a computer scientist who's a prof at UBC), and go to bed early (usually by 9 p.m.)
Amount of time spent working daily (at home and office): about 12 hours
What I do to get myself thinking creatively: Go running, play my guitar, paint (mostly watercolours), talk to my colleagues and family
My problem-solving strategy: describe the problem to some people so I can be sure I've identified all the issues, brainstorm with them for a while, and then be willing to experiment with possible solutions.
What I do to relieve stress: Go running, play my guitar, paint (mostly watercolours), talk to my colleagues and family
My hero, mentor, or person I most admire and why: have many people who have mentored me throughout my life. Right now, two really important people for me are my current boss, Barry McBride, the VP Academic at UBC, and my previous boss, Martha Piper, the President at UBC.
What I do to mentor those who work for me: Talk to them, encourage them, let them know I believe they will succeed.
How a negative event changed my life in a positive way: There were very few jobs in university math departments when I completed my Ph.D. in pure mathematics. I took a job at a smaller lower-ranked university and was thoroughly miserable. As a result I went back to do a second Ph.D. in computer science since I knew there were lots of jobs open in top computer departments. Within five months of starting my second Ph.D. I was asked to interview for jobs by several computer science departments. The University of Toronto, a top department, hired me a few months later and I never completed the second Ph.D.
What values are the most important to me and what I value in others: Honesty, integrity, openess, caring for others, creativity, vision, persistence, willingness to change.
What inspires, motivates, or gets me excited about my job on a daily basis: The ability to influence students' lives for the better.
Biography: Maria Klawe is currently the Dean of Science at the University of British Columbia, having served there as Vice-President of Student and Academic Services from 1995 to 1998, and Head of the Department of Computer Science from 1988 to 1995. Maria also holds the NSERC-IBM Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, one of five regional chairs across Canada. Maria’s chair is responsible for British Columbia and the Yukon, and emphasizes research and programs aimed at increasing the participation of women in information technology careers. Prior to joining UBC, Maria spent eight years with IBM Research in California, and two years at the University of Toronto. She received her Ph.D. (1977) and B.Sc. (1973) in Mathematics from the University of Alberta.
Maria has made significant research contributions in several areas of mathematics and computer science including functional analysis, discrete mathematics, theoretical computer science, and interactive-multimedia for mathematics education. She is the founder and director of the E-GEMS project, a collaborative project involving computer scientists, mathematics educators, teachers, children and professional game developers, that does research on the design and use of computer games in enhancing mathematics education for grades 4 to 9. E-GEMS has developed several innovative and successful prototype games, and has done seminal work in identifying important factors in the design of effective educational software. E-GEMS research also studies the role of gender in technology-based learning environments and has identified significant gender differences in how students interact with computers and software. This research is now being extended under the auspices of her NSERC-IBM Chair to how to attract and retain female students in courses and programs related to information technology.
Maria has also served on many boards and advisory councils, including the Board of Trustees of the American Mathematical Society (chair 95-96), the Computing Research Association (vice-chair 93-95), the BC Premier’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology (93-present), and the ACM Council (98-present). Maria was elected as a Fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery in 1995, and received the Vancouver YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Science and Technology in 1997.
Last Modified:
Location: www.acm.org/crossroads/dayinlife/bios/maria_klawe.html