Role Model

It's nice to be a role model, and I'm very proud of Kiri's independence and accomplishments.

Elaine Weyuker experienced the rigors of graduate work in electrical engineering and a professorship in computer science at a time when very, very few women were seen in the halls of those departments.

"When I was in graduate school in electrical engineering in the mid- to late 1960s, you could count on one hand the number of female students who were in the department alongside several hundred men. There were no women faculty at all, and no women's bathroom in the building. That's a real sign of how welcome you are, and a very discouraging message, when you can't use the bathroom in the building where your classes are held," Weyuker recalls.

"It wasn't much different when I did my Ph.D. in computer science," she continues. "I was the first woman to get a Ph.D. from my department, and when I went to NYU to teach, I was the only woman faculty member in my department. That remained true for almost all my 18 years there."

I expect we'll continue corresponding after I graduate because she's become a great friend.

Academia or industry?

Having endured such isolation is part of what has led Elaine to assist many women throughout her career in establishing theirs. Most recently she's been a mentor to Kiri Wagstaff, who is finishing her fourth year as Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Cornell University. Kiri and Elaine were paired by MentorNet for the '98-'99 academic year and have been communicating by email ever since.

According to Kiri, a different kind of isolation prompted her to sign up with MentorNet.

"As a grad student, the only professionals I was in contact with were those in my own department. It's difficult to meet people outside the university, except for possibly during an internship or at conferences," she says. "I've been trying to decide between working in academia and industry, and I realized that my advisor's primary experience is working at a university, so I thought that having a MentorNet mentor would enable me to learn about industry from someone who could be objective."

As it turned out, Elaine was that perfect someone. While at NYU, she had been the director of graduate studies and headed a fellowship committee. In 1993 she went to work at AT&T Labs, in Florham Park, New Jersey, where she is now a Fellow in the Research Division.

"Elaine has both perspectives, and she's been the perfect resource for me," Kiri says. "Plus, since we've been communicating for three years, she's aware of my history, and I don't have to explain the background on problems I might be having. I feel I can really trust Elaine when I talk about these things, because I know that she keeps our exchanges confidential. She's always made me feel comfortable coming to her with anything."

Advice about advisors

Among the issues Elaine helped Kiri sort through was how to interact with a graduate advisor.

"I thought I was a good communicator, but I was having difficulty talking with my advisor. Elaine helped me learn how to work with an advisor, and how to improve my communication skills," Kiri says. "When I asked Elaine for advice, she was able to both sympathize and provide some insight about what my advisor's position might be. She helped me to see the situation from both sides."

Passing It on

While they are very different people-a married, midlife Jewish woman from New York City raising a teenage daughter, and a young woman from rural Utah who loves astronomy and photography-Elaine and Kiri both come from worlds where going to college was not the norm. That has made Elaine's support particularly important, Kiri says.

"Elaine has been a real role model for me," Kiri says. "When MentorNet asked me each year if I wanted to be matched with someone new, I couldn't imagine it. I still can't imagine not talking with Elaine in the future. I expect we'll continue corresponding after I graduate because she's become a great friend." Based on her positive mentoring experience with Elaine, last fall Kiri volunteered to join a group of email mentors for middle-school girls.

Elaine accepts Kiri's compliment. "It's nice to be a role model, and I'm very proud of Kiri's independence and accomplishments, especially her perseverance in getting papers published early in her career," she says. "I help junior women whenever I can-by inviting them to give their first invited talk or to be on a program committee-because the truth is that women are often overlooked, and it's important they be given a chance. You can't win the game if you're not in the game."