When Davidson’s computer science major was approved in late 2016, the first few students to declare the new major were women — and women have been a proactive and leading force in the program ever since. Recognizing that technology can be an isolating experience, whether in school or at work, several women in the computer science program formed a women’s coding club called FICSIT in 2015-16. Their mission is to provide a safe and comfortable space for female programmers/computer scientists to foster out-of-classroom learning experiences and to encourage creativity and exploration in the computer science community.  FICSIT stands for Females In Computer Science and Information Technology, pronounced “fix it.” Get it?

FICSIT meets every other week. Their activities have included collaborative lessons in HTML and CSS, attending (and winning!) hackathons, discussing computer science classes and research opportunities, visiting the VR lab and Studio M (the campus makerspace), and interacting with technology professionals in person and online. Co-presidents Megan Goodling and Kendall Thomas are planning a focus on career exploration in 2018-19. They invite all Hurt Hub members, supporters and partners to suggest potential speakers and activities by contacting their advisor Laurie Heyer. Email laheyer@davidson.edu, or stop by and see her at The Hurt Hub!