Stephan Krusche receives TUM's Angela Molitoris Diversity Award
Talent Management & Diversity, Awards |
It is awarded to TUM employees who are particularly committed to promoting women and strengthening diversity in science and teaching. The prize is named after Angela Molitoris (1912–2002), the first female syndic and first female chancellor of TUM, who was committed to the advancement of women in science throughout her life.
Stephan Krusche is Professor of Applied Education Technologies in the Department of Computer Science at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology. He received the award at the TUM Awards Dinner on November 14, 2024, in Munich.
Promoting women in Computer Science
Stephan Krusche is committed to equal opportunities and diversity in various ways. In particular, he promotes women in teaching and computer science as a subject. He tries to inspire female students to study computer science and offer them the support they need to succeed in a male-dominated field.
One outstanding event that Krusche has created is the “Breaking Barriers” lecture, which will take place again on December 18, 2024, as part of the “Introduction to Programming” course. Here, female students take on the role of lecturers and thus become role models. As they are close to their peers in terms of age and experience, the content they teach resonates more strongly with the students. Using examples from their personal application and research, they make the complicated world of programming more accessible. In this way, female perspectives in computer science become more visible, and young women learn that they can be successful in this discipline.
Inspiring the next generation of female computer scientists
As a TUM ambassador, Krusche supports several initiatives to promote girls and women in computer science. For example, he is involved in she.codes by TEC, a program that offers free programming courses for girls. This gives young women the skills they need to succeed in computer science and technology.
His doctoral candidate Ramona Beinstingel and his team are also involved in projects such as TUM Entdeckerinnen and Girls' Day, which aim to get schoolgirls interested in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The workshops and events give participants an understanding of programming. Female students serve as role models.
In the taster course “Schnupperstudium Computer Science”, high school girls gain their first experience in robotics, computer vision and software engineering during their vacations. As a result, they may decide to study computer science, where female students are underrepresented. At TUM, around 22 percent of computer science students are female.
Making successful women in computer science visible
Another notable project was the renovation of the "ITüpferl” - a research workshop and space for interactive workshops - and the decoration with pictures of successful women in computer science. This visual presence is intended to inspire and encourage girls and young women to actively participate in scientific discussions and find their way into computer science.
At ITüpferl, Krusche also organized a panel discussion with role model Esther Hare, Senior Director of Worldwide Developer Marketing at Apple. Hare emphasized the importance of programming skills in today's world. She emphasized that these skills help to create innovations and solve global problems.
The TUM LearnLabs also take place in the ITüpferl. Here, children from the 5th grade onwards get a deep insight into the world of computer science.
Commitment beyond the job of a professor
Stephan Krusche's work is a prime example of the promotion of equal opportunities in science and diversity in teaching. TUM also justifies its selection with the fact that his personal commitment goes far beyond the duties of a professor. But for him, it all goes together:
“In our role as lecturers, it is important to encourage and support talent. It is our duty to create an environment where students of all genders are encouraged to take a leadership role and express their unique points of view.”
He has made it his mission to break down barriers for women in computer science and actively create an inclusive, supportive environment that allows all students, regardless of gender or background, to fulfill their potential.