While women make up 47% of all employed adults in the U.S., as of 2022 they held only 28% of computing and mathematical roles. Data from Accenture shows that the ratio of women to men in tech roles has actually declined in the past 35 years. That study attributes the decline to a need for more inclusivity for women in the industry.
Change is scary, and is scarier for some when you cannot see the future. We know how difficult it is to change our eating habits; imagine trying to change an industry that moves fast and adapts slowly. That is precisely what Dr. Sam Zaza, an assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State University, is attempting to do in Murfreesboro.
“Diversity is not just about race or gender or ethnicity, but having different people, different backgrounds, different visions,” Zaza said.
Following the 2024 Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Management Information Systems Computers and People Research conference, Dr. Zaza and her colleagues are turning their energy into hosting Tech Vision, a forum slated for April 10, 2025, at MTSU.
“We want all stakeholders, all players in the region, to come and discuss how we can move technology forward in the area,” she said.
Dr. Zaza joined MTSU in 2018 after receiving her Ph.D. from Florida State University. One of the things that attracted her to the tech industry was the change.
“Technology is a changing field. It’s a field that, even if you are prepared for one year, doesn’t make you prepared for the rest of your life,” said Dr. Zaza. “As an educator, or just being in the technology field, I know it’s ever-evolving. And you can see its impact in every aspect of your life: society, business, everywhere.”
Working at MTSU allows the professor to encourage students to research areas that intrigue them and help them navigate the workplace, which has its challenges. Turn on the news any day of the week, and you hear about another tech layoff. These layoffs provide unique challenges for recent graduates, career changers, and even professors in preparing their students to enter the workforce.
To help more women enter the tech industry, Zaza encourages them to have their own identities despite the workforce’s gender imbalance over the last 40 years. When discussing the tech industry’s future, she highlights that “inclusion and belongingness are key.”
Regarding advice she gives students who are passionate about pursuing careers in technology and analytics, Dr. Zaza encourages them “to look at your career options. You are not limited to one or two positions or career paths. Having a career and a degree in the information system opens many doors for you.
“If they work on themselves and develop their soft and tech skills appropriately, it’s a great career. It’s a great profession. It’s well-paid, and you always have great opportunities and multiple positions. You’re not a stick, and you can jump between positions.”
Dr. Zaza has been active in the local tech community since moving to Middle Tennessee. To help attract more girls to a STEM major, she is involved with the Tennessee Girls in STEM, an annual conference that MTSU hosts and organizes for 5th- through 12th-graders to discuss what a tech career in STEM looks like. Recently, she also became a board member of the Women in Technology of Tennessee and is currently the scholarship director. To learn more about the WiTT Scholarship, visit wittn.org/scholarships. Zaza also won the 2023 Greater Nashville Technology Council Award for Diversity and Inclusion Advocate of the Year.
When talking to anyone about the future of technology, Artificial Intelligence is often one of the first things that comes up. But how does AI affect grades K–12, and does it increase the digital divide?
One of Dr. Zaza’s questions for educators is how they will deal with the AI divide.
“What worries me is if some schools can introduce AI to their students, but then you have some places, maybe in rural areas, that don’t have the capabilities to introduce AI. Then, there are two types of students entering college or university—one who is AI-ready, the other who is at a disadvantage, who is not AI-ready.”
Apple recently announced that it has partnered with OpenAI to incorporate AI into its software for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Next year’s Tech Vision forum will be a much-needed conversation for the community as technology continues to evolve in front of us.
In the meantime, Zaza aims to attract more women to tech and highlight the tech industry in Murfreesboro.
“We have a lot of potential in Murfreesboro, from industry to the capabilities of our students. Part of this is not working in silos and working collaboratively to have an impact on addressing our problems,” she said.
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Dr. Sam Zaza is an assistant professor at the Middle Tennessee State University Department of Information Systems and Analytics in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, a speaker, and a workforce consultant. Contact her at sam.zaza@mtsu.edu. For more information about the Information Systems and Analytics program, visit mtsu.edu/isa, call 615-898-2362 or email isa@mtsu.edu.
