{"id":14248,"date":"2016-07-21T08:46:10","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T13:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=14248"},"modified":"2024-07-02T16:28:46","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T16:28:46","slug":"computer-scientist-diane-pozefsky-i-started-building-software-and-saw-the-impact-it-could-have","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=14248","title":{"rendered":"Computer scientist Diane Pozefsky: ‘I started building software and saw the impact it could have’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"diane-pozefsky\"Diane Pozefsky<\/a> is a research professor and director of undergraduate studies in the UNC<\/span> College of Arts &<\/span> Sciences Department of Computer Science. Pozefsky\u2019s expertise includes software engineering and the social, legal, and ethical issues concerning information technology. She also helped build the networks for the 1998 Nagano Olympics and the IBM<\/span>\u00a0Corporation.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

When you were a little girl, what was your response to this question: \u201cWhat do you want to be when you grow\u00a0up?\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

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I grew up in the \u201950s, so I\u2019m not sure little girls were asked that question. By the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to work with computers or be an architect \u2014 two fields I knew nothing about.<\/p>\n

Share the pivotal \u201cmoment\u201d in your life that helped you choose research as a\u00a0career\u00a0path.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was first attracted to computers because they were a cool new thing that people didn\u2019t understand. They had the same appeal as MAGIC<\/span>. When I started working with computers, there was a time when it was hard to see what differences computers could make in peoples\u2019 lives. Then, I started building software and saw the impact it could have. I was\u00a0hooked!<\/p>\n

\"Pozefsky
Pozefsky and Hiroshi Takayasu, then-manager of the IBM Japan Olympics Networking team, hold a Daruma Doll \u2014 a Japanese good luck symbol for success that keeps people focused on their goal. This doll, in particular, was a symbol for the success of the Olympics. (photo courtesy of Diane Pozefsky)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What\u2019s an interesting thing that happened while you were doing research?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I led a team working with IBM<\/span> Japan to help assure that the network would work flawlessly for the duration of the 1998 Nagano Olympics. This came with a lot of challenges, like the distrust of the Japanese team of outside \u201cinterference.\u201d We had to prove we weren\u2019t there to take over \u2014 complicated by the fact that I was a woman leading the \u201coutside\u201d team, and I outranked the lead of the Japan team. But we gained their respect by solving problems, and their friendship by simple things like arranging phone call times so that no one group always had to take them in the middle of the\u00a0night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

During this time, I also ran the Internet caf\u00e9 at the curling venue. The curling athletes were an incredible group \u2014 true amateurs with minimal support from countries or corporations. Aside from using the Internet to keep in touch with family and friends, they patiently answered fan questions \u2014 even when they were less than sincere. They were passionate about their sport and wonderful ambassadors. I would regularly see them on the trains and be greeted as \u201cthe Internet lady.\u201d (I confess: I still watch curling every four\u00a0years.)<\/p>\n

What advice would you give to up-and-coming female researchers in your\u00a0field? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Computer science is an incredibly broad field. Don\u2019t settle for working on an aspect of it that doesn\u2019t excite you. Remember that many of the most exciting advances in the field are at the intersection of computer science and other fields. Explore those boundaries, especially those areas that are your second\u00a0passions.<\/p>\n

Story courtesy of Endeavors magazine\u2019s Women in Science <\/a>Wednesday series.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diane Pozefsky is a research professor and director of undergraduate studies in the UNC College of Arts & Sciences Department of Computer Science. Pozefsky\u2019s expertise includes software engineering and the social, legal, and ethical issues concerning information technology. She also helped build the networks for the 1998 Nagano Olympics and the IBM Corporation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":14249,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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