Principal Lecturer Dr. Jan Plane named University Woman of Influence

Principal Lecturer Dr. Jan Plane has been named a University of Maryland Woman of Influence by the President's Commission on Women's Issues. Emerita Professor Ellin Scholnick, Faculty Ombuds Officer and Chair of the President's Commission on Women's Issues noted "We had a very strong pool of nominees, and Dr. Plane stood out among them as a true Woman of Influence."

Plane is the Director for the Maryland Center for Women in Computing (MCWIC). She heads the Computer Science Connect Program, a program that introduces middle school girls to computer science through fun, challenging, and enriching activities.  She has also led several delegations of university students to the Anita Borg Institute's Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.  She currently serves as the Associate Director of the ACES Cybersecurity Honors Program as well.

Professor Samir Khuller, Elizabeth Stevinson Iribe Chair of Computer Science, is one of three faculty members who jointly nominated Plane for the award. "This award is truly deserved. Jan Plane has been absolutely instrumental in launching many new programs as the Director of the Maryland Center for Women in Computing, and we are all absolutely delighted that she is being recognized publically for her work," he said. Michel Cukier, Director of the ACES Cybersecurity Program, Mihai Pop, Professor of Computer Science and Acting Director of The University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies  and Hal Daumé III, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Director of CLIP Lab also nominated Plane for the award.

Plane will receive her award at a ceremony on Friday, March 31, 2017, 2:00p-4:00p in the McKeldin Library Special Events Room at the annual Celebration of Women event. There will be a special panel commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the first women students on the University of Maryland, College Park campus.

To learn more about Dr. Jan Plane and her work, visit her website: https://www.cs.umd.edu/~jplane/