Guess What? You Might Be a Computer Scientist

By Kim Wunner, April 17, 2025

Ithaca College is showing high school students the creative possibilities of STEM though the Tech Innovation Summer Academy.

AI and VR are just a few of the immersive experiences students will have at IC's Tech Innovation Summer Academy

Gaming and VR headsets are only a few of the immersive experiences at the Tech Innovation Summer Academy. (Photo by Shelly Jackman)

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is seeing its heyday and increased popularity offering amplitudes of career paths in a technology-driven world. However, the STEM fields are largely homogenous in makeup with men, white men, comprising 60% of the STEM workforce.

One of the barriers is self-identity; some people do not see themselves as engineers, scientists, or mathematicians. Maybe it is because they do not have exposure to STEM professionals in their lives or they have a specific vision of what an engineer, scientist or mathematician is and does.

This is particularly true of computer science. And it is something a team at IC is looking to change.

Toby Dragon, associate professor and assessment coordinator in IC’s Department of Computer Science, would wager there are more computer scientists out there than we imagine: “I think there's a large crowd of people that want to do something interesting and meaningful and haven't really thought that computer science is that thing for them. And those are the people that I really think, if I had a few minutes with, I could maybe change their view of that.”

“There's not a single field you can think of a that isn’t touched by STEM. Our whole goal here is we want to catch the imagination. We want to get these students excited about that.”

John Barr, IC computer science professor and Summer Academy co-chair

Dragon is going to have those few minutes—in fact, he’s got a whole week. This summer, Ithaca College is launching its first Tech Innovation Summer Academy. In July, two dozen high school students will have an immersive week exploring and playing with robotics, web design, AI, gaming, hardware, VR, and more. The Academy is a residential program, with a full curriculum of activities and fun, promising to spark imagination with hands-on STEM learning. And, the best part—it is completely free.

Funded by IC alum Monica Bertino Wooden ’81, the Tech Innovation Summer Academy is IC’s answer to dispelling the myth of who a computer scientist is by making it accessible and fun for everyone. They want students who are simply curious to learn.

More Than a Nerd at a Computer

Many of us think of computer science as a solitary act sitting in front of a computer coding. We might think of the person doing that as a math nerd—someone who is socially awkward and wicked smart. While that may have been the case in TV and movies, it is an inaccurate portrayal of the field and who it is accessible to.

Images of Farms, Legos, Cameras and Construction.

What do these images have in common? Every single one uses technology.

From agriculture to the theatre, Legos to video games, farming to construction, medical records to photography, even athletics and art, all use computers in some way. We order supplies, clock in to work, record and distribute our songs, fly planes, build bridges, make phone calls, and play video games. All of these activities require the use of technology (the “T” in STEM) in one way or another.

Computer science professor and Summer Academy co-chair John Barr expands on that idea: “ There's not a single field you can think of a that isn’t touched by STEM. Our whole goal here is we want to catch the imagination. We want to get these students excited about that.”

Dragon and Barr are resolute about destroying the myth that computer science is a person behind a computer at a desk all day. “If you're stuck in a dark room staring at a computer screen, that's not computer science. It might be programming. It might be some very limited set of programming. People who work with computers and programming need to work with people. They need to understand people. They need to get out and talk to people. They need to be able to communicate about the things that they do.”

Take video game development, something the average person sees as a career path for computer science. Maybe we marvel at the amount of programming needed to make the medium. What we might not think about is that making a video game requires the collaboration of many disciplines intersecting: there are songwriters and production for soundtracks, graphic artists and illustrators, programmers, writers to create story scripts, marketers to bring the game to the world, retailers to sell merch, accountants at the gaming company, and influencers playing the games. Yes, programming a video game is a possible career path, but all those mentioned above (and then some) bring unique skills and talents to make it happen.

A Little Bit Goes a Long Way

Some of us of a certain age might remember programming classes in C+ and C++ and Java, the languages of the 1990s and 2000s. Those languages required a staggering level of proficiency to really be able to create with them. Now, the dominant language is Python, considered to be simple, readable, and versatile. A little knowledge goes farther than it used to. “What we're trying to do,” says Dragon, “ is help even high school students recognize that if you know a little bit about this kind of technology, you can really do cool things, especially if you have people to help guide you. And that's where we come in, kind of trying to curate this experience to bring in some technology that's interesting and fun to play with and demonstrate that power.”

"When I was at Ithaca College, all my electives were in the computer science department. And it really gave me the base to pursue an information technology career."

Monica Bertino Wooden, '81

Wooden knows that story, which is why she’s funding the program. Wooden attended Ithaca College to study physical education. While here, she took computer science classes to help develop analytical thinking. After earning her degree, she looked at grad schools with the aim of becoming a basketball coach. One day, Wooden got a call from a professor at the University of Georgia -they were interested in a phys ed major who was really strong in computer science and math. She wound up attending and while there, the computer science skills she learned at IC lead to Wooden doing statistical analysis for doctoral students. This led to a full-blown love of computer science. Wooden went on to establish, grow, and sell a supply chain business—all originating from what she learned in computer science at Ithaca College. As Wooden puts it, “When I was at Ithaca College, even though I was a physical education major, all my electives were in the computer science department. And it really gave me the base to pursue an information technology career.”

Wooden so believes in the power of exposing STEM and computer science to as many students as possible, that she funded the Academy. What she, Dragon, and Barr are aiming to accomplish is to introduce students with all kinds of minds and interests to the power of tech in the areas they are interested in. Wooden built her business on software and with transportation—both highly male-dominated STEM fields.

“Computer science is at its best when it has tangent types of skills, which a lot of women have. And so, when you mix those together, you end up with things that are actually usable.” It is that collaboration of passions and minds – all minds regardless of identity and backgrounds that the Tech Innovation Summer Academy will engage.

Dragon sums it up: “I will be happy if… the people who come to join the program leave feeling encouraged and excited about learning and experimenting with technology in general. That's my goal.”

Discover Your Inner Computer Scientist

Apply for IC’s Technology Innovation Summer Academy today.

On the Cutting Edge of Tech

Explore Ithaca College’s Department of Computer Science in the School of Humanities and Sciences. We offer a B.A., B.S., minor and certificates with hands-on undergrad research opportunities.

Passionate Philanthropy

Monica Wooden’s support of the Technology Innovation Summer Academy, inspired by her passion in STEM and computer science, will make differences in young people’s lives. To learn how your support can make an impact, in whatever field personally drives you, please contact associate vice president for advancement April Mazza.