I was always aware that there were few females in IT, and very few in high-profile positions. I guess I was always impressed that Carly Fiorina was running a major IT company, and her name was in the IT news quite regularly. Since I started my research, I have learnt a lot about the early pioneers of women in technology, and I guess Ida Lovelace is a bit of a hero for writing the first computer program when she didn't even have an actual machine to write it on. She also had a fairly checkered history which makes her interesting to me.

Why do you think there is a shortage of females studying IT and working in IT?

My thesis proposal answers this in about 120 pages, but I would have to say that I think perception is the biggest barrier. Many people think that IT is for geeky boys, and that it is boring and hard, and very technical. There are many reasons for this perception, and hopefully events such as the Go Girl expo in Western Australia will help change this, at least for the girls who attend. I am also hoping to identify other interventions as part of my research.

Where do you see your career in 10 years?

In 10 years, I would like to be working overseas, in either Ireland or the US, lecturing in computer science.