NW Missouri Times

Twenty-two students from Northwest Missouri State University attended the Missouri Iowa Nebraska Kansas Women in Computing (MINK-WIC) conference held in Lenexa, Kansas, in October. The event focused on the theme “Ethics, Emerging Tech, and Transformation” and featured guest panels, research poster competitions, and keynote speakers.

Dr. Cindy Tu, associate professor of computer science and information systems at Northwest, served as co-chair for the conference and led a workshop session on résumé building. “The conference bridges academic learning with professional growth,” Tu said. “Students not only attend technical and career sessions but also engage in networking and mentoring activities that build soft skills, communication, teamwork and leadership. By interacting with researchers, industry experts and graduate students, they can gain a clearer sense of the pathways available to them after graduation.”

During the conference, students participated in various sessions designed to help them network with professionals in computing fields. Addison Rinehart and Andrea Forman presented an undergraduate research poster about credit card fraud detection.

Sophomore Adi Thota commented on her experience: “It was super encouraging to hear real-world stories from people in the field and learn how to stand out, especially as women in tech,” she said. “Erin Waldron, the keynote speaker, talked about how important it is to take initiative and make your own story, which really stuck with me.”

Andrea Forman shared her perspective on participating: “The conference will continue to impact me and help me grow because I learned a lot about what it means to strive for excellence in the world of technology, and I also learned a lot about emerging technology that will soon, if not now, be part of my career,” she said.

MINK-WIC is a two-day event that brings together students, faculty members, and leaders from technology industries across Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. The conference aims to encourage young women to pursue opportunities in computing while providing networking opportunities among peers and professionals. It was co-founded in 2011 by Dr. Carol Spradling—a Northwest alumna who is now retired from teaching computer science.