Waverly Deutsch

You're 100% right that in the early 80s, the late 70s, early 80s, I was one of three or four women in my computer science classes.

You're 100% right that in the early 80s, the late 70s, early 80s, I was one of three or four women in my computer science classes.

Anywhere from 20 to 35. Oh, okay. Yes. You're a hundred percent correct in thinking that it was very male dominated. I think today in college classes, in computer science, in STEM, you'll have a higher percentage of women, but it still won't exceed. It won't reach 50% in a lot of cases, but it was 5% at best when I was studying computer science.

Anywhere from 20 to 35. Oh, okay. Yes. You're a hundred percent correct in thinking that it was very male dominated. I think today in college classes, in computer science, in STEM, you'll have a higher percentage of women, but it still won't exceed. It won't reach 50% in a lot of cases, but it was 5% at best when I was studying computer science.

I was very lucky in that the head of the computer science department at the University of Pittsburgh happened to be a woman. So I at least had visual role models because, of course, in computer science, most of my teachers were also men. So I did have a female role model to look to when I was a computer science student. I got along really well with the nerdy guys.

I was very lucky in that the head of the computer science department at the University of Pittsburgh happened to be a woman. So I at least had visual role models because, of course, in computer science, most of my teachers were also men. So I did have a female role model to look to when I was a computer science student. I got along really well with the nerdy guys.

I've always had nerdy guys as friends. I have my nerdy side. I'm a science fiction fantasy fan. I cut school in high school to go see The Empire Strikes Back on its very first day in release with my friend Michael, who we called Zonar. I am a nerd, and I got along really well with my nerdy, computer science classmates, I also got along really well.

I've always had nerdy guys as friends. I have my nerdy side. I'm a science fiction fantasy fan. I cut school in high school to go see The Empire Strikes Back on its very first day in release with my friend Michael, who we called Zonar. I am a nerd, and I got along really well with my nerdy, computer science classmates, I also got along really well.

I have, I don't want to brag, but I have what I think is a fairly well-developed EQ from my mother. I got along really well in theater and I got along really well with my much more artsy feeling theater friends. They were two totally different worlds. They did not overlap at all.

I have, I don't want to brag, but I have what I think is a fairly well-developed EQ from my mother. I got along really well in theater and I got along really well with my much more artsy feeling theater friends. They were two totally different worlds. They did not overlap at all.

The question of gender, I think, is a really important one in the conversation that we're having because you're talking about love and logic. And very often, love gets attributed to the feminine and logic gets attributed to the masculine. And they have always been a blend in my life. And I fundamentally believe that they are a blend in humanity.

The question of gender, I think, is a really important one in the conversation that we're having because you're talking about love and logic. And very often, love gets attributed to the feminine and logic gets attributed to the masculine. And they have always been a blend in my life. And I fundamentally believe that they are a blend in humanity.

that we artificially separate into, have to be honest, and maybe this is a little too much information for your podcast audience, but I do not comply with gender norms. I never have. I was a tomboy growing up. I am... tall for a woman. I wear my hair very short. I have a deep voice. I frequently get mistaken for a man. I identify 100% as a woman, as female. My pronouns are she, her.

that we artificially separate into, have to be honest, and maybe this is a little too much information for your podcast audience, but I do not comply with gender norms. I never have. I was a tomboy growing up. I am... tall for a woman. I wear my hair very short. I have a deep voice. I frequently get mistaken for a man. I identify 100% as a woman, as female. My pronouns are she, her.

But I have always felt this blend of the masculine and feminine in my life. And it goes right to this question of love and logic. So as a woman who had tomboy characteristics, that's what they would have been called in that day.

But I have always felt this blend of the masculine and feminine in my life. And it goes right to this question of love and logic. So as a woman who had tomboy characteristics, that's what they would have been called in that day.

Yes, and I love that you bring in Pride Month because I think one of the amazing things to watch over the last... several generations is how the younger generations have embraced this gender ambiguity, gender fluidity that when you and I were growing up was not really available to us. Nevertheless, let's go back to this conversation of how I did as a female in the computer science department.

Yes, and I love that you bring in Pride Month because I think one of the amazing things to watch over the last... several generations is how the younger generations have embraced this gender ambiguity, gender fluidity that when you and I were growing up was not really available to us. Nevertheless, let's go back to this conversation of how I did as a female in the computer science department.

I was accepted by my male colleagues and I thrived. I did very well. You asked a follow-up question, what then took you back to theater? Yep. So I loved computer science and I loved programming, but I'm not a solitary person. I'm a social person. When I was thinking about what I wanted to do after college, I was pursuing a couple of different tracks.

I was accepted by my male colleagues and I thrived. I did very well. You asked a follow-up question, what then took you back to theater? Yep. So I loved computer science and I loved programming, but I'm not a solitary person. I'm a social person. When I was thinking about what I wanted to do after college, I was pursuing a couple of different tracks.