Schools
Maplewood Professor Earns Nod As Mentor For Women, Minorities
Jenny Li, an assistant professor of computer science at Kean University, is a role model for "underrepresented" groups in STEM fields.
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — An outstanding role model from Maplewood who teaches computer science at Kean University recently earned a top award for her mentoring of women and “underrepresented” minorities.
Maplewood resident Jenny Li, an assistant professor of computer science at Kean University, has been recognized by the National Center for Women in Technology (NCWIT) for her outstanding mentorship efforts, school administrators announced Wednesday.
According to Kean University, Li’s mentoring has led to the publication of 20 co-authored papers. She has guided more than 70 students, of whom 40 percent are women and 60 percent belong to minority groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. Li was also recently featured in the 2018 edition of the NJBIZ Vanguard Series, which recognizes the "unsung heroes of higher education" in New Jersey.
Find out what's happening in Maplewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The enrollment of women in Kean’s computer science and information technology programs has increased 25 percent in the last two years. With Li as a faculty adviser, Kean also started an Association for Computer Machinery Women chapter which organizes career fairs, guest speakers and information sessions to help members achieve success in computer science and information technology fields.
- See related article: Female Graduates At This NJ College Are Beating The 'Gender Wage Gap'
“Kean students benefit immensely from having access, one-on-one, to a researcher and professor of Dr. Li's expertise,” said Patricia Morreale, executive director of Kean's School of Computer Science. “She encourages her students in a positive, engaging manner that allows them to be very successful.”
Find out what's happening in Maplewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"This positive feedback and recognition of my research mentoring work of the last several years is super motivating,” said Li, who was awarded the NCWIT Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award at the organization's annual summit in Texas.
“I'm always thrilled about students creating new technologies and applications with my guidance and support,” she added.
Don’t forget to visit the Patch Maplewood Facebook page here. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com
Photo: Kean University
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
