OBU Website Top Hit for Women in Programming

January 4, 2007

Dr. Cindy Hanchey wasted no time utilizing the World Wide Web for sharing information. A decade after she tasked students in an Oklahoma Baptist University class with developing an online programming resource, the site holds the top spot in an international web search.

In the fall of 1996, less than a year after OBU launched its website, Hanchey's students were asked to create a website featuring information about women in programming as a class assignment. The site is the top hit on Google.com for those searching for "women in programming."

The site is updated by students every two years and was recently updated by OBU seniors Micah Jones and Phillip Rowland.

"This is a wonderful resource for OBU students, particularly women, who are interested in programming," said Hanchey, OBU's Wheeler associate professor of computer science. "Related websites have linked to our website, and many other universities are able to use this website as well."

The website features biographical sketches of women involved in the development of programs. The site also provides a listing of related websites as well as organizations that promote women in programming.

Being number one has helped the site gain the attention of organizations across the country.

"This is a terrific resource," said Suzanne Menzel, a senior lecturer in the department of computer science at Indiana University, in Bloomington, Ind.

Lecia Barker from the National Center for Women & IT also complimented the OBU website, stating it is a "fabulous" source of information for women in the programming field.