Women in Computer Engineering and Science at CSU Fullerton

POSTED ON May 21, 2019

This weekend, Melissa Manzo graduated with a degree in computer engineering and a minor in computer science from California State University, Fullerton. “I’m glad I’m a woman of Hispanic descent in STEM,” she told Orange County Register (OCR). Manzo was part of a team that designed, manufactured and tested Mars Exploration Rover to compete in the University Rover Challenge. But she had to drop out because she already had a full load of classes and was working full-time to pay rent, according to OCR.

Susamma “Susan” Barua was appointed dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, effective June 1, 2018.

Barua told the Class of 2019 that it’s an exciting time to enter the engineering and computer profession since today’s world is interconnected through the internet of “everything” and data is being “collected from everywhere.”

In keeping with the commencement tradition, Barua also reminded grads that the college has prepared them for their future careers. “The rigorous classes that you took towards your degree requirements, the design projects that required you to tackle multidisciplinary challenges in teams, the numerous reports that you wrote, the project presentations you gave — all these have enabled you to get to the finish line today.”

Manzo was often one of only three or four women in a class of 25 to 30, the OCR wrote. “I don’t know why more women aren’t in engineering,” she said. “I know for a fact if you walk through the building you don’t see many women. Also, you don’t see many girls growing up being pushed to do that.”

After seven years at CSUF, Manzo is not sure what direction she wants to take but said she still wants to make a difference, maybe by creating a device that will help others or by getting into video game creation — particularly virtual reality.