Anna Sigríður Islind, professor at the Department of Computer Science and Bridget E. Burger, a specialist within the research services at RU, have been awarded the Nordic Women in Tech Awards. The Nordic Women in Tech Awards celebrate and recognise female role models who have made outstanding contributions to the tech industry.

Anna Sigríður received the Liva Echwald Award, which is given in honour and memory of the Danish entrepreneur and founder of Female Founders of the Future (FFOF), Liva Echwald, who passed away far too young. In this category, nominations are given to women scientists who, like Liva, are considered role models in mentoring young entrepreneurs and tireless advocates for diversity and inclusion, showing women that nothing is impossible.

Anna Sigríður says the award is a great honour and that she is deeply moved to have been chosen as the recipient of the Liva Echwald Award this year.

The award is a huge honour for me. I have always been in a minority as a woman in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), as a woman in computer science. I was the third woman to be hired to the department of computer science at Reykjavik University, and I was the fourth woman to, in the whole history of Iceland, be promoted to the ranks of professorship within computer science, so it is safe to say female role models from the tech world are incredibly important to me. That fact has shaped my career and choices over the past 20 years, and I am strongly committed to creating a space where women and non-binary individuals can see computer science and other STEM fields as viable options for them. There are also way too many who leave STEM after some years in the profession, and that is a systemic and cultural issue that I try my very best to work on changing every single day. I try to pave the way for the next generation and try to cultivate incremental changes as much as I can to work towards creating spaces and cultures where women and non-binary individuals can not only survive but also thrive. I am deeply humbled and honored to have been chosen as the Liva Eschwald Award winner this year. Liva was such a role model who sadly passed away way too early. Liva spent her career relentlessly trying to be the change she wanted to see in the world, creating an environment where women and non-binary individuals would thrive. It is, therefore, nothing short of amazing to walk in her footsteps.

 Anna Sigríður adds that it is also a systemic and cultural problem that too many women and gender-diverse individuals eventually leave the field. She says she strives diligently to counter this in her work.

I try to pave the way for the next generation and contribute to small but steady changes that help create an environment and culture where women and gender-diverse individuals can not only survive but also thrive.

Advocates for increased opportunities

Bridget received the award in the Women in Tech Ally category, which is given to individuals who inspire others and have made a real impact in their community by increasing the number of women in the technology sector over the past two years.

It really is a great honour to be recognised for my work as an ally for Women in Tech. It is a huge honour just to be nominated, but to be the finalist from Iceland, and then win the award among all the Nordic countries, was really humbling and meaningful for me, especially being relatively new to Iceland. For years, I have worked to create opportunities for girls and women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) through education, at all levels from kindergarten to higher education. I always try to do what I can to benefit girls and women in this field, removing barriers, identifying opportunities, speaking up for others, and raising awareness in each position I have had, and it is just great to be acknowledged for that.

Bridget adds that the awards highlight for everyone, both within RU and outside of RU, that working to advance women in STEM does matter.

These awards speak to the impact and influence that working for the benefit of others can have—and the Women in Tech Ally award reinforces for our faculty and staff that each one of us can play a part in this work and make an impact by being an ally for women in STEM fields. For RU this is a great achievement to have two recipients, and it shows the world that we at RU value excellence, support diversity and strive for achievement.

Success of the ongoing efforts, though much remains to be done

The project Stelpur, stálp og tækni/Girls and Non-Binary in Tech, was established at Reykjavík University in 2014 as part of an initiative to encourage women to pursue studies in technology-related fields. As part of the project, ninth-grade girls from primary schools are invited to visit the university and local technology companies. The event is modelled after international initiatives, celebrating the global Girls in ICT Day each year.

Reykjavík University is also home to /sys/tur, an interest group for women and non-binary individuals in the university’s Computer Science Department. The group was nominated for an award at the 2023 Nordic Women in Tech Awards, and its mission is to build a strong network among its members and foster engagement and participation in the field.

A hackathon on gender bias in generative AI models has also been organised in collaboration between Reykjavík University (RU), the University of Iceland (UI), and Women Tech Iceland, with support from the European Digital Innovation Hub – Iceland (EDIH-IS) fund. Bridget was the project manager on behalf of RU. Through this collaboration, a partnership has also been established with Rannís to create a network of women in technology, which is now extending across Europe.

Both Bridget and Anna Sigríður agree on the importance and success of the ongoing efforts, but also emphasise that much remains to be done to achieve lasting progress.

We warmly congratulate Anna Sigríður and Bridget on their excellent work and achievements.

More information about The Nordic Women in Tech Awards can be found here