"New Italian American Dreams" - Dean Katia Passerini
Katia Passerini, Ph.D. is Dean of the College of Professional Studies at St. John’s University. She also holds a Professor appointment in the Division of Computer Science, Mathematics and Science. Letizia Airos: "As a woman and a dean, have you encountered particular difficulties?” Katia Passerini: “Well, especially in the tech sector, if you look at the composition of engineering or computer science classes, there's always 20% of students who are women and the remaining 80% are men. This creates a structure which is lacking in women both amongst students and faculty. This will change but we're not there yet. So, perhaps I can't say that I've encountered real difficulties, because in the end I also found many allies that have given me many opportunities for advancement. But being in a group of deans of which maybe you're the only woman, surely creates challenges when it comes to handling relationships, to the opportunity of presenting projects, and so on. They aren't insurmountable but we can do better.” This interview is part of our new series “New Italian American Dreams"
Katia Passerini, Ph.D. is Dean of the College of Professional Studies at St. John’s University. She also holds a Professor appointment in the Division of Computer Science, Mathematics and Science. Letizia Airos: "As a woman and a dean, have you encountered particular difficulties?” Katia Passerini: “Well, especially in the tech sector, if you look at the composition of engineering or computer science classes, there's always 20% of students who are women and the remaining 80% are men. This creates a structure which is lacking in women both amongst students and faculty. This will change but we're not there yet. So, perhaps I can't say that I've encountered real difficulties, because in the end I also found many allies that have given me many opportunities for advancement. But being in a group of deans of which maybe you're the only woman, surely creates challenges when it comes to handling relationships, to the opportunity of presenting projects, and so on. They aren't insurmountable but we can do better.” This interview is part of our new series “New Italian American Dreams"