2009 G.I.R.L. Scholarship

Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 G.I.R.L. Scholarship to help educate and recruit more women into the field of video game production and design. Sponsored by Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) a global leader in online gaming, and administered by Scholarship America®, a leading non-profit educational support program, applications are available at https://www.scholarshipamerica.org/gamersinreallife and more details, including official rules for entry are available online at http://www.station.sony.com/girl/.

For 2009, the scholarship winner has the option of working at SOE San Diego on our forthcoming MMO Free Realms.

Applications are due by April 29, 2009.

Call for Submissions: Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has announced the call for submissions for the 2009 Dr. Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund, established to support students in pursuit of careers in game design, development and production. The AIAS will award four $2,500 scholarships to students attending accredited universities.

The scholarship fund honors Dr. Randy Pausch, professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Dr. Pausch, a co-founder of CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), has had great influence within the industry through his teachings, sabbaticals at Walt Disney Imagineering and Electronic Arts and consultation with Google on user interface design.

Information on the Dr. Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund and the application process will be available beginning March 31, 2009 at www.interactive.org.

Girls in Tech NYC Relaunch Party

The NYC chapter of Girls in Tech has relaunched with a new Managing Director and organizing team. Our goal is the enrich the experience of women in technology in the New York metro area, helping them to make connections, learn valuable career and life skills, and, above all, have FUN with other like-minded women in the thriving New York tech community.

(Pssst...this event is co-ed. Gents are welcome too!)

RAFFLE PRIZE

We'll be raffling off a hot KaraB laptop bag courtesy of eBags. Your ticket for the door gets you a ticket for the raffle!

GUEST SPEAKERS

Juliette Powell is a media entrepreneur, a community catalyst and author of '33 Million People in the Room: How to create, influence and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking' http://www.juliettepowell.com/book.php

Drawing on first hand experience as a social media expert and co-founder of The Gathering Think Tank, an innovation forum that connects technology, media, entertainment, and business communities, Powell writes about the patterns and practices of successful business leaders who bank on social networking to win. Powell’s background includes a decade of experience in broadcast television as well as in interactive/new media content and formats, and a lifelong interest in people and community-building. With her deep knowledge of the people and technologies at the forefront of social media, Powell has gained a solid reputation for discovering the latest developments and distilling their social and business implications. Her consulting services have been employed by corporate,government and new media organizations, including Red Bull, Mozilla,Microsoft, Compaq, Trump International, the United Nations, the Departmentof Justice, Paltalk, Rocketboom and Nokia.

Joanne Colan has 7 years experience hosting, writing, co-producing and creating broadcast television and radio for major networks and cable channels across international markets.

A recognized name in New Media, Joanne currently hosts daily the video blog Rocketboom <http://www.rocketboom.com/>. With over 100,000 downloads per episode, Rocketboom has been awarded Vloggies Best News Vlog and was an honorary Webby Award 2007 winner.

When: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Where: M1-5 Lounge
Cost: $10 advance, $15 at the door
RSVP: http://gitnyc033109.eventbrite.com/

Could You Imagine "Blind" Interviews?

from Women for Hire newsletter:

Before blind auditions became common in the 70s, just 10% of new hires at major U.S. orchestras were women. The theory was that women weren't very good musicians. But labor unions protested the hiring process and pushed for blind auditions where musicians would try out behind a curtain so appearance and gender were concealed. In studying personnel from 11 major orchestras, Harvard economist Claudia Goldin and Princeton’s Cecelia Rouse found that 29% of females and 20% of males advanced to the final round in blind auditions. When auditions were not blind, only 19% of women advanced compared to 23% of men. Even though sex discrimination is hard to measure, those stats speak volumes. Fortunately, since the 80s, about half the new hires at the New York Philharmonic, 40% at the San Francisco Symphony and more than a third in Boston and Chicago have been women.

Paid Maternity Leave is a Win-Win Formula

In this op-ed for the Financial Times, Michael Skapinker argues that even in these times of economic downturn, it is more beneficial to companies and to society to have paid maternity leave than to force a mother to resign if she wants to stay with her baby. Some say that it imposes extra costs -- but on the other hand, perhaps in these times, companies may want a valued worker who comes in part-time to the office.

An excerpt:

There are not many countries in the world with no paid maternity leave. The International Labour Organisation lists only four others: Lesotho, Swaziland, Papua New Guinea and the US. To anyone living in a country where paid maternity leave is well-established, the consequences of not having it are arresting. In the US, the law requires companies with more than 50 employees to offer at least 12 weeks' unpaid leave after childbirth. What do US mothers do after that?

Why Women Managers Shine in a Downtown

In this article, Michel Ferrary, Professor of Management at Ceram Business School in France, finds that his research shows that companies with more women in management seem to be better protected against financial crisis. In contrast, companies with mainly male management had their stock prices decrease more than the French CAC 40 stock exchange index. The more women in the management, the less the share price decreased. There is a significant coefficient of correlation.

Excerpt:

In conditions of high uncertainty, financial markets value companies that take fewer risks and are more stable. Several gender studies have pointed out that women behave and manage differently from men. They tend to be more risk-averse and to focus more on a long-term perspective. A larger proportion of female managers appears to balance the risk-taking behaviour of their male colleagues.

WIGI Community Mixer at GDC 2009

Location:
The Art Institute of California - San Francisco
1170 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(Just a few short blocks from Moscone center at 7th & Market Streets)

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Time: 6:30 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

RSVP through Facebook, LinkedIn, or Evite

Women who hit glass ceiling are pushed to start new businesses

"New research from the University of Illinois at Chicago's College of Business Administration suggests Parry is correct. Professors found that the perception that women will have more family-work conflicts than men exists today, even when evidence runs to the contrary.

They also found the stereotype affects women's upward mobility, said Jenny Hoobler, an assistant professor of management who led the study.

"We found that rather than women's actual family-work conflict, bosses' biased perceptions" of it account for why women are given fewer promotions, she said."

Petition to Congress for Equal Pay Remedy

Dear Friend,

Last year, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes necessary to force an up-or-down vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would mandate that women receive equal pay for equal work. Now, with a new session of Congress in place, the House is ready to take up the fight again.

With President-elect Obama soon to take office, we now have a real chance to pass this legislation that could do so much for so many American women. There will be a battle in the Senate, and the best way to come out of the gate strong is for the bill to pass by an overwhelming majority in the House.

Women across America are counting on Congress - I just took action to tell my member of Congress to support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. I hope you will, too.

Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/support_ledbetter/?r_by=-1935465-3wAQb9x&rc=paste

Thanks!

Animation Army WIGI Mixer in L.A.

Date: Sun, Jan 18, 2009
Time: 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Hosted by: Animation Army & WIGI

This month's PRESENTER: Richard Taylor - EA Games
Richard has been working on the cutting edge of visual CG production for decades. From directing effects on Disney's TRON to winning CLIOs and HUGOs for directing huge commercial campaigns like the 7 Up "Spot." Richard is now the Cinematic Director at Electronic Arts L.A. Studio where he designs and directs cinematic sequences for games such as: Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth, I & II, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.

THANKS TO RICHARD & EA GAMES SOME LUCKY ATTENDEES WILL WIN SOME NEW EA GAMES FOR
XBOX AND Wii...DON'T MISS IT!!

We are also giving away a "resume overhaul" ($600 value) from the Mary-Margaret Network and a career coaching session from Pamela Thompson recruiting, fully rigged 3D character design from Evolver and games from Electronic Arts.

Our generous sponsors include: Mary-Margaret Network, Evolver, Pamela Thompson Recruiting, Electronic Arts and Sheppard Mullin.

WIGI Vancouver Fundraiser

Tuesday, December 9, 2008
6 pm to 9 pm

Co-hosted by Wired Woman & Women in Games International
$25 members (visit www.wiredwoman.com > -
membership is free! so subscribe and then register) / $35 non-members

Special $10 student rate:
email mentorship.van@wiredwoman.com to obtain your student rate! (Please
show valid student ID at the door).

Secretly wanting to expose your inner Rock Band? Have a competitive edge in
you? Or just want to come out and have fun, network, and mingle? Join us for
a pre-Christmas mixer! This event is going to be a blast! Lots of door
prizes, games, contests, great people, food, drinks, engaging conversation
and a whole lotta fun!

PLUS.... BREAKING NEWS:
We'll be rockin'. Battle of the Bands - ROCKBAND

This event is a fundraiser. Funds will enable our Vancouver chapter to
grow, and other directives to be determined at upcoming focus groups.

Women in Games International Launches Online Auction

eBay Auction Raise Funds for National Games Non-Profit

Women in Games International (WIGI) presents their WIGI Celebrity Ebay Auction, a collection of over a hundred video games and game-related merchandise items -- much of it signed by industry leaders -- being auctioned to raise funds for Women in Games International.

If there's one thing gamers love more than games themselves, it's awesome game-related merchandise. That's why Women in Games International is happy to announce their 2008 celebrity auction, a collection of over 100 items generously donated by leaders in the video game industry -- including Bungie, Microsoft Game Studios, Electronic Arts, and many other game companies.

WIGI auction items include everything from signed blockbuster games to game design books to hard-to-find vintage paraphernalia. You can check out their website for a full list of items. A few items that may pique the interest of bidders include Halo 3 high-quality black messenger bag with Halo figurine, books, and posters, signed special edition Xbox 360 copy of Frontlines with signed Kaos shirt, signed Gears of War messenger bag, Gears of War bottle opener, and An Inside Look at Gears of War 2 book, and much, much more.

To find the WIGI auction items online and starting the bidding process, visit: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/silvar1_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ, or just go to eBay.com and search for "2008 WIGI Auction." Bidding for the auction begins Saturday, 11/22, in conjunction with the Philadelphia event VGXPO. All proceeds go to support Women in Games International, a non-profit organization that has been working over the last four years to further the inclusion and advancement of women in the game industry.

Visit www.womeningamesinternational.org to see the complete auction item list. Just in time for the holidays, you can begin your bidding online for unique game gifts on Saturday, November 22.

Recession dents image of macho management

"It has been suggested these women will be able to guide the banks through tough times without taking the kind of aggressive risks that brought the country's banking system to its knees. One government official said at the time: "The men make the mess and the women come in to clean it up."

Yet, according to analysis of British companies carried out by the Financial Times, troubled companies would be misguided to rely on female chief executives derisking their operations after male misadventures.

If anything, the research suggests that companies with female CEOs tend to be even more aggressive - with many pursuing ambitious expansion strategies and borrowing large amounts."

Where Are the Video Games Women Really Want?

"The notion, however, that men alone rule the gaming realm is as outdated as the Atari 2600. Men, women and children alike have answered the call to play. While the gaming industry has long tailored its approach to gaming for young men and boys, women and girls have been largely left out."

Female Representation In Games Across Genres, Consoles

Which Genres Provide Male-Only, Female-Only Protagonists?

Women left on sidelines in video game revolution

L.A. times article looks into glass ceilings and the gender gap in salaries.

"Those who do land game-related jobs make less money on average than their male counterparts. Women at all levels of the field earned an average of $64,643 last year, while men earned $74,459, according to the survey."

Co-worker hobbies encourage synergy, productivity

Staff sing from one hymn sheet

Take a leaf out of these corporate bibliophiles' book, FT, Oct 14, 2008

"Reading, especially high quality reading, is the mental equivalent of losing weight, eating better or going to the gym and has similar benefits."

2 articles from the Financial Times highlight that corporate programs done for seemingly frivolous entertainment have led to synergy and increased productivity.

The Sony Philharmonic Orchestra, composed mostly of engineers in Sony's divisions, has had the positive side effect of collaborations between departments. Reading programs have led to reading groups and book clubs. Reading not only improves communication skills but also, research of brain scans indicate that people who read literature, such as Shakespeare, have dramatic spikes in positive brain activity.

New Video Game Aimed At Teen Girls Made In MN

PopStar - a Guitar Hero clone for teenyboppers

Meeting The Needs Of Hispanic Girls With Hip Chicas

"Hip Chicas recently launched a beta for its Latina-themed virtual world hoping to change that. It's a Latina-themed virtual world for tween girls with a strong theme of "helping improve the planet" -- instead of the "traditionally negative" themes Fuentes has noticed in products targeting Hispanic girls, like "bling-bling, shopping or lipstick."