The key, she says, is not to eliminate stereotypes but to diversify them—to convey the message that people from many different backgrounds can thrive in a given setting. Just such an effort was undertaken at the University of Washington, where Cheryan is now a professor. UW revamped its computer science lab, applying a fresh coat of paint, hanging new artwork, and arranging the seating to encourage more social interaction. Five years later, the proportion of undergraduate computer science degrees earned by women at UW reached 32 percent, higher than at any other flagship public university in
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