By Lorraine Murphy. Fore student Megan D’Arcy has been nominated for a Rising Star award by Women who Code, Belfast. The She Rocks! awards will be held in the Oh Yeah! Music Center, Belfast on 29 of February and will feature women who are making a difference in the field of coding and computer science. According to Women Who Code, the Rising Star is a woman who has recently embarked upon their journey in the tech sector, shining a light on those who go above and beyond and spotlights their potential to be a future inspirational leader in the tech industry.
Megan, a final year student at Queen’s University, is currently completing her dissertation on predictions for serial killers in the United Staes. With a keen interest in data science, particularly in the areas of AI, statistics and maths, she only first considered coding when choosing her university majors. “When I was growing up, I was interested in maths and physics but not at all in coding. In University, approximately 50% of the maths students are female but that drops to 10-15% in computer science. Times are changing but it’s important to get coding into all secondary schools and let girls try it. Then, if they like it, they need to know they can study it and that it’s a real career option. Coding affects so many paths of study – psychology, chemistry and physics all have a coding aspect which enhances them and gives a fresh perspective.”
