Barbara Mucha \u201905 is a standout computer programmer in a field dominated by men \u2014 so much so that RecruitLoop.com named her one of the top 10 female full-stack developers in New York City. (Full-stack developers are those who can work with both front-end and back-end technology.)<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople associate computer science with computer games,\u201d Mucha says. \u201cI think there\u2019s a great disconnect between what people think a computer scientist does and what we actually do.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduating from Seton Hall and earning a master\u2019s from SUNY Stony Brook, she worked at Anheuser-Busch to develop software that automates the brewing process, allowing for greater consistency. She went on to Goldman Sachs, where she developed trading software that managed millions of dollars of transactions each day. Then she worked to develop and manage customer relationship management software at Starwood Hotels and Resorts.<\/p>\n
Now the director of engineering at PlaceIQ, Mucha manages the team responsible for creating and maintaining the company\u2019s data analysis products. Mucha herself served as lead developer on PlaceIQ\u2019s flagship product, Place Visit Rate, a first-of-a kind metric that measures actual foot traffic driven to locations by media campaigns. PlaceIQ uses information collected through mobile devices to help companies better engage with customers.<\/p>\n
Throughout her career, one thing has remained consistent: Women have been vastly under- represented in programming. \u201cSome companies are better than others, maybe 35 to 40 percent female,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I\u2019ve never heard of a 50\/50 office.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Mucha believes early exposure to computer science in fifth or sixth grade would help girls discover interest and talent for programming. Role models, too, can make a difference. \u201cHaving successful women in the field to look up to can help a lot,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n On the last point, Mucha has already done her part.<\/span><\/p>\n By William Golba, M.A. \u201916<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Barbara Mucha \u201905 is a standout computer programmer in a field dominated by men \u2014 so much so that RecruitLoop.com named her one of the top 10 female full-stack developers in New York City.<\/p>\n