Spotlighting The Greek ACM-W Chapter in the ACW-Professional Chapter’s Corner

Written by Asegul Hulus

Ace in front of the Parthenon, one of the world’s most famous monuments that graces the Acropolis of Athens

Glad to have you back, travellers! Let’s embark on a sun-soaked adventure through the Greek islands, discovering the Greek ACM-W Chapter, a place where ancient knowledge blends with cutting-edge technology to advance gender equality in computing. 

I am interviewing Dr. Maria Roussou, Associate Professor of Interactive Systems at the University of Athens and Chair of the Greek ACM-W Chapter, today. She co-founded the experience design company, makebelieve, and formerly led the Virtual Reality Department at the Foundation of the Hellenic World. Her expertise lies in extended reality, cultural technology, and child-computer interaction, supported by her PhD in Computer Science. Maria is a senior member of the ACM, and she previously chaired the Greek ACM SIGCHI chapter. 

Dr. Maria’s impressive credentials help explain the remarkable success of this chapter. Let’s explore how they’ve built such a strong community.

A Chapter Full of Love: 222 Members Strong

From 43 initial members in July 2018, the Greek ACM-W Chapter has grown to a remarkable 222 members, a number considered auspicious and symbolic of love in various cultures. As illustrated below, this flourishing community is led by a committed team of officers, elected in February 2025 for a 2025-2027 term.

Current Greek ACM-W Officers

The Greek ACM-W Chapter gratefully acknowledges its previous leadership team, who served from 2018 to early 2025.

  • Panagiota (Youla) Fatourou, former Chair
  • Georgia Koutrika, former Treasurer
  • Maria Roussou, former Vice Chair (now Chair)

With such dedicated leadership through the years, it’s no wonder the Greek ACM-W Chapter has maintained such a clear and impactful vision.

The Mediterranean Mission: A Vision of Equality

Since its founding, the Greek ACM-W chapter has consistently worked to integrate gender equality and balance within the Greek computing and technology sectors. Their three main goals are:

  1. Ensuring equal access for all genders to advancements in computer science.
  2. Supporting everyone, regardless of gender, to reach their career goals and thrive professionally.
  3. Equitable celebration and dissemination of professional achievements for both women and men.

While their mission statement has remained consistent, their approach has evolved in practice. “Our mission remains the same,” Maria explained, “but in practice, we have evolved into focusing on putting a lot of effort into the Gender Equality in Computing Summit. It may happen once a year, but it requires a lot of planning and work.”

This evolution has led the Greek ACM-W Chapter to strategically focus their limited volunteer time on their flagship event, allowing other initiatives to converge into this central celebration.

Making Waves: The Gender Equality in Computing Summit

The Greek ACM-W Chapter’s annual Gender Equality in Computing (GEC) Summit is a gathering of students, researchers, and professionals from the computing field. Since 2019, these summits have transitioned from in-person to online (during the pandemic), then hybrid, and finally to an official ACM-W Celebration, as shown below.

GEC’s Development Over the Years

 The summit’s evolution, from navigating pandemic challenges with virtual formats to incorporating hybrid models for over 200 participants in 2022, reflects its growing impact.  Expanding beyond Greece to Cyprus in 2024 and achieving official ACM-W Celebration status in 2025 further demonstrates the Greek ACM-W chapter’s increasing influence within the Mediterranean computing community. The Greek ACM-W Chapter has also benefited from the ACM Distinguished Speakers Program for its GEC summits, which permit ACM-W Chapters to invite internationally renowned technology experts at no cost. 

One widely-appreciated feature of these summits is the poster session, where young researchers and students of all genders showcase their computing research. The Greek ACM-W Chapter’s review team evaluates submissions and even provides travel subsidies for presenters from outside the host city, ensuring inclusivity. The chapter’s poster sessions have become highly influential, providing a platform for young researchers and students to showcase their work, regardless of its connection to gender issues in computing. “It’s important for students and early career researchers to present their work publicly,” Maria stated. This is a great opportunity, especially since many researchers and students will be presenting at a conference for the first time. These sessions provide invaluable networking opportunities with senior professionals and mentors. 

The GEC Steering Committee is key to the chapter’s success, as it connects current and past summit organizers to share knowledge and maintain consistency. “The GEC steering committee includes this year’s organizers and all past organizers,” Maria explained. “We hold monthly meetings to assist this year’s GEC organizers with planning next year’s event.” By working together, each summit benefits from past achievements and incorporates new viewpoints.

Greek ACM-W Chapter Officers Youla Fatourou and Youli Koutrika, along with the GCE Steering Committee, richly deserve recognition as Volunteers of the Month, and given their ongoing commitment, as Volunteers of the Year. This dedicated team works tirelessly throughout the year to ensure their GEC flagship event is a success.

Beyond the Summit: Educational Outreach

The Greek ACM-W Chapter has vigorously promoted gender equality in Greek computing through numerous events and initiatives. Gender balance in education is a priority for the Greek ACM-W Chapter, which is committed to addressing this issue at every level. Their K-12 outreach program introduces young students to science and computing, with visits to junior high schools aimed at inspiring the next generation of technologists, regardless of gender.

WiSTEM Summer School

In 2019, their former Chair helped co-organise the  WiSTEM Summer School, which brought together 45 female students from various Cretan senior high schools. The immersive program included hands-on lab sessions (hardware and software), presentations by the School of Sciences & Engineering, tours of research facilities such as FORTH, demonstrations, and panel discussions with female faculty and researchers who shared their professional and personal experiences.

Winter School on Fairness in AI

The online Winter School on Fairness in AI, held in February 2022, received roughly 150 applications globally. 70 participants took part in the chapter’s invited talks, working groups, student presentations, coding toolboxes, and panel discussions. This event shows how the chapter’s influence has grown from Greece to the global computing community. These educational initiatives lay the groundwork for broader awareness and engagement throughout Greece’s computing community.

Mediterranean Connections: Raising Awareness Across Greece

Seven committed working groups power the Greek Chapter: Celebrations and Events, Outreach and Dissemination, Networking, Mentoring, Academic Support, Pre-University CS Education, and Assessment.

Their work spans all educational levels, collaborating with parents, teachers, students, professors, policymakers, government officials, and the wider community. By addressing gender equality in computing at all educational and career levels, this multifaceted approach ensures comprehensive coverage. Behind these impressive achievements lies a story of persistence and creative problem-solving.

Their achievements include presentations at the ACM Summer School on Data Science in Athens, participation in the Women Techmakers Greece Summit, and support for youth engagement at Youthopia’s International Day for Women in Science events.

Thought-provoking events, including “Is Computer Science Female?” at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, have sparked vital conversations about women in computer science. The Greek ACM-W Chapter also included invited lectures from international speakers; for example, Thomas J. Misa spoke on “Dynamics of Gender Bias in Computing” at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The ACM Summer School on Data Science in Athens featured a presentation by Dr. Maria.

Navigating Challenges with Greek Ingenuity

The Greek ACM-W Chapter’s diverse activities raise awareness of computing beyond academia, engaging a wide range of audiences and challenging stereotypes. Behind these impressive achievements lies a story of persistence and creative problem-solving. Much like sailors navigating the capricious Mediterranean, the Greek ACM-W Chapter overcomes various obstacles with both determination and ingenuity. As Maria Roussou explained in our interview, these everyday problems may seem minor, but they consume a significant amount of time and energy.

As explained previously, due to time constraints, the Greek ACM-W Chapter concentrates its volunteer efforts on its flagship GEC Summit, integrating other initiatives into this core event. Their financial difficulties, stemming from a lack of academic funding, were alleviated by forging relationships with corporate sponsors, ranging from technology firms like Oracle, Net Company, and Intrasoft to non-tech companies like Pfizer. According to Maria, obtaining funding from companies proved difficult due to the team’s unfamiliarity with the process. Despite their academic backgrounds, the team successfully obtained corporate sponsorships to supplement ACM-W’s $3,000 annual celebration budget.

The absence of legal entity status in Greece causes administrative difficulties, primarily in financial administration. “We don’t have a bank account,” Maria explained. “A company will support us by buying the catering directly.” The Greek ACM-W Chapter addressed this issue by creating direct payment arrangements between sponsors and vendors. Addressing the lack of female role models in Athens’ universities, they broadened their reach by featuring successful Greek women in international computing, incorporating virtual participation to overcome geographical limitations and highlight diverse perspectives.

The chapter’s passion, dedication, and teamwork have allowed it to overcome challenges and continue to thrive, embodying the Greek ideal of perseverance and ingenuity. Their digital strategy expands their reach beyond in-person events. Maria explained the crucial role of their YouTube channel in the chapter’s lasting impact, describing how challenges were converted into opportunities to expand their reach and influence through LinkedIn and their website, which was provided through free ACM chapter web hosting. 

Mediterranean Wisdom:  A Call to Action for Building the Future 

The Greek ACM-W Chapter plans to continue its growth by working with members of the global Greek diaspora. The move to hold events outside Greece, starting in Cyprus in 2024, shows a growing influence across the Mediterranean. The Greek ACM-W Chapter is now ready to expand its influence, as the 2025 event will follow the official ACM-W Celebration format for GEC. This evolution represents both recognition of their success and an opportunity to further engage with the global ACM-W community.

When asked what message she would like to convey to the ACM-W global community, Maria shared this reflection: ” The ACM-W community is incredibly passionate. It’s incredibly inspiring, hardworking, and dedicated. This community is wonderful.” 

When asked about her role models in computing, Maria expressed how her daily collaborators continually inspire her. “The women on my team are all brilliant,” she shared, naming Vivi, Maria, Lydia, Dimitra, Olga, Lori, Gina, Katerina, Eleni, Anastasia, and others who exemplify excellence in the field. She also acknowledged male colleagues such as Yannis, Christos, and Giorgos, whose commitment to inclusivity and innovation strengthens their collective work.

Beyond her immediate circle, Maria finds inspiration in the women of the European Network for Gender Balance in Informatics (EUGAIN). She particularly highlighted Geraldine Fitzpatrick, whose participation in past events, thoughtful approach to the field, and humility have left a lasting impression. “Her care and sensitivity in approaching the field have been truly inspiring,” Maria noted.

Echoing ancient Greek philosophers’ understanding that small, consistent steps create meaningful change, the Greek ACM-W Chapter similarly champions gender equality in computing. As Maria so eloquently put it, “Persistent effort, however small (drop by drop), can achieve great things.”

This philosophy embodies the Greek ACM-W Chapter’s mission: to create a movement that reshapes the computing world, both in Greece and internationally. In the spirit of this movement, the Greek ACM-W chapter and ACM-W offer support to those silently struggling. Achieving this is possible through:

  • Connecting with chapter leaders to join the activities they are organizing.
  • Joining an ACM-W Professional Chapter in your area or building your own, if there isn’t one. I am available to support you in the process. 
  • Sharing your stories and experiences with us.
  • Finding ways to collaborate with ACM-W, for example, through our Professional Chapters Committee (where I am involved), and the ACM-W  Chapters Buddy Program

Everyone can be a source of encouragement and an agent of change in their computing community!

To conclude the tour, here’s a souvenir: an infographic highlighting key moments of the Greek ACM-W Chapter, along with my and their contact details. 

Greek ACM-W Infographic 

Connect with the Greek ACM-W Chapter

Upcoming Event: ACM-W Celebration of Women in Computing: 7th Summit on Gender Equality in Computing – June 5-6, 2025 at the University of Piraeus (http://gec25.unipi.gr/)

Contact Information for Ace and ACM-W Chapters Buddy Program:

I’ll see you all at the next Professional Chapter tour! This is your friendly tour guide, signing off!

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