Norha Villegas

Systems Engineer and Organizational Informatics Management specialist, Icesi University. Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Victoria, Canada. Twenty years of professional experience. Software engineer and consultant. Internationally recognized researcher for my contributions to software engineering, thanks to which I have received significant awards from academic institutions and organizations. First woman in Colombia to be a Senior Member of IEEE. For 9 years, I was Director of the Systems Engineering Program at Icesi University, where I grew the program by 400% and positioned it as one of the best in software engineering in the country, increasing girls’ participation. I am currently the Dean of the School of Engineering and Design, Associate Professor of the ICT department at Icesi, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria in Canada. I belong to important international networks, where I contribute to advancing software engineering and use my knowledge to train new IT engineers in Colombia. Hand in hand with Invest Pacific, I have significantly contributed to the attraction of investment to our region by national and international technology companies that have energized our ICT ecosystem.
My life story has inspired dozens of girls whom I have supported in their professional development process in technology.
At Icesi University, I have led recruitment and accompaniment strategies for more girls to study these professions and ensure our students successfully complete their curriculum. These programs include academic mentoring, psychosocial support, and professional counseling, mainly from me. During my career, I have mentored approximately 100 women who are working or studying.

Additional information on how I have positively impacted other women in the IT community (Books, articles, blogs, or any other relevant data or links).