Tamanna Motahar is a PhD student in the School of Computing, University of Utah, USA. Before starting her PhD, she was working as a Faculty member at North South University. She founded the country’s first ACM-W (Women in Computing) chapter and organized several national-level events for women. Her research and voluntary works are focused on different marginalized populations and their technology interaction.

Also, she was a Grace Hopper Scholar from Bangladesh in 2019. In addition to that, she received international Research Travel Grants from ACM (Singapore), ACM-SIGCHI (UK), and Facebook (USA). Her primary research focus is on Human-Computer Interaction. Her passion is to explore technology for the betterment of humanity.

Questions & Answers with Tamanna Motahar

What is your specific area of STEM?

My area is Computer Science and Engineering. My specific research area is “Human Computer Interaction (HCI)”.

How would you explain your STEM field to young girls?

In today's world, everything is highly interdisciplinary. For example, previously, technology was situated at the center for any tech-innovation, and users needed to adapt to that technology. Those technology-centric innovations did not integrate users' culture, art, customs, and beliefs. Therefore, often the technology became unable to solve a particular problem for all users. However, in today's STEM world, the human is more empowered. The user-centric approach has put a new lens for STEM where philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology, etc., are corroborated. So, the new meaning of STEM is broader and more inclusive in terms of knowledge.

What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field?

I think every child is different and curious about several things. A child does not need to have an interest only in math or science-related topics. Children can enjoy painting or drama but still can contribute to STEM. This field needs more designers, philosophers, and sociologists.

Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone?

I always tried to know how I can do things in different ways. For example, when doing math, I liked to try all the alternative approaches. I used to break toys and wanted to build them from scratch. Thus, I started thinking of doing engineering to break more things and learn how to re-make. I get all my inspiration from my mother (a medical doctor and professor) to chase my dream. She taught me how hard work could overcome any obstacle. I grew up listening to my mum's stories, the only female student in her college science group in the early seventies.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a woman in STEM?

The significant challenge that I experienced throughout my life is the preconceived notions regarding women's poor performance. In both cases, being a student and a faculty member, I found this mindset among family, instructors, or peers who directly influence the performance implications of a female student. The problem is exacerbated by the female students' silence who do not speak up at the time of difficulties. The reason is the societal expectations where women are supposed to be shy and timid. Similarly, it is visible in the computer science classrooms or the labs how equipment is handed over to a female student (with hesitation) or how female students try to hide their code bugs or lose enthusiasm if errors occur. These scenarios reflect the lessons they are continuously receiving from this patriarchal since childhood. Additionally, women are considered incompetent as they have additional challenges due to motherhood and domestic responsibilities.

Do you still see sexism and discrimination in the workplace?

I would say there are still sexism and discrimination in the workplace. However, it is changing. Women do not keep silent anymore. This is important to have more conversations on these topics to generate awareness. The more people (both men and women) will get aware; the workplace will become more inclusive.

What is Tamanna's life like in 2025?

I want to see myself doing impactful research in the field of Human-Computer Interaction that will serve the underrepresented population of the world. Additionally, when I started my CS journey, I aspired to create impacts on society to promote computer education for women. I would like to continue working to achieve my goal globally to remove gender discrimination in computing.

What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM?

Dream big, chase your passion!! You can achieve anything with hard work, strong determination, and perseverance, whether in STEM or any other field. A supporting network (friends, peers, or colleagues) is significant for constant motivation. Do not be hard on yourself. Give yourself enough appreciation for achieving small things. And remember, society will see you the way you see yourself. So, love yourself, take care of yourself. Do not let your crown down, Girl!!