In this special live-recorded episode of The Machine, Rob O’Connor hosts a panel discussion following a viewing of the CodeGirl documentary at SETU Waterford. The event brought together a group of secondary school students to explore pathways into computing and to hear real-life stories from women working and studying in the field.Rob is joined by Dr Indrakshi Dey (Walton Institute), Ava Neary (Applied Computing student and cybersecurity intern), and Amanda Freeman-Gater (Assistant Head of the Computing & Mathematics Department at SETU). Together they reflect on themes raised in the film — teamwork, creativity, and breaking gender stereotypes — while also sharing their own journeys into technology, including the challenges of maths anxiety, imposter syndrome, and changing career paths.Whether you’re considering a future in computing or supporting someone who is, this episode offers honest, insightful, and encouraging perspectives on what it means to build a career in tech.Useful links:Computing Courses at SETU: https://www.setu.ie/computingWalton Institute: https://www.waltoninstitute.ieCodeGirl documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5086438/Dr. Indrakshi Dey: https://waltoninstitute.ie/about/staff/dr-indrakshi-deyAmanda Freeman-Gater: https://www.setu.ie/staff/amanda-freeman-gaterRob O’Connor: https://www.setu.ie/staff/robert-oconnor
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Why Study Computing?
Are you interested in studying computing but feel a bit daunted by entering a field that can seem overwhelming? As professional computer science educators, we are often asked questions by prospective students about what’s actually involved in studying computing, the types of roles one can expect after graduating, the skills a student needs, and more. For this episode, we tried to distil some of those common questions into a podcast. If you’re someone who thinks computing is only for math wizards and “hardcore” programmers, this is the podcast for you! (Spoiler alert: The answer is NO!)
We discuss tech innovation and how ethical IT professionals can have a positive impact on the world. We also explore the hidden perks of IT careers, beyond the good salaries.
Join Amanda Freeman-Gater, TJ McDonald, and Rob O’Connor - all from the Department of Computing and Mathematics at SETU - for an easy-to-follow conversation on why you should study computing.
Useful Links:
Articles
Careers Portal – Information Technology https://careersportal.ie/sectors/sectors.php?sector_id=8
Brightwater Salary Survey 2024 https://online.flippingbook.com/view/692494949/
Technological university graduates more likely to be employed after leaving college (Irish Times) https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/education/2024/12/19/technological-university-graduates-more-likely-to-be-employed-after-leaving-college/
The highest paying sectors for new graduates (BusinessPlus) https://businessplus.ie/business-insights/highest-paid-graduates/
Courses
BSc (Hons) in Computer Science (SE600) https://www.setu.ie/courses/bsc-hons-in-computer-science-common-entry
BSc (Hons) in Software Systems Development https://www.setu.ie/courses/bsc-hons-in-software-systems-development
BSc (Hons) in Computer Forensics and Security (SE602) https://www.setu.ie/courses/bsc-hons-in-computer-forensics-and-security
BSc (Hons) in Creative Computing https://www.setu.ie/courses/bsc-hons-in-creative-computing
BSc in Information Technology https://www.setu.ie/courses/bsc-in-information-technology
BSc in Creative Computing https://www.setu.ie/courses/bsc-in-creative-computing
BSc in Software Systems Development https://www.setu.ie/courses/bsc-in-software-systems-development
Personal profiles
Amanda Freeman-Gater https://www.setu.ie/staff/amanda-freeman-gater
TJ McDonald https://www.setu.ie/staff/tj-mcdonald
Robert O’Connor https://www.setu.ie/staff/robert-oconnor
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Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau
Coming out of our latest Computing Week on campus in SETU, Rob spoke with two members of the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau – Detective Sergeant Eoin O’Connell and Detective Noel O’Gorman. They spoke about the work of the Bureau, how cybercrime threats have evolved over the past few years and what individual and organisations can do to help protect themselves. TRIGGER WARNING: the podcast includes discussion of offences around online sexual abuse and child pornography. The conversation is not graphic but listeners may want to exercise discretion.
By an amazing coincidence, in the period from when the interview was recorded and published, SETU has been the victim of a cyberattack. At the time of podcast publication, all systems on the Waterford campus are offline and the site is under active investigation. So the podcast is particularly timely for the SETU community …
For more information on the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, please visit https://www.garda.ie/en/about-us/organised-serious-crime/garda-national-cyber-crime-bureau-gnccb-/
To keep up to date with The Machine or for any follow-ups, you can contact Rob via the SETU website https://www.setu.ie/staff/robert-oconnor
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Indrakshi Dey - Autonomous Systems and Artificial Intelligence
Autonomous Systems are the jumping off point for this podcast episode with Indrakshi Dey of the Walton Institute at SETU. We talk about how computer science research is progressing in this area, encompassing the world of AI and forming links with partners across all disciplines. This leads on to a chat about how we (humans) tend to anthropomorphise Artificial Intelligence systems. We also discuss Indrakshi’s career to date and how being a woman of colour has given her unique insight across the sector.
Here are some links if you wish to follow up the podcast:
· Walton Institute Key Research Areas https://waltoninstitute.ie/research/key-research
· CONNECT project https://www.connect-science.net
· Indrakshi Dey’s profile at the Walton Institute https://waltoninstitute.ie/about/staff/dr-indrakshi-dey
· Indrakshi Dey’s profile on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/indrakshi-dey-aa658839/
· Rob O’Connor on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertoconnorirl/
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Nuria Oliver - Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Addressing Imbalances
To help celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Rob spoke with Spanish computer scientist Nuria Oliver about her work to date, such as using big data systems to help unbanked people access credit in developing nations or combating bias in AI systems. Nuria recounted how she first became interested in computing and turned that interest into a career. They also discussed the gender imbalance in computing today and Nuria offered some thought-provoking suggestions as to how these issues might be addressed. Nuria is also a fellow with Association of Computing Machinery, so thanks to the ACM for setting up the interview.
Here are links to projects mentioned during the podcast:
ELLIS – European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems https://ellis.eu
Data-Pop Alliance https://datapopalliance.org
Nuria Oliver’s Personal Website https://www.nuriaoliver.com
Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) https://www.acm.org
To keep up to date with The Machine, you can find the podcast on X/Twitter @machine_podcast or you can connect with Rob O’Connor via LinkedIn
About The Machine: A computer science education podcast
Faculty and students from the South East Technology University (SETU) Ireland explore a wide range of topics related to computing and technology. Hosted by Rob O'Connor.
All opinions are personal and do not represent University views.
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